Made It Moment: Mike Esola
Could you do it? That’s the question that immediately popped into my mind after reading this Moment. After that came all sorts of other intriguing questions such as whether you should want to do it–is this what making it really means–and if indeed it is one metric of success (as it must be) what kinds of books will meet this goal. Which goal? You’ll have to read on and learn what making it means to Mike.
I’m still currently working on making it. For myself I’ve set the goal of selling one million books. It’s a large goal and I know that, but it gives me something to shoot for each and every day I sit down at the computer, something to keep me motivated for each day. When I hit that goal I’ll know I’ve made it and arrived. Until then I have a lot of work to do. For all aspiring authors out there, keep pushing yourself to heights that are far beyond what you ever imagined, I continue to do this myself. In the end I believe it will be well worth it.
I have set the bar very high in terms of book sales because to me being an author is all about doing something day in and day out. With this in mind, it is all about sustainability, and what it will take to keep yourself motivated to work seven days a week. If I merely set the bar at just getting a book done and complete, when I get there how will I find the added motivation to keep going? My goal of one million book sales is enormously large, and I am fully and ready to prepare myself to work extremely hard for it. By setting the goal of one million books, I continue to push myself each day to work harder, be more productive, and try and make this goal a reality. I’ve learned that for myself setting smaller goals doesn’t provide me with the fuel that I need to get the job done. Each author has to determine what size goal works best for themselves, because it should not be just about how many books you sell that ultimately determines your success. Success is a strange thing, and at the end of the day it is up to each person to determine what success means to them.
I merely have this one million book sales goal to ensure that I never stop working, always keep my eye on the goal, and most importantly, never, never, give up. They say that a persistent author will eventually be a published author, and I couldn’t agree more.
Michael Esola currently serves as the Founder and President of Esola Entertainment, a global think tank focused on releasing products and services with a true mass market appeal. Esola resides in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is hard at work on his next novel.