What does literary success look like?
Written by Kate Gough
When you release a book into the great, vast sea of literature, you have high hopes. You dream of lush reviews full of praise, glossy interviews that show how profound an author you are, release parties where you pop the champagne… It all sounds grand. However, these lofty expectations might leave you gravely disappointed.
As someone who just released a book (Cottage in a Mirror), I was cautiously optimistic about the general reaction to it but also worried that I would be mildly disappointed come release day. I had never released a portfolio of work that would be considered a representation of me as an artist. Anxious minded since childhood, I do tend to over-worry about things that I cannot control, and the reactions of others are at the top of the list. I am trying to get better at it, however, as I was releasing my book, the anxiety weighed on my shoulders. I didn’t expect a huge party, (as covid restrictions would have prevented anyhow) but I did fear that I would get no reaction, or worse, negative reviews. Shy as I am, I didn’t expect to clam up at the idea of having my work released.
As I was preparing for the interview with my editor, Rebecca Rijsdijk, she asked me a question that brought to light my genuine feelings.
“What does literary success look like to you?”
As I thought about it deeper, I realized that literary success, to me, was never about frosting and champagne. It had always been about writing. All I want to do is write. If it comes to nothing, I’d still have expressed myself the best I could at the time. If someone reads it and connects to the imagery and themes, then I will have tied a thread from my mind to another’s, and that is magic. If someone reads it, and they feel nothing, then I’ll at least have gotten my word in. That’s all I could ever ask for.
Your book, your art, is an extension of yourself, and to shout into the void is an act of bravery. To say that you are allowed to take up space on this earth is to fight back against the cruelty that justifies unnecessary suffering. It is to stand up and say, I will not cower, I will express my heart, and I defy those who deny my worth. This talent, whether it be writing, or any other art form, it is a tool used to express. If literary success means anything to me, it means genuine expression.
Milestones come and go, and fame fades, but if you have a pen and paper, you can change the world. It may sound cheesy as hell, but art has the power to change. To change minds and hearts, and to help us feel seen. This vulnerability is terrifying, but it is necessary in order to connect to each other.
As I came to these realizations, the day came to release the book. There was no party, no balloons or frosting, but there was a serene sense of peace, that I am finally seen, and that those who are in need of a warm comfort, would find it in the poems. It was a hopeful feeling, and I hope that when you release your art into the world, you find the same peace I found in being known.
KATE GOUGH is a Canadian based poet and a member of the online poetry community. Her work modernizes romantic literary sensibilities and explores recovery from chronic illness and trauma. Her philosophy is one close to the Danish “Hygge” which is, the celebration of cosiness. Warm socks, hot tea, and candlelight are her favourite writing tools.