The most important lesson …

Recently, I was asked what was the most important lesson I had learned in the process of becoming—and I suppose being—a published author.

The answer, which I found a pretty easy one, was this:

“Just this: it’s the story that matters. It’s your only pilot star.“

What I mean by that is: that it is frequently a long and solitary (so yes, sometimes lonely!) slog writing a book in the first place, and no light task getting it out into the world either.

Once you do, there is no assurance of plain s...