Aim for Best-Writing Author Before You Aim for Best-Selling Author

Samir Jaber
The Shortform
Published in
Oct 27, 2022

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Photo by Shiromani Kant on Unsplash

Think about it. How often have you read a “best-selling” book and thought, “I expected more from this book.”

We tend to confuse best-selling with best-written when they mean different things.

It’s in their names, you know.

Best sellers are simply books that sell the most. They don’t have to have the best quality of writing.

Just find the right publicist, create a catchy title and intriguing headings, and promise to reveal some uncovered secrets, then fill in the gaps.

Oversimplified, I know. But you get my point.

While there are best sellers with fantastic writing, if you, as an aspiring writer, prioritise being a “best-selling author” over being a “great writer”, you’d lose the essence of your writing.

You want to sell? Write first. Sell later.

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Samir Jaber
The Shortform

I write about writing. I write about science. Featured writer and former scientific researcher | My website: https://samirjaber.com