The Pressure To Be Prolific
The pressure to be prolific is real—and it's also mostly a lie. Hawthorn & Aster is breaking down the myth of the constantly publishing author, what's actually going on behind the scenes, and why chasing someone else's pace is the fastest way to burn out before you even begin.
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Hi friends. It's time we talk about the elephant in the room. The pressure to be prolific.
It sounds almost prestigious, right? Who doesn't want an SAT word attached to their name? Their brand?
But what does it mean to be prolific?
In a nutshell, it means you've produced a significant body of work.
In layperson's terms, it means you sneeze out a novel at a rate that is equal parts enviable and terrifying.
The pressure is real
Indie authors are particularly susceptible to what we call "saturation marketing." Think about it—how many authors do you follow who seem to be pumping out books three to four times a year? And sometimes more!
It's easy to get bogged down in the hustle culture of it all. "If I just write more, I'll have more books out in the world and there's a better chance people will buy them!" Or, "People really loved the first book in my series! If I don't capitalize on the hype now, I'll lose them for good!"
Let's stop and take a breath. Because none of this is true.
Let's de-influence you.
The authors you see popping out books like their brain is a print-on-demand service? There are probably a few things going on behind the scenes.
They already wrote those books in advance and had a publishing and marketing strategy that allowed for the aggressive publishing schedule. We often encourage our own clients to handle production of their books so that when the time comes to market, they can focus exclusively on advertising. Some use the time spent building campaigns to start working on the next series, so there's no visible dip in their publishing schedule.
They have enough money to throw at a team of editors and service providers to keep them on track. In short, they write the rough draft, give it a few passes, ship it off to a team of editors, let their PAs handle the rest of the logistics, and get back to writing.
The quality isn't there. Maybe the book is visually stunning, but publishing too quickly comes with the hidden cost of quality control slipping. Maybe the story is rushed, maybe the editing isn't great—or isn't present at all.
Maybe—and it's a sad thing to even have to say in this day and age—it's AI.
Allow us to go back to the schoolyard.
Do you remember growing up and being fed the line, "if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?"
It's really easy to feel like we have to keep up with other authors. To feel like we have to perform to the same level, or we'll fall behind. But the reality is, that pace works only for a select group of authors—and maybe a handful of them do it well.
If that pace isn't something you're naturally capable of on your own, all you're doing is tying your ankles together before the footrace begins.
Honor your own pace
I really hate how hard we're leaning into clichés in this blog, but it bears repeating: comparison is the thief of joy.
If you're so focused on how other authors are moving, you're going to miss the steps along your own author journey.
When the urge to compare yourself to someone else hits, try this:
Take inventory of your own metrics.
Last month, how many words did you write? And what about this month?
Was there an improvement? Fantastic!
Was there a dip? Great—now you have some competition. Yourself.
You are your own metric. You are your own guideline. No one else.
If you're constantly holding yourself to impossible standards, you're only going to wind up feeling defeated.
Don't get us wrong—we're all about big dreams here at Hawthorn & Aster. We encourage our authors to set goals for themselves and to dare to believe that their dreams are achievable. We want people to chase their passions.
But notice what we said. Their own goals. Their own passions. Their own dreams.
These things should exist outside of the influence of your author peers. What works for them will not work for you, and vice versa.
You're not falling behind. We promise.
If you're looking for a space that meets you where you are—whether you're sprinting or taking it one chapter at a time—that's exactly what we built Hawthorn & Aster to be. Our newsletter is full of tips, tools, and the occasional reality check (clearly). Come hang out with us.