I hear that children’s publishing is a difficult industry to break in to. There’s a lot of people wanting in, and only so many books a year. So what are the chances that you’re going to be the one? Slim to none, I hear. They say it probably won’t be you.
So prove them wrong, underdog.
From underdog to top dog
It turns out that being an underdog can be incredibly motivating for some people. The mission to ’cause an upset’ might be the thing you need to push you to work smarter and harder than anyone else. I’m one of these people. I like to challenge the status quo. If someone tells me that it’s unlikely I’ll be able to achieve something, I will go out of my way to prove them wrong if it’s something I care about.
There are so many examples of this. From the story of Brad Bird and the Incredibles, to ‘now top-dog’ of the anime world and founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, who, whilst a lowly in-betweener at one of his first jobs, decided to re-draw the entire ending to a film without having the permission to do so. Jules Faber, and Brian Koppelman’s Podcast, The Moment, also mounts evidence for the case.
A ‘just-manageable’ difficulty
It’s all well and good to say, “Hey, people don’t think you’ll ever be published. So go. Get published”. But that’s a bit like saying “Hey, you’re not smart, be smarter.” Or for those of us familiar with The Simpsons, Tappa Tappa Tappa. This is where ‘A just manageable difficulty” becomes important.
“Being published” is a pretty difficult thing, especially when they say, “You’ll never be published”. There’s a lot that needs to happen for someone to achieve that goal. But what about doing 3 illustrations per week. I bet you can’t do that. Or, if you’re already doing that, what about an illustration a day. An idea a day? 300 words per day? Go on, I dare you.
A just manageable difficulty is about setting a challenge whose difficulty doesn’t feel impossible, but it stretches you. Right now, my just-manageable difficulty is writing one journal entry per week. On the surface, this doesn’t sound like much. But with a full-time job, a fair-sized garden that needs care, in-progress and exploratory picture book work, short story writing and reading for pleasure, plus, you know, life; one journal entry is proving just manageable. I’ve also been told I couldn’t keep it up. I’ll show them.
Find your rival and conquer
So, next time someone says, “No, sorry, this path is not for you.” Embrace that the odds are against you, that they’re expecting you to fail. Then, set your small but manageable goals and prove them wrong, one small win at a time.