Following My Own Path (Sydney Salter)

Only two more years to go, I remember thinking, as I listened to Linda Sue Park speak at my first SCBWI New York conference. Certainly her path to publication could be mine as well? I've read 100 books in my genre, I've honed my craft, mostly, yeah, I'm sure I can check that off the list... 

During my pre-publication years, I spent a lot of time listening to the number of years/manuscripts/rejections successful authors counted on their journeys toward actual books. My numbers: 5 years, five manuscripts, 5 inches (?) of rejections. Do they matter? Nope.

Once published I shifted my attention to the paths of fellow authors: book tours, fancy promotions, ads in glossy teen magazines, starred reviews, foreign rights, fans & followers. Not much good came from that kind of author-versus-author comparing. I only found myself getting unproductively jealous.

So I bought myself a green-eyed monster and put it in charge of envy. And I plodded along on my own path feeling more content. Mostly.

Yet I still find myself watching other people's paths. Hmmm, Author X had a six year gap between books, I'll think, only three more years to go...

Maybe I need to get a stuffed groundhog to put on my desk?