Shelf Life

After retiring from teaching English for way too long, I picked up a part time job as a library assistant. I was around people who still liked books and who wouldn't make fun of my writing.

It didn't take long for me to realize the shelf life of a book isn't very long. A new book might have a run of six months to a year if it's any good. After 18 months, the check out rate slows dramatically, and after three years or so, it's headed for the dumpster.

It doesn't really matter if the book is an award-winner or not. It's still got a limited run. There are exceptions, of course, which is probably what makes a lot of writers continue to slog away, but there aren't too many Harper Lees or J K Rowlings out there.

This has put my writing into perspective. I had better enjoy the creative process and not get too bent out of shape if my writing doesn't flip the world upside down. I had a lot of fun writing The Grotto, and I made some good friends along the way. Granted, they're all figments of my imagination, but my characters seemed to have enjoyed the ride as well.