Writing and selling a book are two different things.

Something else I've been meaning to say.

Writing a book and selling a book are two completely different things.

That's all there is to it.

God bless those who can do both, but being able to do one doesn't mean you can do the other.

I've been struggling with the dichotomy for two years now.  Trying to find a way around it.  Looking for loopholes.

There aren't any.  They are two different processes.  Period.

I'm interested in doing the one, but not only not interested in doing the other but actively repelled by the process.

When I used to work for other people, I was always the guy who did the work without fanfare and got no credit.  Which is why I'm self-employed.  My work speaks for itself.

It almost doesn't matter how good my writing is.  I'd like to believe that a quality book would be rewarded, but there is too much evidence out there that that is a rare and lucky occurrence.

There are just as many examples, if not more, of inferior books garnering tons of attention.

But the truth is, I don't know how good my books are.  The point I'm trying to make is, it doesn't matter.  They are as good or bad as they are.

Which has nothing to do with with the process of selling them.  Obviously, it helps if you've written something really good.  But you still have to engage in the process of selling, and that is a different skill.

Good writer/bad promoter.
Bad writer/good promoter.
Bad writer/bad promoter.
Good writer/good promoter.

Any and all these possibilities exist, but in every case they are separate events.