14 Comments
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Liz Gauffreau's avatar

A very impressive literary career!

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Lev Raphael's avatar

Thanks, and one full of surprises.

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Liz Gauffreau's avatar

You’re welcome. I can appreciate a good writerly surprise.

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Nathaniel Treadway's avatar

What I love about this is how it applies to _any_ endeavor.

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Lev Raphael's avatar

Good point. Chasing the pot of gold can lead you into a swamp.

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Susan Oleksiw's avatar

That's a wonderful story as well as advice for new writers and artists. As a friend told me once, Do what you love and the money will follow.

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Lev Raphael's avatar

My memoir was a financial success for me not through sales but through speaking engagements, so money may come unexpectedly. That was a total surprise. I toured on and off for about five years with that book.

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Lauren Levato Coyne's avatar

Excellent. Wonderful. Exactly. 💕

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Lev Raphael's avatar

Thanks!

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Richard Donnelly's avatar

Does status matter? Absolutely. Like any industry, publishing favors insiders. It's a you-rub-my-back, I-rub-yours world, and the writer shouldn't forget it.

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Lev Raphael's avatar

Being an insider isn't the same thing as status, though. And like me, people can do well as writers without being in the charmed circle of NYC publishing.

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Richard Donnelly's avatar

And yet you were in that world Lev. Once you own the tuxedo, I imagine it can be worn again : )

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Nancy Hesting's avatar

Kudos to you for recognizing that. I've always heard to "write what you know".

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Lev Raphael's avatar

What we know is often much more than we suspect we do.

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