Frank Herbert's Secret of Success

Herbert worked on the Dune manuscript for almost six years, until 1963. At first, no one wanted to publish his book, they said that it was too long, that the readers would not like it. He got rejection after rejection. Even when he managed to find a publisher, it seemed that the book was waiting for a failure: critics spoke badly about it, there was no advertising.

But the inexplicable happened. People started talking about Dune. The book began to gain popularity.

“For two whole years bookstores and readers bombarded me with complaints that they couldn't get my book anywhere,” the writer said. "They even asked me if I had founded a sect."

Herbert called the Dune story "a slow-growing success." Such success is usually much longer than the glory of the next bestseller. Most of the bestsellers are illusion. Any businessman who wants to become a popular author can hire someone to write a book and then buy ten thousand copies and get on the bestseller lists. But such books are forgotten very quickly. Dune has been read for over 40 years.

Don't think about reward

Why has Dune become so popular when so many other books go unnoticed? Fluke? Perhaps. Or maybe the point is in the way Herbert approached his art.

When I wrote Dune, I didn't think about its success or failure. The interweaving of all the storylines required tremendous concentration. There was simply no room in my head for other thoughts.

Frank Herbert

Herbert was not eager to sell as many copies as possible. He just wanted to write a book that would be fun to read.

“The writer should do his best to make the reader want to read the next line. This is what you need to think about when you write, - he said. - Don't think about money, don't think about fame. Focus on the story you want to tell and don’t waste your energy on the rest.”

This tip isn't just for writers. Don't think about money. Don't think about success. Concentrate on doing your job well. The rest will come by itself.

Change your attitude towards success

Herbert was often asked what success meant to him.

“It was my job, and I worked,” Herbert replied. - I was a writer and that's why I wrote. Success only meant that I would have more time to write on. In retrospect, I understand that instinctively I did the right thing. You can't write just for the sake of success. It distracts from the book-making process."

If you have already sat down to write a book, you just write, and that's it.

Frank Herbert

This is a very important piece of advice. So the next time you have a crazy idea for a new product, book, or startup, ask yourself, "Am I working for success or is success working for me?"