Writing Excuses Writing Excuses 8.34: Survivorship Bias
Aug 26, 2013
The cast discusses survivorship bias in the writing industry, cautioning listeners to critically analyze their own experiences. They explore the misconceptions surrounding breaking into writing, the importance of discerning advice, and the success of novellas without an established platform. The chapter also delves into the impact of survivorship bias on success in the creative field and the misconception that networking guarantees success.
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Understanding Survivorship Bias
- Survivorship bias means we focus on successful people and wrongly assume their methods will work for everyone.
- Luck plays a major role in success, so advice from survivors may not apply universally.
Brandon's Publishing Story
- Brandon got published by writing many books, meeting editors, and networking at cons.
- His editor Mosha took 18 months to read his book and rarely reads unsolicited submissions.
Mary's Puppeteer Misconception
- Mary shares that many think you must be a professional puppeteer like her to succeed.
- External career appearances hide the effort and rejected drafts behind success.