Luck = Preparation + Opportunity

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner writes one of my favorite blogs, and her post this week is spot on. In Your Lucky Break! she addresses a reader’s question about why stories about finding an agent so often seem to involve “some lucky break or some connection.” Right.

Gardner responds by clearly reminding us all that we each create our own lucky breaks. She states, “You create the potential opportunities by networking with other writers and people in publishing. You create preparedness by being the best writer you can.” Yes! I can’t even begin to suppress the “I told you so!” that bubbled up as soon as I read this.

I’ve heard some people use the phrase “some people get all the breaks” as an excuse for lack of success, but really, it’s a success tip in disguise. Some people do get all the breaks, but that’s because they’ve positioned themselves well, they’ve honed their craft, and they’ve made the effort to network with others in their field. They didn’t wait for manna to fall from the sky; they went out and plowed the field and planted seed. What you do today will bear fruit in season.