Since my first post on overnight success, I’ve discovered that it’s a well-discussed topic. Here are a few other interesting takes on the subject.
Ovenight Success stories at Crime Fiction Blog
We’ve all heard of the author who is an instant success. It’s enough to discourage anyone else who spends spare time writing, reading, writing, reading, writing in the hope of one day seeing the light of publication! Here is a collection of short narratives by over 60 authors, telling their “overnight success” stories. Some did experience almost overnight success, but others took a more leisurely path. The bottom line? They’ve all been published.
Seth Godin’s take on Overnight Success
Seth’s work is always thought-provoking, and in this post he suggests that “The goal, I think, is to be an overnight failure, but one that persists.” I have to agree!
Overnight Success in 4-1/2 Years
A story that appeared last week in The Globe and Mail (Toronto) tells the story of Peter Stebbings’ screenplay for Defendor.
Chris Brogan Takes on the Idea of Overnight Success (Part 1) (Part 2)
In two video posts (What it Takes to Be an Overnight Success and Overnight Success 2- A Call to Arms), blogger Chris Brogan assesses what goes with the idea of overnight success. He provides a clear look at what his life really looks like, makes it clear that this is what he signed up for, then challenges viewers to get in the game and make a difference for others.
Spotify Co-Founder: Notion of Overnight Success “Misleading and Harmful”
I know that the idea of overnight success can be discouraging, but in this post, Daniel Ek suggests that it can actually be harmful to a company’s chance for long-term success. Be careful what you wish for!
Guitar Hero is Another (10-Year) Overnight Success
Don Dodge shares stories of Guitar Hero and iRobot, two “overnight successes.” He points out that Guitar Hero was the 9th video game produced by Harmonix, 10 years after founding the company, and that iRobot tried 18 different business models in 12 years before reaching the iRobot.
Don’t tell the guys at 37Signals that “you can’t get there because you don’t have a huge audience already.” They’ll tell you to stop whining and get busy, because that’s what it takes!
The Long-term Downside of Overnight Success
“Easy come, easy go” is what my grandmother used to say when something happened too fast, and scholars at the Wharton School of Business have confirmed that there’s indeed something to that idea. This interesting post reports on a study that tracks the rate of adoption and abandonment of baby names, and the result suggests that the faster something becomes popular, the more quickly it’s dropped. Something to think about!
When I started thinking about this topic, I had no idea it was top-of-the-mind for so many people. There is much more to read on the topic if you like, but like me, you’d probably be better served by getting back to work and creating your own overnight success!
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