Reason #6: You Don't Read What You're Writing

Think about the list of books you made for Reason #2: You Don't Buy Books. (Pretend you made a list.)

Imagine you had to put all those books back on the shelf at the bookstores you bought them from. (Or, just think about your favourite/most frequented stores.)

Now imagine your next book, all gussied up in a sexy cover, with a jacket blurb that exactly captures the spirit of your story. Where would it be in those bookstores? Would your book be anywhere near the books you bought, or somewhere else?

Would you (or a hypothetical reader just like you) even pick it up?

Reason #1: You Don't Buy Books

How many books have you bought in the last five years?

Make a rough guess. Now eliminate anything in the following categories:

non-fiction

gifts

remainders

second-hand

(ghost)written by a celebrity

published prior to 2001

(If your total is already down to zero, give up any fantasy of being a published writer. Right now.)

Keep going and eliminate:

established authors (prior to 2001)

anything with "Bestseller" or "Oprah" printed on it

recommended by a friend/family member

anything by an author you know personally

If you have a few books left, congratulations. Check back for Reason #2.

If you haven't taken a chance on a new, unproven author in the last five years, why the hell would you expect anyone else to?