Dipping the Quill Deeper: Overnight Success for Writers

by Eva Marie Everson @EversonAuthor

In last month’s “DQD,” (Forgetting the Why) I wrote about the “overnight success” of Simon & Garfunkel, the duo who rose to fame after working together—writing music and singing—from their middle school years to halfway through their college careers. 

Overnight success is a fantasy. Behind every artist—every songwriter, singer, painter, and author—is a passing of years filled with dreams, hard work, study, and disappointment. 

With that in mind, I asked a few of my dear writerly friends to tell me their overnight success stories. 

Rachel Hauck

I started writing in 1993. That book was nicely rejected. I went back to the corporate world but couldn’t let the writing dream—call—go. My first book was published in 2004 to no acclaim. I continued to publish . . . to no acclaim. I was barely hanging on. When I signed the contract for The Wedding Dress, I’m pretty sure I was on my way out the publisher’s door. Eight years had passed since my first publication and, this time, the book (TWD) released to a bit of a buzz. It did well for a time. Then, four years later the publisher put it “on sale” and Amazon stuck in on the front page of the Monthly Deals. The book hit the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal best seller lists. Only God. 

Lori Benton

I started writing stories in third grade (1978) but felt a calling to make writing my life’s work in 1990 when I was around 22 years old. I began writing my first novel immediately and didn’t stop writing novels except during a five-year stint of chemo fog after cancer at age 30. Eventually some earlier work would be published (Mountain Laurel, Tyndale 2020), my first novel to be published was Burning Sky, written 2008-2009, but not contracted until 2011 by Waterbrook and then released in August 2013. That book went on to win three Christy Awards in 2024: Historical, First Novel, and Book of the Year. 

Jerry B. Jenkins

I began my writing career at age 14, making $1 per newspaper inch at age 14. In my adult writing career, while I was doing well and would have been able to put our three sons through college and pay off our house, my first New York Times bestseller (an Orel Hershiser as-told-to autobiography), didn’t come until my 75th book, at age 39. Left Behind was my 125th. I was then 46. Still, I’m often asked, “Have you written anything other than Left Behind?” 

Kim Sawyer

I heard the call to write when I was five years old—told my kindergarten teacher people would find my book in the library someday. I wrote my first published manuscript when I was 24. From the writing of it to seeing it published took 22 years. 

Denise M. Colby

My journey took 12 years. Now that I’ve published my first book, I can see why. I had a nudge from God in 2009 (which I ignored). Same nudge and stronger in 2011 (which I didn’t ignore). Joined writing groups in 2012 and started the journey of learning and writing, writing and learning. Finished my first manuscript in/about 2018. Next came several years of editing and figuring out what to do. Then the whirlwind started: I entered Scrivenings Press Get Pubbed (August 2023) and won Grand Prize for manuscript (Nov 2023) – I hadn’t even gotten all my critiques entered because I was thinking of packing it up. But I ended up with a 4-book contract with the first book releasing June 2024 and Book 2 due in September (no, I’m not panicking yet).

Sunni Jeffers

I started writing at age 42 and finished my first published novel four years later. But it wasn’t published for ten years. Ten years from “finish” to “publication. 

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We often say, “It’s all in God’s timing” to the point that it becomes almost cliché. But there’s truth in those words. Everything should be in His timing. 

In 2002, I went to Israel on a journalism tour for Crosswalk.com. While there, I bonded deeply with 1) our tour guide and interpreter (Miriam) and 2) the Land. Miriam and I began to talk about writing a book together—a Jewish woman and a Christian woman walking the Land of the Bible together. We created a proposal and, even though the idea received high praise, no one bought it. A coffee table book with four-color photography, they said, was expensive. So, we let it go and continued with whatever was right in front of us. 

Then, in 2006, I created a Bible study proposal that was contracted by an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Within a few weeks, I went to work with the editor who, shortly thereafter, was transferred to another department. I began to work with another editor . . . until the imprint was shutdown. “But don’t worry; we’re going to transfer you to another imprint,” they told me. “In fact, the top imprint with a new editor.” My new editor contacted me and said, “I don’t really know your work. Will you allow me a couple of weeks to read some of your articles and books so I know you better?”

Of course, I said yes.

Two weeks later she called and said, “I just read the articles you wrote about your 2002 trip to Israel. Would you be willing to forego the Bible study book for a book about Israel? I’m picturing a coffee table book with four-color photography.” 

After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I said, “Only if Miriam can write it with me.” 

“Done.”

In 2007, I returned to Israel so that Miriam and I could “walk the land,” taking photographs as we went along building lifetime experiences. The book, Reflections of God’s Holy Land; A Personal Journey Through Israel, released in 2008, the 60th anniversary of Israel’s statehood. 

God’s timing had been perfect, and the book went on to win several awards.

We get anxious for our work to be written, to be finished, to be published. But we cannot rush God—or we shouldn’t. He knows every piece of the puzzle that must be snapped into place before the picture is complete. 

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Eva Marie Everson is the CEO of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and the Director of Contests for Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. Her latest work, Ahoti: A Story of Tamar, co-written with Israeli bestselling author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, released May 14, 2024 (Paraclete Press/Raven Fiction). For more information about Eva Marie, go to www.EvaMarieEversonAuthor.com.