--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold…" description: "\"In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.\" — George Stephen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg" --- # In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels. ![“In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.” quote by George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg) > “In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.” [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early productivity shows creative momentum but may lack polish. **In simple terms:** Early work is prolific. Key Takeaway Balance speed with refinement. Themes creativity productivity growth Mood reflective analytical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - first novel - self‑publishing - career launch - learning curve Key Concepts writing discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you improve early drafts? - When is it right to pause and edit? A Different Perspective Rapid output can compromise quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1988 Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1988-wrote-5485270/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Sold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sold/) [Sold Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sold-novels-5485269/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote/) [Wrote Sold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-sold-5485272/) [Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year/) [Year 1988](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-1988-5485271/) ## Related quotes > [I sold my first short story while I was home on maternity leave, then began working on novels. Since I was reading and enjoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-sold-my-first-short-story-while-i-was-home-on-maternity-leave-then/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [It was emotional when Chrysler sold out to the Germans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/it-was-emotional-when-chrysler-sold-out-to-the-germans/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [We've sold over 100,000 records so far, and we're an independent label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/we-ve-sold-over-100-000-records-so-far-and-we-re-an-independent-label/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) > [I've always been involved in politics, since I was 8 or 9 years old. I sold Kool-Aid for McGovern - I could always pick a winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-ve-always-been-involved-in-politics-since-i-was-8-or-9-years-old-i/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Anybody who goes searching can find enough artistic things I've done that nobody can ever say I sold out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allan-coe/anybody-who-goes-searching-can-find-enough-artistic-things-i-ve-done/) [David Allan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allan-coe/) > [Even if you have a contract you can be sold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teemu-pukki/even-if-you-have-a-contract-you-can-be-sold/) [Teemu Pukki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teemu-pukki/) > [Oh, Michael Jackson is Michael Jackson. And no matter if he sold 40 million records off of one record and sold 15 off his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-jackson/oh-michael-jackson-is-michael-jackson-and-no-matter-if-he-sold-40/) [Tito Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-jackson/) > [People used to come knocking on my door saying, 'Your trouble is that you're a sex symbol who doesn't do enough sexy things.' I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raquel-welch/people-used-to-come-knocking-on-my-door-saying-your-trouble-is-that/) [Raquel Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raquel-welch/) > [Even as a kid, I was a businessman. I figured out that if you plucked all the berries off my neighbor's tree and smashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/even-as-a-kid-i-was-a-businessman-i-figured-out-that-if-you-plucked/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [I've sold everything from fashion, make-up, couture magazines, radio, reality television, movies. There isn't a thing I haven't sold, including Tampax. You name it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-ve-sold-everything-from-fashion-make-up-couture-magazines-radio/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [When people see you have a song on MTV, they think you are doing well - but you know, the way the traditional label…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/when-people-see-you-have-a-song-on-mtv-they-think-you-are-doing-well/) [Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/) > [One of the big first computers was called SAGE, which was a missile defense, the first missile-defense computer, which was, like, one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/one-of-the-big-first-computers-was-called-sage-which-was-a-missile/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [There's been times where I sold the place out, and I walked in and the guy's like, 'Uh, ID?' 'No, you can't ID me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-buress/there-s-been-times-where-i-sold-the-place-out-and-i-walked-in-and-the/) [Hannibal Buress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal-buress/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) ## More by George Stephen > [When I decided to take writing seriously, I did a lot of reading and analyzing of the books I liked, and came up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-decided-to-take-writing-seriously-i-did-a-lot-of-reading-and/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [On the other hand, now that I'm not dependent on fiction for my income, I've been writing more short stories despite the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/on-the-other-hand-now-that-i-m-not-dependent-on-fiction-for-my-income/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [The benefit of this kind of outlining is that you discover a story's flaws before you invest a lot of time writing the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/the-benefit-of-this-kind-of-outlining-is-that-you-discover-a-story-s/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [For each book, the time is also broken up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/for-each-book-the-time-is-also-broken-up/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [So, in effect, my first sale was actually two books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/so-in-effect-my-first-sale-was-actually-two-books/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Trying to break into the horror market seemed natural.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/trying-to-break-into-the-horror-market-seemed-natural/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [A couple of weeks after that, Zebra Books phoned with an offer, and I accepted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/a-couple-of-weeks-after-that-zebra-books-phoned-with-an-offer-and-i/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Even the contemporary horror authors who have seriously influenced me are a disparate bunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/even-the-contemporary-horror-authors-who-have-seriously-influenced-me/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [So, I outlined a horror novel and started writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/so-i-outlined-a-horror-novel-and-started-writing/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Many of my short stories (all unpublished) were horror, and the novel I'd just finished was horror, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/many-of-my-short-stories-all-unpublished-were-horror-and-the-novel-i/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [For the novels I wrote before selling anything, I didn't outline much. I had a vague idea of the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/for-the-novels-i-wrote-before-selling-anything-i-didn-t-outline-much/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [I spent two months on the first draft, working 8 hours a day, five days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/i-spent-two-months-on-the-first-draft-working-8-hours-a-day-five-days/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [When I was a teenager, I got into SF, quite heavily, and that too has had a major impact on my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/when-i-was-a-teenager-i-got-into-sf-quite-heavily-and-that-too-has/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [Actually, the 14 novels were written over a period of just over 6 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/actually-the-14-novels-were-written-over-a-period-of-just-over-6-years/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) > [I've been reading horror since I was five years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/i-ve-been-reading-horror-since-i-was-five-years-old/) [George Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) [Explore all 21 George Stephen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Stephen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold-3-novels/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold-3-novels/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/george-stephen-26680_books_in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold_2310386.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the first year, 1988, I wrote and sold 3 novels.” — George Stephen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Stephen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stephen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the first year, 1988, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold-3-novels/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stephen/in-the-first-year-1988-i-wrote-and-sold-3-novels/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```