---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a successful fiction writer you…"
description: "\"“To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.”\" — Gerard de Marigny"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg"
---

#  To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well…

![“To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.” quote by Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg)

> ““To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.””

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Success in fiction requires skill, volume, and self‑promotion, followed by continual effort.

**In simple terms:** Write well, write often, promote, repeat.

Key Takeaway

Write, promote, repeat.

Themes

writing promotion discipline

Mood

determined energetic

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- author workshops
- blog posts
- social media campaigns
- self‑publishing

Key Concepts

craft marketing habit formation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance quantity and quality?
- What channels best showcase your work?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting quality for quantity can hurt reputation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fiction writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writer/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Self-publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-publishing/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-advice/)

## Related quotes

> [“I ran across an excerpt today (in English translation) of some dialogue/narration from the modern popular writer, Paulo Coelho in his book: Aleph.(Note: bracketed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-ran-across-an-excerpt-today-in-english-translation-of-some-dialogue/)

[Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/)

> [“A lot of teenagers write to me and say "I want to write a book. I want to get published." And those are two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/a-lot-of-teenagers-write-to-me-and-say-i-want-to-write-a-book-i-want/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [“A good fiction writer can write any character or any story that she wants to write. The importance, IMO, is a burning desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-brockmann/a-good-fiction-writer-can-write-any-character-or-any-story-that-she/)

[Suzanne Brockmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-brockmann/)

> [Successful fiction does not need to be validated by 'real life'; I cringe whenever a writer is asked how much of a novel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/successful-fiction-does-not-need-to-be-validated-by-real-life-i/)

[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/)

> [The secret of successful fiction is a continual slight novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-gosse/the-secret-of-successful-fiction-is-a-continual-slight-novelty/)

[Edmund Gosse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-gosse/)

> [Ironically, in today's marketplace successful nonfiction has to be unbelievable, while successful fiction must be believable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-b-jenkins/ironically-in-today-s-marketplace-successful-nonfiction-has-to-be/)

[Jerry B. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-b-jenkins/)

> [“If you want to be a writer, write. Write and write and write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-write-write-and-write-and-write/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [The existence of the writer is to write, and to write is to tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/the-existence-of-the-writer-is-to-write-and-to-write-is-to-tell-the/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [If you want to be a writer, write. Write and write and write. If you stop, start again. Save everything that you write. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-write-write-and-write-and-write-if-you/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [If you want to be a writer, then write. Write every day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-then-write-write-every-day/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [“If you can’t be of good character, write a good character.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosen-trevithick/if-you-can-t-be-of-good-character-write-a-good-character/)

[Rosen Trevithick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosen-trevithick/)

> [“To be professional you need to be professional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayelle-cochran/to-be-professional-you-need-to-be-professional/)

Jayelle Cochran

> [“Only a few short years ago, the average stay-at-home mom spent her relaxation time reading Jackie Collins and staring at the pool boy. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-morin/only-a-few-short-years-ago-the-average-stay-at-home-mom-spent-her/)

Pete Morin

> [“The trick isn’t to simply publish a book; the trick is to produce a quality book package to surround the book’s content”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-quense/the-trick-isn-t-to-simply-publish-a-book-the-trick-is-to-produce-a/)

hank quense

> [“It's a difficult path that we tread, us Indie self-publishers, but we're not alone. How many bands practicing in their dad’s garage have heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wiggins/it-s-a-difficult-path-that-we-tread-us-indie-self-publishers-but-we/)

[Karl Wiggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wiggins/)

## More by Gerard de Marigny

> [“Beyond shame there is politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/beyond-shame-there-is-politics/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“There’s a difference between the ‘art’ of writing and the ‘craft’ of writing. Art is subjective, its beauty lies in the eyes of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/there-s-a-difference-between-the-art-of-writing-and-the-craft-of/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“There's something to be said about drinking a carafe of wine by yourself ... I just can't remember at the moment what it is!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/there-s-something-to-be-said-about-drinking-a-carafe-of-wine-by/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“There are things that I love – when mankind works together – helps each other – learns from each other – teaches each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/there-are-things-that-i-love-when-mankind-works-together-helps-each/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Faith is the muscle of the spirit. It is strengthened through study, prayer, and meditation. As exercise builds muscle and our bodies become strong;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/faith-is-the-muscle-of-the-spirit-it-is-strengthened-through-study/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“God, Himself, wrote the 10 into stone with his own finger. He told the epic of mankind, our origins and our future, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/god-himself-wrote-the-10-into-stone-with-his-own-finger-he-told-the/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Bravery is not the trait of a fearless person, lest the reckless actions of a fool be considered brave. Bravery is the quality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/bravery-is-not-the-trait-of-a-fearless-person-lest-the-reckless/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“The greatest artists express their inner self; an artist paints her rage; a writer pens his fear; a dancer expresses her sadness through movement;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/the-greatest-artists-express-their-inner-self-an-artist-paints-her/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Success can be defined in many ways but failure in only one ... quitting!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/success-can-be-defined-in-many-ways-but-failure-in-only-one-quitting/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“When people communicate deceit, it's called politics. When people communicate honesty, it's called art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/when-people-communicate-deceit-it-s-called-politics-when-people/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“To me, empathy and compassion are among the bravest of emotions ... and faith, the bravest of convictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/to-me-empathy-and-compassion-are-among-the-bravest-of-emotions-and/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Of all the hardships and deprivations a people can suffer, I am not sure if the deprivations of art and culture are not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/of-all-the-hardships-and-deprivations-a-people-can-suffer-i-am-not/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“I told a doctor once, "Doc, if you want to know what's inside of me, put down the x-ray and pick up my novel!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/i-told-a-doctor-once-doc-if-you-want-to-know-what-s-inside-of-me-put/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Trust is the action of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/trust-is-the-action-of-faith/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

> [“Goals are your destinations in life; objectives are the stops along the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/goals-are-your-destinations-in-life-objectives-are-the-stops-along/)

[Gerard de Marigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

[Explore all 20 Gerard de Marigny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/)

## More Fiction writer quotes

> [My only obligation as a fiction writer is to the story, to make it good, so good the busy reader doesn't feel that flipping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-pietrzyk/my-only-obligation-as-a-fiction-writer-is-to-the-story-to-make-it/)

[Leslie Pietrzyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-pietrzyk/)

> [“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/for-the-fiction-writer-himself-the-whole-story-is-the-meaning-because/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [By his very profession, a serious fiction writer is a vendor of the sensuous particulars of life, a perceiver and handler of things. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/by-his-very-profession-a-serious-fiction-writer-is-a-vendor-of-the/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [By the time I wrote my memoir, 'Men We Reaped,' I had been running from writing it for a long time. When the events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/by-the-time-i-wrote-my-memoir-men-we-reaped-i-had-been-running-from/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [“I'm a fiction writer not by choice, but by necessity. It's the only way I can say what I want without having to admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tate/i-m-a-fiction-writer-not-by-choice-but-by-necessity-it-s-the-only-way/)

[Jack Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tate/)

> [And then I met Jerry and he's such a creative fiction writer, and I don't know if there's ever been a team put together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/and-then-i-met-jerry-and-he-s-such-a-creative-fiction-writer-and-i/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [An intelligent person can rationalize anything, a wise person doesn't try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-knox/an-intelligent-person-can-rationalize-anything-a-wise-person-doesn-t/)

Jen Knox

> [The beginning of human knowledge is through the senses, and the fiction writer begins where the human perception begins. He appeals through the senses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-beginning-of-human-knowledge-is-through-the-senses-and-the/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [“Bill is a fiction writer, but he writes in the first-person voice in a style that is tell-all confessional; in fact, his fiction sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/bill-is-a-fiction-writer-but-he-writes-in-the-first-person-voice-in-a/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [The fiction writer in me likes gaps in stories because I can jump into that gap and try to suggest something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/the-fiction-writer-in-me-likes-gaps-in-stories-because-i-can-jump/)

[Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/)

> [The fiction writer has a lot of balls to juggle. Setting, pacing, dialogue, and so on. And let's not forget: plot. That was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-marvin/the-fiction-writer-has-a-lot-of-balls-to-juggle-setting-pacing/)

[Cate Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-marvin/)

> [I don't think the function of writing, at least for me as a fiction writer, is to say to people, "Here's the answer." It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-don-t-think-the-function-of-writing-at-least-for-me-as-a-fiction/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [I've read science fiction my whole life. I never really dreamed that I'd be a published science fiction writer myself, but a short story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/i-ve-read-science-fiction-my-whole-life-i-never-really-dreamed-that-i/)

[Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/)

> [I was listening to this interview with fiction writer George Saunders the other day, and he said something about how the role of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-k-samson/i-was-listening-to-this-interview-with-fiction-writer-george-saunders/)

[John K. Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-k-samson/)

> [The training of a journalist, of working with words for thousands of hours, is extraordinarily useful for a fiction writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/the-training-of-a-journalist-of-working-with-words-for-thousands-of/)

[Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/)

[Browse all 117 Fiction writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it! Then rinse and repeat.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gerard de Marigny"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-have-to-write-well-write-a-lot/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fiction writer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-have-to-write-well-write-a-lot/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/gerard-de-marigny-27653_inspirational_to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-ha_864254.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To be a successful fiction writer you have to write well, write a lot … and let ‘em know you’ve written it!…” — Gerard de Marigny",
                "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": "Gerard de Marigny",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-de-marigny/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“To be a successful fiction writer...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-have-to-write-well-write-a-lot/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-de-marigny/to-be-a-successful-fiction-writer-you-have-to-write-well-write-a-lot/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
