--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to write books to get famous…" description: "\"“If you want to write books to get famous, the books will suck.Write books to tell the story you want to tell and for no other reason.”\" — Lori Lesko" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lori-lesko-31739_book_if-you-want-to-write-books-to-get-famous_2029813.jpg" --- # If you want to write books to get famous, the books will… ![“If you want to write books to get famous, the books will suck.Write books to tell the story you want to tell and for no other reason.” quote by Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lori-lesko-31739_book_if-you-want-to-write-books-to-get-famous_2029813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lori-lesko-31739_book_if-you-want-to-write-books-to-get-famous_2029813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/lori-lesko-31739_book_if-you-want-to-write-books-to-get-famous_2029813.jpg) > ““If you want to write books to get famous, the books will suck.Write books to tell the story you want to tell and for no other reason.”” [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing for authenticity yields better work than writing for fame; intrinsic motivation drives quality. **In simple terms:** Write for the story, not fame. Key Takeaway Focus on purpose, not applause. Themes authenticity creativity motivation Mood inspirational reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - author workshops - personal projects - self‑publishing - creative blocks Key Concepts intrinsic motivation artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What story compels you? - How does purpose affect your writing? A Different Perspective If fame is the only goal, quality suffers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Write poorly. Suck. Write Awful. Terribly. Frightfully. Don’t care. Turn off the inner editor. Let yourself write. Let it flow. Let yourself fail. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/write-poorly-suck-write-awful-terribly-frightfully-don-t-care-turn/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [“But it's not a cancer book, because cancer books suck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-it-s-not-a-cancer-book-because-cancer-books-suck/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I want to write books that keep people up at night, where they cry through the first forty pages and keep reading anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-want-to-write-books-that-keep-people-up-at-night-where-they-cry/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [I only want to write books and movies about women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/i-only-want-to-write-books-and-movies-about-women/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [I don't want to be famous per se, but I want to write books for as long as I can. And I plan on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-per-se-but-i-want-to-write-books-for-as/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [If you want to do this - either write for TV, or write books - the first thing you have to do is write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/if-you-want-to-do-this-either-write-for-tv-or-write-books-the-first/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [I want to write books that only those who read them claim they did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-want-to-write-books-that-only-those-who-read-them-claim-they-did/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I don't want to write things that people don't want to read. 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What gets your goat? What irks you to no length? If you could change the world with words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/what-do-you-want-to-write-what-gets-your-goat-what-irks-you-to-no/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“It's okay to be crazy as long as you keep writing and are happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/it-s-okay-to-be-crazy-as-long-as-you-keep-writing-and-are-happy/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“When you have nothing left to lose, it's easy to dive deep into those deep, dark hidden places and write your truth. I'm there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/when-you-have-nothing-left-to-lose-it-s-easy-to-dive-deep-into-those/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Every artist needs canvass, mine just happens to be Microsoft Word and a Thesaurus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/every-artist-needs-canvass-mine-just-happens-to-be-microsoft-word-and/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Never judge a person until you've walked a mile in their busted up shoes and haven't had any money for medication for two weeks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/never-judge-a-person-until-you-ve-walked-a-mile-in-their-busted-up/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Just keep telling me I can't do it. I thrive on being obstinate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/just-keep-telling-me-i-can-t-do-it-i-thrive-on-being-obstinate/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“I'm not a lawyer, but I play one in my novel COPYRIGHT. I also play a serial rapist, a drug addict, a teenage boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/i-m-not-a-lawyer-but-i-play-one-in-my-novel-copyright-i-also-play-a/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“It's simply impossible for me to filter my thoughts and feelings. I tell it from my point of view. I'm an open book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/it-s-simply-impossible-for-me-to-filter-my-thoughts-and-feelings-i/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“I would say about 80% of my writing (including posts and blogs), has to do with unresolved anger and that's just fine with me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/i-would-say-about-80-of-my-writing-including-posts-and-blogs-has-to/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Can I possibly be a good writer if I'm not healed form the story I'm telling? Will I be able to go deep enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/can-i-possibly-be-a-good-writer-if-i-m-not-healed-form-the-story-i-m/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“The good news about self publishing is you get to do everything yourself. The bad news about self publishing is you get to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/the-good-news-about-self-publishing-is-you-get-to-do-everything/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Life is precious, fragile and will be gone before you know it. Do what you love now, while it's still possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/life-is-precious-fragile-and-will-be-gone-before-you-know-it-do-what/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Write with your heart, not your head. Brains tend to ooze out of your ears and nose when things get intense. Then you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/write-with-your-heart-not-your-head-brains-tend-to-ooze-out-of-your/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“I had a very funny and depressing talk with my seventy-four-year-old mother. I decided, she doesn't have a bucket list - she has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/i-had-a-very-funny-and-depressing-talk-with-my-seventy-four-year-old/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) > [“Let me know if you're in any pain, we're going through your groin with a tiny tube up to your heart." Doctor Casey said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lesko/let-me-know-if-you-re-in-any-pain-we-re-going-through-your-groin-with/) [Lori Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) [Explore all 16 Lori Lesko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lesko/) ## More Book 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/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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