--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether I'm critically well received…" description: "\"Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively harder to get them published - nevertheless, it'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png" --- # Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I… ![“Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively harder to get them published - nevertheless, it's what I do, every day.” quote by Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png) > “Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively harder to get them published - nevertheless, it's what I do, every day.” [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer persists despite critical reception or sales challenges, viewing daily work as a vocation. **In simple terms:** Writing is a daily commitment regardless of fame or profit. Key Takeaway Keep writing daily, regardless of external validation. Themes perseverance writing career resilience Mood determined reflective Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - publishing - daily writing - career setbacks - literary criticism Key Concepts authorial duty intrinsic motivation creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated when sales are low? - What does “every day” mean to you? A Different Perspective Success may still depend on market forces despite personal dedication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [When I talk to booksellers, they tell me how hard it is to hand-sell some of my books because I do keep popping around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-talk-to-booksellers-they-tell-me-how-hard-it-is-to-hand-sell/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [What seems to sell books is good word-of-mouth, not promotion tours. 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Some people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luvvie-ajayi/putting-out-a-book-is-absolutely-a-lesson-in-vulnerability-because-it/) [Luvvie Ajayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luvvie-ajayi/) > [“I can’t rely upon sex and violence to sell my books”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libi-astaire/i-can-t-rely-upon-sex-and-violence-to-sell-my-books/) Libi Astaire > [“Agents don’t sell books, good writing does. Plotting and characterization are what interest an editor. Agents negotiate contracts, but they don’t sell books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-macomber/agents-don-t-sell-books-good-writing-does-plotting-and/) [Debbie Macomber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-macomber/) > [We sell books, other people sell shoes. What's the difference? Publishing isn't the highest art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/we-sell-books-other-people-sell-shoes-what-s-the-difference/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [I started selling in the early '90s, because at 18 years old, it's tough to go to your parents and say, 'Can I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dolmayan/i-started-selling-in-the-early-90s-because-at-18-years-old-it-s-tough/) [John Dolmayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dolmayan/) > [I know there's a lot of talk about self-publishing right now. Everyone's giddy with the possibilities. And I'll admit that it looks good on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-know-there-s-a-lot-of-talk-about-self-publishing-right-now-everyone/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I'm a writer. I never expected to be recognised on the street. I never expected to get that kind of coverage, good or bad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-m-a-writer-i-never-expected-to-be-recognised-on-the-street-i-never/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## More by Tama Janowitz > [Why would I want to read something about somebody that's just a really nice, decent person who overcomes terrible trials? That's not how life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/why-would-i-want-to-read-something-about-somebody-that-s-just-a/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [“I don't like him...he makes me feel like he's going to throw me in a coffin and walk around on top of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-don-t-like-him-he-makes-me-feel-like-he-s-going-to-throw-me-in-a/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [The older a woman gets, the more invisible you become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/the-older-a-woman-gets-the-more-invisible-you-become/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Brownstein's is a fresh and jaunty voice, with a jazz snap all his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/brownstein-s-is-a-fresh-and-jaunty-voice-with-a-jazz-snap-all-his-own/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I felt my whole life was a facsimile of a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-felt-my-whole-life-was-a-facsimile-of-a-life/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I was like a social worker for lepers. My clients had a chunk of their body they wanted to give away; for a price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-was-like-a-social-worker-for-lepers-my-clients-had-a-chunk-of-their/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [If you want to write about a person who isn't nice, people say, "This is a bad book. It's about somebody I couldn't stand."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/if-you-want-to-write-about-a-person-who-isn-t-nice-people-say-this-is/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think in a lot of ways, writing, when you're really in there, is like being an actress because you're in somebody else's head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-in-a-lot-of-ways-writing-when-you-re-really-in-there-is-like/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think it's true about people now being closer to their parents, since the '60s, really. The parents are no longer from a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-it-s-true-about-people-now-being-closer-to-their-parents/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I'm writing what I want to write. But it's almost an act of rebellion on my part. Because as a person, I've always wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-m-writing-what-i-want-to-write-but-it-s-almost-an-act-of-rebellion/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Long after the bomb falls and you and your good deeds are gone, cockroaches will still be here, prowling the streets like armored cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/long-after-the-bomb-falls-and-you-and-your-good-deeds-are-gone/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [“I had a hunger for things I knew realistically I didn't actually care for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-had-a-hunger-for-things-i-knew-realistically-i-didn-t-actually-care/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [Most of my life is just spent lying in bed. I mean, it's enough pressure to write the words. Do I need to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/most-of-my-life-is-just-spent-lying-in-bed-i-mean-it-s-enough/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think it's more difficult writing what it's like to be a child. You can pretend you know what it's like, but you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-it-s-more-difficult-writing-what-it-s-like-to-be-a-child-you/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) > [I think powerful women don't care whether or not they're liked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/i-think-powerful-women-don-t-care-whether-or-not-they-re-liked/) [Tama Janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) [Explore all 32 Tama Janowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/) ## 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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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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. 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. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively harder to get them published - nevertheless, it's what I do, every day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tama Janowitz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whether-or-not-i-sell-books-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whether-or-not-i-sell-books-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/tama-janowitz-19512_book_whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whe_1903827.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whether I'm critically well received, whether or not I sell books - of course it becomes progressively…” — Tama Janowitz", "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": "Tama Janowitz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tama-janowitz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whether I'm critically well received, whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whether-or-not-i-sell-books-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tama-janowitz/whether-i-m-critically-well-received-whether-or-not-i-sell-books-of/#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 } } ] } ```