---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I keep working under the delusion that…"
description: "\"I keep working under the delusion that someday a library will ask for my manuscripts.\" — Walter Wager"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg"
---

#  I keep working under the delusion that someday a library…

![“I keep working under the delusion that someday a library will ask for my manuscripts.” quote by Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg)

> “I keep working under the delusion that someday a library will ask for my manuscripts.”

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

## About This Quote

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

The author reflects on the delusion of future recognition, highlighting the gap between ambition and reality.

**In simple terms:** He doubts his work will ever be sought.

Key Takeaway

Stay realistic about expectations.

Themes

ambition delusion recognition

Mood

cautious motivational

Type

self‑help reflective

When to use this quote

- writing career
- publishing goals
- personal ambition

Key Concepts

self‑esteem career planning

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can you take toward visibility?
- Is self‑doubt hindering progress?

A Different Perspective

May overstate personal doubt.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ask Manuscripts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-manuscripts-3086619/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Delusion Someday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion-someday-3086620/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Manuscripts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manuscripts/) [Someday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someday/) [Someday Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someday-library-3086621/) [Working Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-delusion-3086618/)

## Related quotes

> [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/)

[Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/)

> [Book burning is a charming old custom, hallowed by antiquity. It has been practiced for centuries by fascists, communists, atheists, school children, rival authors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armour/book-burning-is-a-charming-old-custom-hallowed-by-antiquity-it-has/)

[Richard Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armour/)

> [I take editing seriously. It's a joy to edit. I always hand a manuscript to several editors and can't wait to get back their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/i-take-editing-seriously-it-s-a-joy-to-edit-i-always-hand-a/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [I began writing 'Matterhorn' in 1975 and for more than 30 years I kept working on my novel in my spare time, unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marlantes/i-began-writing-matterhorn-in-1975-and-for-more-than-30-years-i-kept/)

[Karl Marlantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marlantes/)

> [We have the Annunciation, the Conception, the Birth and the Adoration, as described in the first and second chapters of Luke's gospel; and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-sharpe/we-have-the-annunciation-the-conception-the-birth-and-the-adoration/)

[Samuel Sharpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-sharpe/)

> [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/in-the-usual-way-i-submitted-manuscripts-to-publishers-this-was-not/)

[Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/)

> [When you print out your manuscript and read it, marking up with a pen, it sometimes feels like a criminal returning to the scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-roff/when-you-print-out-your-manuscript-and-read-it-marking-up-with-a-pen/)

[Don Roff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-roff/)

> [I love the process of cracking the spine for the first time and slowly sinking into a book. That will soon seem old-fashioned, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-love-the-process-of-cracking-the-spine-for-the-first-time-and/)

[Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/)

> [The usual way - through a long series of rejections, revising my manuscripts, and kept trying again and again. Finally I was fortunate enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/the-usual-way-through-a-long-series-of-rejections-revising-my/)

[Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/)

> [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/)

[Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/)

> [To me, all the juice of a book is in an unpublished manuscript, and the published book is like a dead tree - just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/to-me-all-the-juice-of-a-book-is-in-an-unpublished-manuscript-and-the/)

[Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/)

> [A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-forche/a-thing-may-in-itself-be-the-finest-piece-of-writing-one-has-ever/)

[Carolyn Forche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-forche/)

> [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/)

[Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/)

> [I kept writing short stories and sending out my manuscript, and it kept coming back like a bad penny. It was rejected all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/i-kept-writing-short-stories-and-sending-out-my-manuscript-and-it/)

[Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/)

## More by Walter Wager

> [I use the city because it saves time, I don't have to do a lot of research on the setting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-use-the-city-because-it-saves-time-i-don-t-have-to-do-a-lot-of/)

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

> [I met an American woman and got married so I had to get a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-met-an-american-woman-and-got-married-so-i-had-to-get-a-job/)

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

> [I passed the Bar on the first shot, But I have never practiced law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-passed-the-bar-on-the-first-shot-but-i-have-never-practiced-law/)

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

> [I always liked spy stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-always-liked-spy-stories/)

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

> [In France, I learned about wine and cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/in-france-i-learned-about-wine-and-cheese/)

[Walter Wager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

[Explore all 6 Walter Wager quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/)

## More Delusion quotes

> [Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-borne/getting-rid-of-a-delusion-makes-us-wiser-than-getting-hold-of-a-truth/)

[Ludwig Borne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-borne/)

> [If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-the-idea-of-having-to-change-ourselves-makes-us-uncomfortable-we/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [The Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle leaving only the details to be filled in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/the-science-delusion-is-the-belief-that-science-already-understands/)

[Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/)

> [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [“we shouldn’t surrender our real world perception to a false reality too much or we may suffer the inevitable consequences of deluded thinking. Technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-neary/we-shouldn-t-surrender-our-real-world-perception-to-a-false-reality/)

[M.P. Neary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-p-neary/)

> [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/)

[Jeremy Shearmur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-shearmur/)

> [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/)

[Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/)

> [The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-religions-of-mankind-must-be-classed-among-the-mass-delusions-of/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [I suffer from the delusion that every product of my imagination is not only possible, but always on the cusp of becoming real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/i-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-every-product-of-my-imagination-is/)

[Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/)

> [I have a theory about marriage, Monsieur Boustouler. And it's that nearly always you will know within two weeks if it's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-have-a-theory-about-marriage-monsieur-boustouler-and-it-s-that/)

[Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/)

> [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/)

[Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/)

> [Paranoia is a state of heightened awareness. Most people are persecuted beyond their wildest delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-steiner/paranoia-is-a-state-of-heightened-awareness-most-people-are/)

[Claude Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-steiner/)

> [Women are women, and so are men, and the delusion that we are spiritually separate from or are about to spiritually separate from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/women-are-women-and-so-are-men-and-the-delusion-that-we-are/)

[Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/)

> [I'd actually love to think that I could trust Kerry on national security. But the only way I could do that, at this point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/i-d-actually-love-to-think-that-i-could-trust-kerry-on-national/)

[Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/)

[Browse all 1,172 Delusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I keep working under the delusion that someday a library will ask for my manuscripts.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Walter Wager"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-someday-a-library-will-ask-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Delusion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-someday-a-library-will-ask-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e04/walter-wager-56914_delusion_i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-s_1940064.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I keep working under the delusion that someday a library will ask for my manuscripts.” — Walter Wager",
                "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": "Walter Wager",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-wager/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I keep working under the delusion...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-someday-a-library-will-ask-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-wager/i-keep-working-under-the-delusion-that-someday-a-library-will-ask-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
