I’m a self-published writer. I’ve written and published three novels and am currently writing a fourth. Over time, my writing skills have improved. Though I think my first book is better than my second, that’s more a personal preference rather than anything to do with the writing itself. I prefer the first because its story and theme are closer to my heart.

I’m proud that I’ve written three novels, especially when at one time I thought I wouldn’t  be able to write even one. I recently got to thinking about writers who only wrote and published one novel. I’m talking about successful writers who garnered much acclaim for their first novels and presumably could have written and published more based on their reputations. I did a little research, and here are a few of those writers: Margaret Mitchell—Gone with the Wind; J.D. Salinger— Catcher in the Rye; Sylvia Plath—The Bell Jar; Arthur Golden—Memoirs of a Geisha; Emily Bronte—Wuthering Heights.

Bronte and Plath died not long after their works were published. That’s the best excuse for not writing a second. Salinger and Mitchell earned such enormous success for their first novels that it seemed they backed away from writing any more. And Arthur Golden? I couldn’t find any reason why he hasn’t published a second novel. He was sued by the geisha he used as his source for his novel. Maybe he’s shied away from producing another? That’s purely speculation on my part.

I’m sure there are countless writers who have published one novel and never succeeded in getting another published, though not for lack of trying. Still, I think they have much to be proud of in having successfully published one.