It's common wisdom, supposedly, that you should always look out for yourself—always watch your back, or always put yourself first, because no one else will do that for you.

This is the kind of wisdom I like to turn on its head; in fact, authors who always put themselves first can sabotage their efforts. Thus:


You are not No. 1.
The reader—your audience—is No. 1.

If you write a book primarily for fame, fortune, or glory (or even for art's sake, I must admit), you run the risk of forgetting the reader or audience who will make your book successful in the first place.  Here are ways I can tell the orientation of an author:

(a) Unpublished authors
A query letter or submission that focuses on the author at the expense of audience/market is a red flag. Look at your own query or submission materials: Do they focus on the story of why you wrote the book, or how you came to write the book, or how hard you've worked on it, or how much your family loves it? Time to revise.

(b) Published authors
Authors who focus too much on themselves often ask their editor or agent, "What have you done for me lately? What are you doing or spending on my book's behalf?" Successful authors, rather than waiting for others to serve them (and that might be a loooong wait!), are growing their community, and actively serving readers.

In the most general terms: Write for that ideal reader and consider how your book can benefit them—not how your book will benefit you.

In life philosophy terms, I think the following quote sums it up: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." (Winston Churchill)
 
Related posts:
How to Avoid Sabotaging Your Writing Career (#1)