Getting Rich And Famous

There’s a wonderful line in The Muppet Movie. The Muppets have come to the big city looking for fame and fortune, and they encounter Orson Wells, who plays a big-time producer. At the end of the scene, he tells his secretary to prepare the “standard rich and famous contract.” I guess that’s the kind of contract an author dreams about, but so far as I can tell, it only exists in the movies.

From the outside, being a writer seems exciting. At my first writer’s conference, I was awestruck by the published writers there. These were people whose names were household words—well, not in my household, but I was just getting started, so I could be excused for not knowing all of them. But surely they were celebrities in their hometowns. Most certainly they had to stop and give autographs in the grocery store or dry cleaners. And undoubtedly they lived in the lap of luxury. After all, they were published authors!

My first novel was published years later. I’ll never forget the thrill of opening that box and seeing the cover with “Richard L. Mabry, MD” printed at the top. I listened carefully, but so far as I could tell, there were no cheering crowds outside my window, no marching bands in the street. I opened my Internet browser, but there was no headline about the book. What I did find, however were a bunch of emails about interviews and guest blog posts that I’d lined up to get the word out. No matter that there were no cheering crowds yet. Surely these would do the trick.

Now, fast-forward a decade. That’s when I opened a carton and removed another book with my name on the cover above the title. This was my tenth published novel, and by this time, reality had set in. I took a minute to thank God for having brought me this far. I showed the book to my wife, Kay, and gave her a personalized copy. I thought a bit about what I should do with the rest of the author’s copies. Then I checked the spreadsheet I create for each book to make sure I was current with the blog interviews and guest posts I’d set up. There were no cheering crowds. No marching bands passed my window. But that was okay. I was doing the task God had given me.

Do I mind that I never got that “standard rich and famous contract?” Not at all. To put it in perspective, my words have been read by many more people than the population of the town where I grew up. If I’ve succeeded in my mission, when those readers turn the last page of my novel they find they’ve been left with a message—not a hard-sell of Christianity, because that’s just not my style, but rather a message that no matter how far we drift from God, we can always turn back to Him. I’ve been allowed to use the printed page as my pulpit. And that’s enough for me.

What do you think a writer's goal should be? Do you picture most Christian writers as rich and famous? Chime in with your opinion. Then include your email address--one will be randomly chosen to receive a copy of Medical Judgment, my tenth published novel. (I'll choose and notify the winner on Monday).

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