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My book sales make 'real writers' possible.

I think I'm more marketing- and sales-oriented than others, and the notion of selling books continues to interest me.

You can't be admitted to the ranks of writers of importance unless you have sales.

The reality is, I've started multiple companies, so actually I'm probably more of a product/creative person than I am sales. Although I can do both.

Fame, money and the size of the market are not very important to me. What is, is writing a book that is worth doing and then publishing it. I don't write books for entertainment, for people to pass the time then throw away.

Being a writer - even a best-selling one - is usually not anywhere near as public as being a movie star, at least not when I'm out in 'real life' like this. Not that I don't use what fame I have, every chance I get, to help sell more books.

I find it hard to think of myself as selling books. I don't even have a Web site. I want to sit and write, not sell.

A writer can't afford to just focus on writing and leave marketing aside in today's competitive market.

I have never been an ambitious person, and my participation in this industry is a fluke, but only male writers can afford to be coy and self-deprecating.

It's not like being a writer is a very lucrative career, but you know, you just know when you've found what you're really meant to do.