How to avoid overnight success

When R.E.M. released The One I Love, it charted at number 9 in the US. For a band who had at the time never been higher than 78 on the Billboard Hot 100, this was a pretty big deal.

To many, Michael Stipe and co. would have seemed like an overnight success. “I’ve never heard of these guys, who are they?”

Look around, and you can find plenty of arguments against the idea of overnight success. The common conclusion: overnight success actually takes years.

It’s not the success that comes overnight, it’s the attention.

Although the attention came suddenly for R.E.M., it could be supported by the years of constant touring they’d done and the five critically acclaimed albums they’d already released. Because they weren’t an overnight success, they could survive the attention thanks to a fan base that loved the band, not just the song.

Compare this with a one-hit wonder. The song is popular, but nobody has an emotional connection to the musicians. They quickly disappear.

Overnight success, then, isn’t just an unlikely dream – it’s a danger. Attract attention before you’ve paid your dues, done the work, and gathered a tribe of fans, and you’ll be building without foundations. Chances are, your audience will disappear as soon as the attention does.

Don’t you deserve better?