John Grisham has sold more than 60 million books in 29 languages. Six of his stories have been turned into movies.

He's made enough money that he doesn't have to work as a lawyer anymore (although he did make a brief return to the courtroom five years ago to keep a promise he made to the family of a railroad brakeman who died on the job).

What's more, he has time to be the commissioner of his local Little League baseball team. In all, it sounds like an amazing life. Just the thing for you. And you know you've got the stuff to do it, right?

You might.

Every year, many thousands of fiction books get published. It's hard to know exactly how many, because quite a few publishers are cranking out books. And once you start counting nonfiction, children's literature, and other kinds of books, you suddenly wonder how even the behemoth chain bookstores can hold them all.

This is the good news: Lots and lots of people publish books. It's also the bad news. It's a competitive field. So how can you play? If this were an easy question to answer, I'd be the next John Grisham. Entire books are written on the topic, and people still feel mystified by the process.

I have known a few successful authors, though. And from them, I've learned you need at least two things: the right habits and a good understanding of the publishing industry. It might also help to dispel some common myths about writers and writing.

Good luck!