I had to have a medical procedure done recently. Nothing big; just one of those unpleasant preventative things that are the price of getting older. A couple of weeks prior, I’d had an appointment to discuss the procedure with the doctor. While the doc was out of the room, the nurse and I got to chatting and—I don’t remember exactly how—the subject of my books came up. She was pretty excited about this and asked for one of my cards.

So then I’m in the hospital for the procedure, which requires sedation. They use very, very good drugs for this: you’re out like a light and later wake up rather quickly, mostly clear-headed and without nausea. (I’m sort of wishing I could have the stuff before certain work meetings. But I digress.) I was hooked up to a zillion wires and tubes when the doc appeared at my bedside. Just before one of the hospital nurses injected me with the good drugs, the doc said, “I hear you’re famous!” All three nurses oohed and aahed and wanted an explanation. I told them, the drugs kicked in, and I slipped into oblivion. Moments after I was lucid again, one of the nurses was asking for details on finding my books.

This was kind of fun. It made a fairly icky procedure more bearable. It also shows that I am not hesitant to self-promote under the right circumstances. I’ve sold books to my oral surgeon’s nurse while I was getting a root canal, to people sitting next to me on airplanes, and to a fellow participant in a writing workshop, a pastor from the Midwest! (He bought several of my titles for his choir director, which I thought was adorable.)

But the doc’s comments also got me thinking about fame. How does a person know when they’re legitimately famous? Does one single milestone mark one’s entry to fame, such as an interview with a major media source? Or maybe fame is achieved once you rack up enough smaller milestones, kind of like unlocking the next level in a video game once you earn enough points. I think maybe assessing fame might be particularly difficult for authors, who are less likely to be recognized on the street by even the most ardent fans. I think I’d probably recognize Stephen King and Neil Gaiman if I bumped into them in an airport or something, and I’ve seen David Sedaris in person, so I think I’d know him. But I doubt I’d recognize any other authors—aside, of course, from the other romance writers I’ve been lucky enough to meet at conferences and such. Maybe authors are officially famous once we’ve sold a certain number of books. I have no idea what that number might be.

This raises another question: what difference does it make whether I’m famous? I want to sell books, of course. Lots and lots and lots of books. (My older daughter’s private-college tuition just came due.) And I want to get glowing reviews. More importantly, I want my books to mean something to readers. I want people to fall in love with my characters, and—even better—I want my stories to help improve people’s lives, even if only for a couple of hours. I want all of these things more than I want to be famous.

So far nobody has invited me to appear on The Daily Show, and I’ve yet to be mobbed for autographs while shopping at Target. But some people really enjoy my books, and the local medical community thinks I’m cool. I can live with that.

***

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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