When will I consider myself a successful writer?

A few weeks ago, while drinking, the wine loosened those deep-down thoughts that I often shove away because I know how stupid they are. I mentioned to a friend (who was also drinking) how I hadn’t done anything with my life, how I was a failure, how I think my family thinks I’m a bum – those kinds of thoughts.

This friend of mine looked at me like I was insane and then promptly reminded me that I’d written four books, and that during the previous NaNoWriMo, I smashed out a novel and its revision in a month and a half (because I kept her updated on my word count.)

And I’ve been thinking about the turning point in my life when I will consider myself a successful writer. I’ve come up with these:

I will be a successful writer when:

• I no longer have to leave fake reviews on my books. (Not that I have ever done that. * coughs*)
• When I make the bestseller list (New York Times Preferred, but I’ll take Amazon.)
• When people write fan fiction/make fan art of my works.
• When I’m sitting at a cafe in NYC with my agent fan-girling about books coming out that season – because we’re going to be friends, too.
• When my advice about writing means something, because I’m not just another indie author who knows everything there is to know about publishing and writing.
• When people pre-order my next book.