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Cover design by Gwyn Flowers
Painting by Ela Thier
ABOUT THE BOOK
If you’ve walked away from your art, or feel like you’re about to, you’re in great company.
For decades, Ela Thier tried to “make it” as a filmmaker, only to discover that the real enemy wasn’t (only) industry gatekeepers and enough pass letters to wallpaper New York City. It’s also the foul-mouthed sock puppet named Mr. Stop who lives inside her head.
In this raw, hilarious, and compassionate memoir, Thier shares her lifelong relationship with failure, the painful pursuit of success, and the magic sauce that keeps bringing her back to the joy of doing the work.
Spanning each of the five decades of her life as an artist, each chapter reads like a confessional pep talk for anyone on the edge of giving up.
An anti-hustle manifesto, How to Fail as an Artist will help you quit seeking that “break”, and recover the joy of making stuff.
Perfect for fans of The Artist’s Way, Big Magic, and War of Art, this is the book you reach for when your creative spirit needs a laugh, a cry, and a flashlight.
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Pre-orders are available in mid-March.
The book is released! On May 19.
Paperback, digital, and audio book will be available.
When pre-orders are available, I’ll also invite you to receive an early review copy (digitally or as an audio book). This means that you receive the book before it’s released, and offer to post an honest review of it the week that it’s published. Thanks for considering being my early reviewer!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ela Thier has been writing screenplays for nearly 40 years, and receiving pass letters for about that long.
In carving her own path, she wrote, directed, produced, and sometimes performed, in her award-winning feature films, Foreign Letters and Tomorrow Ever After. In 2026 she’ll be releasing her new feature film, 109 Billion Followers, a comedy-drama co-starring J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda.
She’s currently in development on feature films with notable attachments, has created numerous award-winning short films, and is the Founding Director of The Independent Film School. When she’s not working, she spends time with her nephew and pretends to be interested in baseball.
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