Hey, Josh, here’s a quick diagnostic that might be helpful down the road.

In this case, you had an idea that appealed to you. Nothing wrong with pursuing those as commercial projects, but usually the ideas that work out the best also accomplish something good for your intended audience. In your post-mortem (good idea), the word “I” appears 23 times. That’s a lot, especially compared with the absence of any explicit discussion of your intended audience and your ability to connect with its aspirations, anxieties, etc.

Sarah Cooper gets it 100% right when she says “Your audience is more important than your idea.” https://medium.com/conquering-corporate-america/from-medium-to-book-deal-in-12-months-656fb2738d51#.b0a9nrfta

You might be onto a really good idea, but see if there’s a better way to make your audience feel part of the journey. Even a simple title tweak might get you there. Something along the lines of: “How to Turn Writing Failures Into Successes.”

Don’t give up. Do figure out how to bring your readers into the equation.