Ta-Nehisi Coates Quotes

I cranked out a book. I didn't expect it to do much, but it's sold 80,000 copies.

With Ghost, I never really foresaw that it was going to take off the way it did.

I had no idea that 'Less Than Zero' was going to be read by anyone outside of Los Angeles, and it's - believe me, as the writer of the book I'm somewhat amused and intrigued by the idea that 25 years later it's still out and people are still reading it.

I was really surprised at the success of 'House of Sand and Fog,' because it is so awfully dark. Believe it or not, when writing it, I never had the word 'tragedy' in my head - I wasn't trying to write a dark book at all.

No one was more surprised that that first Boston record took off than the record company itself.

My literary career was a fluke. Utterly unexpected.

I'm always surprised when large numbers of people buy my books.

The truth is, I hadn't grown up really wanting to be a writer. The whole thing was a weird aberration in some ways, and I didn't feel personally connected to the level of success I had with it - the success of sorts, I guess.

When I wrote 'Lord of the Flies' - I had no idea it would even get published.

People thought we were a joke because we got noticed so fast.

I cannot believe I became some kind of hero. I'm just a common Korean woman.

I was very pleased, obviously, to have outsold great writers. But I'm not insane - I do realise that I am a popular writer who people buy to take on vacation.

I never thought my ideas would actually get published.

When I booked 'Orange,' I thought things were going to change a little bit, and I'd be a little more busy, but obviously I underestimated it. I don't think anyone knew that my character would be taken to so well.

I, sort of, got into comedy accidentally, and it got bigger than I wanted it to.

I've had the experience of having a book praised but then it doesn't sell. Or not praised but then it sells.

It's a blessing and a curse when your first big public album does so well. 'Twentysomething' sold four million copies - I think we were hoping to sell 80,000. And it's still selling. In some ways, you'll always be defined by that.

I've had projects before where everyone says 'This is going to be the big thing,' and it doesn't really turn out to be. Then there is a little project you do and forget about, and then it comes out, and it's huge.

At 57, to have a No. 1 album, I wasn't expecting it.

'La Mancha' was a gift from me to me. I never thought for a minute it was going to be a hit.

We knew all along we were making a good show, so its success was not a surprise to me. What has surprised me is the magnitude of this show's success. More people see me now in one episode than saw me in 20 years of movies and theater!

I was really into '24' at university, and it resulted in a lot of lost hours that could have been spent at the library. If you could have told me then I would be in it one day, I'd have hit the roof.

Butterfly was certainly a vehicle for me, and if it died, it still would have served its purpose, in spades. We never expected it to give me the visibility it has given me. It was just a small thing as a vehicle, and suddenly the whole world knew about it.

For the last half of my life I have had the doubtful benefit of a brother whose literary reputation is much greater than my own.

I was just delighted to be a legitimate, for-real published author.