a hard-to-describe influence or quality; an important element with unknown consequencesEvery so often, a book or a person or a marketing campaign shows up that has the x-factor. You can't put your finger on why or how, but suddenly that book or person or campaign is embraced in a way that could never have been predicted by anyone. Regardless of how you feel about the Twilight phenomenon, for example, you have to admit it has an x-factor quality.
While you can't create an x-factor if you don't just have it, I believe it's important to recognize that there will always be x-factors in our lives. You may have an amazing marketing plan and stellar book and still not achieve the success of another person. It can make you jealous and angry and just all around not happy. Believe me, I know.
But maybe you have the x-factor: maybe no matter what you do or don't do you will achieve incredible whatever.
In other words, there are some things we can't control.
Let it go. Do what you can for your book. Do what you can for your campaign. Then let it go.
How have you encountered the x-factor in your life?
