Why do you write?
During my wanderings on the internet today, I came across an article on the Guardian Unlimited website that really struck a chord with me. Write for the pleasure of writing, not to get a contract with some big publishing house.
Desperate for publication
I’m guilty of this: writing with only publication in mind – so much so that I start becoming to self-critical and all the fun of writing, the process of creation, is flushed write down the metaphorical toilet.
And I know I’m not alone with this problem. Look at all the writing workshops out there that advertise they’ll help you get published. There’s an entire industry based on helping writers get that elusive publishing contract from a traditional publisher. Everything from books to workshops to seminars and magazines all feed into this frenzy that your writing only matters if it’s backed by one of the big publishing houses. Nonsense!
Remember when writing was fun?
If the fiction I’m writing today never sees publication, at least I know I had fun writing it and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. And even though I’ve never gotten a poem published (I don’t write very much poetry to begin with), I still love crafting poems and experimenting with words.
Try self-publishing – the old school way!
I’m not talking about Print-on-Demand or those publishing companies that make you pay them to see your book in print. No, I’m talking
about honest-to-goodness, pure self-publishing where you literally do everything yourself. You write the manuscript (and have lots of fun doing it), design the layout/cover, print it, staple it and give it to friends and family as gifts. Or, if you’re really that desperate for cash, you can charge them a few bucks a copy, but then they’ll just think you’re a tightwad and stop inviting you to their parties.
Seriously though, the best part about do-it-yourself publishing is that the creativity doesn’t end when the writing stops. You can design your book, or even a chapbook, anyway you want. You can even hand paint the covers of your books. Heck, take up painting as another hobby if you haven’t already. Dabbling in all the arts (painting, music, etc) can actually help your writing. Aside from that though, your book will be dripping with your artistic vision and it will be unique.
What’s so good about traditional publishing anyway?
Think about it. Ask yourself this question and give it some thought. With a traditional publisher you have an editor who is probably under lots of pressure to buy profitable manuscripts, and at the same time is making you edit the manuscript that you wrote. Chances are, someone else will pick the title and certainly someone else will design the book cover. Once you sign that contract, you just gave them control of how the public sees your work. Traditional publishing is very impersonal and un-creative.
What about financial stability, you ask? Okay, maybe they’ll give you an advance for a few thousand dollars. But before you quit your day job, you might want to consider that you’ll need to advertise your book yourself (big publishers pump most of their ad money into bestsellers). Also, there’s no guarantee that you’ll even get a second book published. In fact, chances are against you that you will.
Royalties? Don’t count on much unless your book becomes a bestseller. Remember that you’ll see very little of the money consumers spend to buy your book. The publishers want to at least make the advance they gave you and then some for a tidy profit.
Are you saying never to publish?
Of course not. If you want your book to be picked up by a big mainstream publisher, then go for it. Heck, I’d be happy if that happened to me. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t lose sight of why you are writing to begin with – because you love to write. Money and everything else should be secondary. Have fun with your writing, and before you "make it big" experiment with various self-publishing methods and see what happens. Also remember that many now-famous, well-known authors didn’t become famous or well-known until long after they died. There’s something to chew on while writing that book!
Read the Guardian Unlimited Arts Blog here:
The joys of NOT being published
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