I should be published by now!
Publishing a book is a journey fraught with bad advice, rejection and sparks of hope that keep one pushing forward. One of my pet peeves is people who self-publish for the wrong reasons, then show up at family/friend gatherings and force everyone into buying their book -- always introducing themselves as a published author. I have yet to meet one published author who ever introduced themselves that way and I've been in the business for a good ten years. That title is relegated to the self-published. My father has such a friend, and I told my dad to take one of my books from here on out, and do what the man does, "Here's the new one, you owe me $14."
That's pride people. I know, people don't want to hear it. Their work is just too brilliant for the publisher to get. It couldn't wait for the publishing channels, etc.
I'll tell you why I don't respect it. It's not that I think I'm so hot and only the "great" are relegated to publication. Far from it, there's a lot of crap out there, and I'm the first to admit it. Why did THIS get published is a question we've all asked ourselves as we threw a book across the room. And chances are, I've written at least one of those books.
BUT, I worked hard to get published. I learned craft. I learned to edit, and I learned to understand what was missing in my work to make it unpublishable. In short, I had to take my own ideas of brilliance and completely maim them. Now, there are people with platforms who SHOULD self publish and pocket the money -- maybe they speak, maybe they work at the top of an organization. This is rarely true of a novel, however. Even some of the biggest speakers have written some really awful novels because of pride.
The other thing I notice is that these authors rarely will publish with a smaller house to work their way up. Their work is beyond that, and they laugh at the thought of their masterpiece going for small potatoes. Again, that's pride. If you're called to write, you go where God leads you and trust His timing -- and trust me on this, I am NOT happy with God's timing about my living situation, so I know He often takes His time.
So...when you think that it's embarrassing to introduce yourself as a struggling writer who is working towards publication? Think of this post and the alternative of introducing yourself as a "published author". Kristin
Delicious
7 Comments:
Wow. I'm so glad I found my way to your blog. I want to write and to be published. Is this a crazy dream?
Anyhow, I found your blog by clicking on some of my interests and you were the ONLY OTHER PERSON on Blogger who enjoys LOUD WORSHIP MUSIC.
Woo-hoo!
I will be back to enjoy more of your blog. : )
Danielle
California
Good post, Kris. Rachel
I'm pathetic. I write my own books and then read them twenty times. I want to get published but I hate the more laborous part of putting together a proposal. And then there's so many publishers that require you to have an agent, but you can't get an agent if you haven't been published ... or so it feels to me. So, encourage a struggling writer to be hopeful ... it seems so brutal hard. (But I'm totally with you on the opinion of the self-publisher. Just ran into one in our neighborhood and the sad thing was her book was riddled with bad grammer and spelling. "she don't like tomatos.")
I think the one I'm reviewing right now is self published. I'm struggling through it, but at least there's enough good for me to compliment it, too. It is so hard to give negative reviews.
As far as my own writing, I have quite a ways to go before I'm ready to be published. :) I'm working my way through Randy's Fiction 101 and learning a ton though. :)
All that to say I agree (I haven't woken up yet lol).
Kristin -
so cool. you have no idea how you encouraged me. And if I get rejected a thousand times then I'll take the hint i'm just a nasty-bad writer and keep reading my own book. *wink*
(I promise I won't show up on your front doorstep selling my self-published book in place of Girl Scout cookies)
The bit of advice on the writer's conference was something I was NOT aware of. That sounds much more do-able.
Anyway, thanks ... my husband wants me to pursue it because I'm always at my computer dreaming up non-existent people ... I'm just a weenie period! :) LOL
Amen and amen, Kristen. A whole lot of us are working hard, learning and polishing our work, making it the best it can be. If mine isn't good enough for a traditional publisher, then I don't want anyone to read it.
It's a long wait sometimes, but it's kind of like paying your dues.
Thank you, Kris, for saying so well what echoes my thoughts on self-published novels. I'm all for the speaker and minister who self-pub because of their platform...but a novel? That's a story that requires craft and skill in order for it to be told in a way to engages the reader. You don't want to shove it down someone's throat and make them feel "obligated" to buy it. Your book should stand on its own merit, and not because you're pushing it at people to buy.
I'm published but don't have my name on the cover of a book yet. Getting ever closer with each passing week. When the time comes, I won't regret the journey then anymore than I do now.
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