Wanted to throw out my views on the subject again today. Yes, I will be meandering quite a bit in a semi-caffeinated haze of dooooooooom, but bear with me. If you have questions? Ask.

I do not believe there is one way to “get published.” However, I do not write to “get published.” If that was all I cared about, then I would stick to self-publishing and forget about everything else. That is not my path though that may be yours. Neither track is better or worse than the other — provided you’re getting what you want and need out of it and? Vice versa. If we are? Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, really. Though, it goes without saying I tend to lean conservatively and don’t adhere to business practices that many would consider dodgy or downright illegal. I think there is something to be said for common sense. 😀

Publishing, as an industry, is in upheaval. Everyone knows this, but from veterans I’ve heard that, to some extent, it always has been. I think it’s ridiculous that people are saying “all self-published are bad” or “all big publishers are evil.” Logic girl says that’s not logical. The reality? These are different business models. Get past the freak-out, and that’s really what people are worried about. Big companies cannot, by their nature, turn on a dime. Smaller publishers can be more nimble but they don’t always have the resources that the larger publishers do. It’s just the nature of the proverbial literary beast. A company by itself isn’t inherently bad — there’s good and “bad” folks all over the spectrum.

Yes, there are pros and cons to every publishing method and format just like there are benefits and drawbacks to how you interact with other people online. You are smart and you know this to be true. But what you may not know is how deep the hype/myths (from piracy to e-books to Amazon to writing best-sellers to whatever) really are. There are a lot of frustrated, nervous, scared people out there. There are also quite a few excited, bubbly, happy folks jumping around, too. Change is hard. Change is torment for anyone who’s worked the same way and earned the same amount of money off that effort for years. This is not an industry that is “secure.” (Really, what industry is?) But one can’t build a business or a life around insecurity, you need confidence to proceed or you won’t write the next thing or take the next chance or act on the next idea. This is not a field for the weak of heart, to be sure.

Somewhere, in the middle of all that, there are people (authors, editors, etc.) who are doing their best to make a living. Key word: people. People who still need to eat, pay their rent/mortgage, take their kids to day care, buy a cup of coffee, etc. Desperation often leads to bizarre statements and misconceptions — some of which are based on publishing myths in the days before the internet. Those ideas like, for example, how the publishing industry is out to screw writers or how gatekeepers are evil will always subsist in some form or another. This is what happens when you combine Art with Money. Remember, writers get paid. If you’re getting money for your words? WRITER. It’s Yog’s Law. Money flows to the writer.

A lot of authors are learning how to be entrepreneurs on top of focusing on the form they’re working in. Everyone has to learn somewhere and this is the reality of the contemporary writer. You have to understand the business you’re in if you want to adapt to changes and take advantage of opportunities. That doesn’t mean people are perfect. Mistakes happen. The trick is how flexible you are to roll with the punches. Bend to avoid breaking.

The reason why I wanted to dive into this again today, is because I wanted to reiterate that, in spite of all of this, your path is yours. OWN IT. The roads I’m taking, the paths others you admire journey on, may not be for you and that’s okay! If what you’re doing works? Then AWESOME. I have no answers for you, neither will anyone else, because you need to trust yourself and figure it out. What will you be happy with? What kind of money will you be okay with? You have to ask the questions that matter, then answer them, and steer yourself toward those goals. That, truly, is the “secret” of publishing. The answer to your success lies within you.

NOW GO FORTH AND BE EVEN MORE AWESOME.

Mood: Happy, happy. Joy, joy.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Ermm… Trying to do the tea thing…
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: A walk.
In My Ears: A snoring cat. Heh, heh.
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: IQ
Latest Artistic Project: In progress
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press