Am I blogging only for the sense of gratification I get from a few comments? I've wanted to tell stories and write since I was in grade school...around the time I quit growing (taller) now that I come to think of it. Anyway, I like the sense of getting something out immediately, but I've been in the industry long enough to know that there is a certain lack of authentication without an editor involved.
I've read the articles debating self publishing and the need for a neutral party to read (edit) your writing. Better yet I've read some of those books by people who decided to just go for it and print after frustrating bouts with the publishing industry. I seem to have stalled out in that painful area and I can totally appreciate giving up and paying to put it in print. Don't get me wrong occasionally these books turn out okay, but more often than not they are noticeably behind their formally published counterparts in quality.
So after a sheaf of rejections in my own drawer, I do enjoy the instantness of a blog. But now I'm beginning to experience instant rejectification. Last week I submitted a short story to an anthology at about 11pm the day before the deadline. It was a story of around 4,000 words. I had the rejection by 3pm the next day. Hope doesn't even have much time to hatch in this environment. I suppose the bright spot is there was no exchange of postage and self addressed stamped envelopes.
So thank you for the moments of instant gratification in blog land and a thumb of my nose to the instant rejectification. If I give up trying, I'll never know if my writing can get authenticated and published some day.
It is nice to be able to have people (want to) read your compositions. I definitely get the value of editing, though. Regarding self-publishing, is that generally the reputation that lulu.com and CafePress have? I've been intrigued lately of the impact that new technology is and will have on how works are published, sold, transmitted, and stored.
ReplyDeleteIf you can sell between 5,000 and 10,000 self published books, you can get into a regular publisher. So there is a way to escape the CafePress reputation if you go that route. It depends on what you want though. If you want to be at Borders, you need a bigger publisher if you want to share a family biography, absolutely self publish. E-books are a constant discussion now in writing communities. Some people don't want to do them others say, the more readers the better (I'm in that camp). It's definitely changing days in the industry. What are the publishers getting paid for on an e-book if they hardly market you and only sell digital copies. Still an editor polishes things to a smooth surface.
ReplyDeleteNeecy..you are a great writer. Don't give up. One day...you will be published and I will be the photographer for your author picture!
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