Rewriting: The Moment Of Truth
Posted on Mar 26, 2010 09:01:16 AM
It is time. Yep. That time I was avoiding…
I sacrificed a considerable amount of inner peace for my future–or at least, I thought I did. Why does financial security come hand in hand with serenity? No. The question should be: ” Why are we raised to believe our serenity comes attached to financial security?”
Writing a book these days is as tough as in any other moment in history. Perhaps tougher, because the internet has made accessible for thousands, what used to be hidden in a corner, far away, unreachable to the “commoners”.
I e-mailed the successful Puerto Rican author Lulu Delacre, and asked her what suggestions/advice she had for me in order to become a published author. She replied kindly, admitting her experience wasn’t relevant anymore, since the publishing industry had changed completely.
Kari Haywood, the amazing Kansas City blogger of Life, shed a beacon of light when telling me about Lulu. Not the author, but one of the most complete self publishing websites I’ve seen, yet literary agents still consider self publishing as a synonym of not published.
These decisions are important, yet irrelevant if you do not have a finished, polished book. Most aspiring writers don’t even get to that part. I looked up several statistics on writers, and found out that exactly five years ago, the average author earned $10,000 net profit per year. If you are thinking of quitting your dream, don’t!
The United States Department of Labor has an amazing handbook on Authors, Writers, and Editors. I suggest you read it completely. Even if you love writing (and just want to write), you should inundate yourself with knowledge about the publishing industry. According to this Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Authors, writers and editors held about 281,300 jobs in 2008. Writers and authors held about 151,700 jobs and editors held about 129,600 jobs. About 70 percent of writers and authors were self-employed, while 12 percent of editors were self-employed.”
The outlook of these professions according to the US Department of Labor is an average growth (7 to 13 percent increase), and less job openings than job seekers.
So, why bother?
Steve Jobs said on June 2005:
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
May the life of your dreams be just around the corner… I know mine is. For now, I’ll keep writing (rewriting is more accurate).
Building Your Readership
Posted on Mar 12, 2010 01:16:34 PM
I went to Borders the other day and the truth sunk in — Thousands upon thousands of books stacked up. How will mine ever get found? When I finish it, find an agent, and publish it, of course.
One word: Networking.
I had the misconception that writing was a solo career. On the contrary, the more people you interact with, the more chances you have at success. People, like me, constantly compare each other with renowned authors, and try hard to discover their formula. The truth is, there is none.
Sure, there are tons of resourceful books, and websites on how to become a polished writer, but no one will guarantee your success. You have to guarantee your own success, and even if you fail numerous times, never give up. How bad do you want it?
I used to have a social media phobia. When I saw the movie Wall-e, I thought “Great. This is the future of humanity. A lot of sickly, detached beings.” After countless hours of researching on how to become a published author, reading blogs written by literary agents, purchasing books on how to hone the craft of writing, and many other things, most people agreed on the premise that every writer needs to build their readership. “Oh, but J.K. Rowling didn’t do that.” “What about Stephenie Meyer?” Quoting the words of the awesome Chuck Sambuchino, quoting the coolest guy on Earth, Greg Behrendt: “You are the rule. Not the exception.”
I decided to put myself out there. I have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Brazen Careerist, a Nerdfighters account, really silly videos on Youtube, an Inkpop account, an Authonomy account… wow, I did over come my social media phobia pretty quickly.
My point is, if you want to be a published author, or simply a writer, you will always need a readership. As a reader, I love interacting with authors, and reading their latest comments/posts. It is even better if they answer their e-mails/comments, and show some love. Everyone wants to feel important. People are the ones who make or break you in the end. They decide to give you a chance or not. In a world now linked through all sorts of media, as a writer, I discovered that squeezing myself through every corner, eventually pays off.
[UPDATE: Social networking does not exclude great writing. You can have all the followers in the world, and if you don't hone your craft... (insert ending here).]