Saturday 15 December 2012

Just some thoughts on publishing

   I love reading articles about the publishing industry.

Yes, it would be lovely to be able to go the 'traditional' route, but sometimes that just doesn't happen. I know how many truly talented writers get passed by, and I am not speaking about myself. I have a particular friend who is phenomenally talented, in a way that astonishes me every time I hear her read. But, she can't find an agent or a publisher. It happens.
But the way that the world is becoming, especially for the publishing industry, the traditional road is no longer the only road. And that gives me some hope.

And yes, I understand that there are now thousands of talented writers who are choosing a non traditional route, so while it may seem like hope it's hard work to make yourself stand out. You are involved in the production and marketing of you and your work in a way that you never would be, and that is a job in itself.

When I read articles about what's going on in the industry I have hope. There has been a great progression beyond the 'you self publish because you're not good enough' and I think that is amazing. And people who do this and take this route and kick ass at it are starting to get recognized, and I am hoping....I can see it coming, if the progression keeps on the route it's going....that the self published marketplace will earn enough creditability to put those sorts of people on the NY Times bestsellers list, to get these people nominated for the major literary awards.
A lot of discussion has come up since the Random House - Penguin merger, and the talk of Simon and Shuster and HarperCollins doing the same. I've been asked what I think about it and, really, I don't know what to think. It's either going to narrow the market for people trying to break into the industry, causing another influx of people going the self published route, or they will purposefully create new avenues for the new and eager to fall into. I like to see the bright side of things, but that's just me. Others may have a more negative view of the whole thing, but I don't.

In the literary world now, I think it's up to us writers to carve a place for us to fit. What I do doesn't fall into any specific spot, I know that, so I knew I was going to have to make my own way if I could not find one and I have no problem with that. The most important thing to me is you, dear readers. For me to be able to share my work with readers and be able to interact with them in as many ways as I can. It'll be a learning curve for me, but I've been doing a lot of research and learning from others so I have some faith in myself, where not that long ago I felt like I was walking on eggshells in that regard.

But, for those of you who write I encourage you to keep going. And if you have to take a different road to get to where you want to be, then so be it. As someone who weathered a storm I can tell you that there is sunshine on the other side. Keep up the good fight.