This was so inspiring! It's so hard to navigate a world where there's so much being written that you are always missing out on something. And self-published books can be so hard from a reviewer's perspective! Should we hold them to the same standards as traditionally published ones? My first reaction is to say yes, but I also know they don't have a team of editors and designers behind them... This is a very thought-provoking piece, my friend.
Thank you, I'm glad that you liked it :) We definitely need to think a bit - and understand that we cannot be everywhere. I don't know how many thousands or millions of books are published every year in one or another form, but I know that it is absolutely impossible to read them all. Similarly, a writer cannot reach every reader.
We have to pick a place in the world where we are - now. Of course, we can move now and then.
About what to expect - well, first of all, traditional publishers aren't always the all-service companies they used to be. I've heard from several writers how they were expected to do many things themselves that previously would be handled by the publisher. And secondly, these publishers, as I mentioned, aren't really publishing that much - by far the largest percentage of books are self-published. So, we simply have to learn to read books that may have a slightly off formatting, or even a few typos.
Thank you! Yes, in a sense, the communities are the real society. If we fit in somewhere, we can have a name and at times a role, but in any case, as writers, we can find an audience. If you are trying to stay outside of everything, it will lead to all the people inside living their lives without paying attention to you.
What I was especially considering in this post was the fact that we cannot repeat the successes of historical writers because the conditions are different today. We need to find a way forward in today's world, trying not to live in a dream from the past.
This was so inspiring! It's so hard to navigate a world where there's so much being written that you are always missing out on something. And self-published books can be so hard from a reviewer's perspective! Should we hold them to the same standards as traditionally published ones? My first reaction is to say yes, but I also know they don't have a team of editors and designers behind them... This is a very thought-provoking piece, my friend.
Thank you, I'm glad that you liked it :) We definitely need to think a bit - and understand that we cannot be everywhere. I don't know how many thousands or millions of books are published every year in one or another form, but I know that it is absolutely impossible to read them all. Similarly, a writer cannot reach every reader.
We have to pick a place in the world where we are - now. Of course, we can move now and then.
About what to expect - well, first of all, traditional publishers aren't always the all-service companies they used to be. I've heard from several writers how they were expected to do many things themselves that previously would be handled by the publisher. And secondly, these publishers, as I mentioned, aren't really publishing that much - by far the largest percentage of books are self-published. So, we simply have to learn to read books that may have a slightly off formatting, or even a few typos.
Brilliant read! Community lasts long
Thank you! Yes, in a sense, the communities are the real society. If we fit in somewhere, we can have a name and at times a role, but in any case, as writers, we can find an audience. If you are trying to stay outside of everything, it will lead to all the people inside living their lives without paying attention to you.
What I was especially considering in this post was the fact that we cannot repeat the successes of historical writers because the conditions are different today. We need to find a way forward in today's world, trying not to live in a dream from the past.