A Sobering Read...
Thursday, December 20, 2007, 9:59 PM
Because my last blog post was far too cute and fluffy, here is a link to a sobering piece by author Michael Fuchs on the realities of being published. Well worth a read.
posted by Stuart Neville at 9:59 PM
10 Comments:
I think that's an excellent article and probably utterly realistic.
well that was totally depressing... and yet it won't stop any of us because like Fuchs said - the writing has to be about the writing.
I think I know what you found so depressing:
As far as I’m aware, I have not, up until this very moment, gone out on a date with one single woman as a result of being a published author. Not one. This – the idea that chicks will dig it – is not merely the number one reason a man will write a book.
I happen to be friends with quite a few working authors. These are people with 4-10 books out; they write for a living. They are all much more positive about their experiences than this guy. I wonder what his problem is, really. I guess no one told him that selling books is a business. It's an actual job, and there ain't much romance in work.
we just have to do what we love, that's all. i love working with people who love to write. the rest is just circumstance.
I love having my preconceived notions turned inside out. That was a great rant. I never would have considered that getting published could be disappointing when compared to the dream of being published.
The writing has to be about the writing. That really is the one thing that needs to be true.
This must be why authors and sobriety rarely mix.
One of many reasons, Chris.
Conduit, great article and love the Graham Greene quotes.
After reading published author blogs and seeing how unhappy they are, how little money the majority of them make, how little their publishers are willing to promote them, and are quick to dump them if the sales aren't stellar, I wasn't surprised at all by that article.
If - (when!) - I get a book published, and it succeeds or fails, whichever, I've already decided to tell people I work in criminal investigations instead of saying I'm a novelist - more than anything it'll be to avoid someone saying, I have a really great idea for a book, so why don't you write it for me?
BTW, I saw on SSAS's blog that you decided to work on that "dark YA" novel. Yay! I'm eager to read it.
Merry Christmas and I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
E
My expectations are under the bed with the dust bunnies. That's why I'm so happy about being published. As I grow and improve and sell more books, my happiness will grow, too.
And I'll still have my day job.
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