I like to write and I think I do good work. My sainted wife enjoys reading my stuff and the dog loves it, can’t get of my scintillating prose. And there are a few critical readers who willingly (crazy people) cast their jaundiced eyes over the old magnus and feel confident to tell me that my stuff is doing okay.
Generally they fall about laughing and point out my glaring plot holes, typos and passing acquaintance with grammar BUT when I have fixed up the quivering mess they seem to think that’s not bad. On a good day. Going downhill, if you squint.
So this is all well and good I hear you ask, but so what?
The people I really want to impress don’t fall into any of the aforesaid categories – the ones I’m after are the literary gatekeepers, the agents and publishers. It’s their opinion which is the one that counts to a journeyman author like moi.
Having your mum say she loves your work might give you a few warm fuzzies but her words won’t cut it on a Query Letter. Even the manuscript appraisal services (and, my, aren’t there a lot of them?) are not able to pass you through the hallowed door into the mysterious world of publishing. Well, it’s a mysterious world to me; you, dear reader, have undoubtedly kicked a few goals already and have entire bookshelves of your published works sitting nearby. Sigh.
Which leads me to the BIG question, do we have gatekeepers for other aspects of our life? I suspect we do, and we give ‘em too much power.
I get decidedly cheesed off when a young ‘un feels that they are a bit worthless because they have come up short in the looks/money/weight/charisma/job/you name it department. Poor little mites have let society dictate who the gatekeepers are going to be in their lives. And it’s always someone fitter, stronger, better looking, more successful than where they happen to be at the time.
Makes me want to spit. And say bad words.
I accept the artificiality of the literary gatekeeper, I enter into the agreement that they have the final say over what gets into print. It’s part of the deal for us scribblers.
But what I cannot accept is how each one of us blithely surrenders the power to make ourselves feel good to an outside body. And it’s not just the youth who are the victims, although this is where it all starts – Us grown ups still allow the media (of all types) to dictate to us.
So have a think who your gatekeepers are, sit down and give it a few moments. And then decide whether or not you want to continue to give up this power, the power to make you feel good about yourself.
Take it back. Join me and the dog – we’ve come across to the light and left the dark side. He tells me I’m pretty special and I believe him.
Good dog. You’re not so bad yourself.
You obviously have a smart dog!
Not really, he still thinks he’s pretty cool because he can read but he’s still got to sound out the big words.
I agree with you Terry, BUT
why is being published such a big deal – why publish?
It’s not for the money that’s for sure. But there must be a payoff, as Dr Phill says.
So, is seeing your work in print, holding that book, with your name on the front and your photo on the back, important for the self esteem of the writer?
If we refuse to surrender the power to the gatekeepers, then the process of writing itself should be enough. But it’s not.
We’d all like to be published, to have a following of people who love us, approve of us, recommend us to others, say our name, look up to us….. Does that justify the hours spent thinking, planning, writing? Sadly we need that justification to reinforce our worth. Sometimes just dreaming about it is enough.
It’s business – when a writer submits a mss to the publisher he is asking that publishing company to invest in him/her. The mss must be worth that investment – up to $10,000 in costs – editors, contracts, printing, distribution, advance payments all to pay before even one book is sold! It’s all about selling the author, the story, the rights to make more and more money.
I’m told that less than 3% of unsolicited mss are published in Australia. Think of the thousands of books that are written each year. Mss read by a mother or best friend and then left in a drawer with one or two rejection slips. 10% of them could be worth reading but we miss out because those books may only sell 5,000 copies while the book sellers must have sales in the millions to make it worth their while.
This is why an author must surrender all to the publisher, must edit as commanded, must be available to promote, sign books, give interviews, do whatever it takes to sell more and more and more.
But the worst part of this process, for me, is THE WINNER IS THE ONE WITH THE POPULAR VOTE. Different, unusual, experimental writing has not place. You must be previously published or well known in another field and POPULAR.
Personally I find that the people who are picked first for the team or who get most of the votes to be the leader and who can count off a huge circle of ‘friends’ are not the most interesting people at all.
Thanks for a very thoughtful piece, JaCey, and welcome to the shambling mass of individuals who read this blog. You are on the money with the need for an inner desire to motivate the writing process and not the external stimulus of reward. Like everyhthing we do which is worthwhile, we must find a reason to do it which satisfies ourselves. Of course, I do maintain that after producing the work a writer should consider seeking to be published. But that is just my opionion, I do know that here are many writers who derive their pleasure from the creation of the manuscript – that is enough for them. And really, it is enough for me but I have this need to hit my head against a brick wall until it bleeds.