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A game of chance perhaps?
How do we know whether a publisher will accept our precious manuscript? Should we
self-publish instead?
Writing
is a profession that is getting harder and harder to break into and it breaks
our hearts when something we’ve spent months and perhaps even years working on
is turned down. Is it any wonder, then, that writers turn to self-publishing?
It could be seen as a gateway into becoming a published author, or it could be
something that appeals to aspiring writers because they can write the story
they want. It does, of course, need to be of professional quality, otherwise
readers might cast it to one side and not read anything else that you write.
I know when I started writing it was a game to me. I was writing because I
enjoyed it, not initially believing I would ever do anything with my
manuscript. I’d simply had an idea for a story and went for it. I’d always
enjoyed English at school, so it was an added bonus when I became a published
author. (I even found out where my retired English teacher lived and sent her a
letter telling her about it. She said she wasn’t surprised because I had always
been good at English.)
With the option of self-publishing, writing isn't so much of a game of chance anymore, IMO. With reasonable effort and a bit of cash, you can be published--for better or worse.
ReplyDeleteThe roulette wheel spins over how successful your first story will be--and this depends on having a unique plot, striking characters, storytelling skill--and massive amounts of luck.
'A bit of cash' seems like a huge understatement, Ana. Paying for professional editing and a professional cover artist doesn't come cheap. Hence the huge amount of poorly edited self-published novels with amateurish covers on the market these days. These, unfortunately, have given self-publishing a bad reputation.
DeleteAlso I'm not sure where the line is between self-publishing and vanity publishing - but better not open up that can of worms!
As for whether your first story will be successful, I'd add that it could depend on the huge amount of time you need to spend on marketing and promotion, rather than on luck.
Must admit I'd never thought of writing as a game. In my teens, I wrote a lot of stories, usually for my friends to read. I wrote my first novel mainly for myself, decided eventually to try submitting it to M&B, and it was accepted (much to my amazement!).
ReplyDeleteI never wrote in my teens, Paula. I was an avid reader but never even thought about writing anything.
DeleteI wrote stories from when I was about 8 or 9, Margaret. My first stories were spin-offs from Enid Blyton's Malory Towers books!
DeleteFor me I always think as writing more of a hobby than a game. I definitely don't make enough to qualify it as a career...even a second one...so hobby it is. Although a hobby you need to have tough skin for, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI agree you need a tough skin, Debra, although I've shed a few tears over the years.
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