What I Really Think
No one will read this, so I'm just venting. I'm tired of the happy front we have to put out there in social media land. It's not me (most of the time). Instead, this is me-- the realist who hasn't seen things work out the way she wants.
I've had a dream to be a published author since I was 11 years old. Life went by, and granted, I wasted a lot of it. But since 1995, I've been writing and attending writer's conferences and taking writer's courses and submitting my work. To date, I have four published articles and one SELF-published book. And we all know in the writing industry a self-published book is just another way of saying, "No one wanted this book so I published it myself." In other words, the publishing world saw no value in it, but I put it out there anyway. It's kind of sad, like a cry for help or something. A "look at me!"
So, that's 23 years I've been at this with only four things published by someone else. And truthfully, one of the magazine articles was kind of "pushed through" by my writing mentor. That brings it down to three. Once every seven years or so I publish something. Wow, really?
And now they tell writers they have to have a website in order to get published. We have to have a blog. Be on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. We have to keep up all those things, build a following of 5,000 people or more. THEN the agents and editors will consider taking you on. Really? Who can do that and hold down a full time job at the same time? Not to mention actually WRITING something.
I recently decided to just write novels because I want to. Maybe someday I'll have the money to be pathetic again and self-publish again. Because the thing is, I have two more novels ready to go. I keep writing, against all the odds of ever publishing.
I have some good writing friends who are so amazing. One of them has an agent now and is building her platform even as she's dealing with personal tragedies. Several of them have successful blogs. Some of them are publishing in magazines, both in print and online. I admire them. Let's face it-- they are wonderful people. They are God's amazing daughters, totally sold out to Him.
I want to be like them when I grow up......
I've had a dream to be a published author since I was 11 years old. Life went by, and granted, I wasted a lot of it. But since 1995, I've been writing and attending writer's conferences and taking writer's courses and submitting my work. To date, I have four published articles and one SELF-published book. And we all know in the writing industry a self-published book is just another way of saying, "No one wanted this book so I published it myself." In other words, the publishing world saw no value in it, but I put it out there anyway. It's kind of sad, like a cry for help or something. A "look at me!"
So, that's 23 years I've been at this with only four things published by someone else. And truthfully, one of the magazine articles was kind of "pushed through" by my writing mentor. That brings it down to three. Once every seven years or so I publish something. Wow, really?
And now they tell writers they have to have a website in order to get published. We have to have a blog. Be on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. We have to keep up all those things, build a following of 5,000 people or more. THEN the agents and editors will consider taking you on. Really? Who can do that and hold down a full time job at the same time? Not to mention actually WRITING something.
I recently decided to just write novels because I want to. Maybe someday I'll have the money to be pathetic again and self-publish again. Because the thing is, I have two more novels ready to go. I keep writing, against all the odds of ever publishing.
I have some good writing friends who are so amazing. One of them has an agent now and is building her platform even as she's dealing with personal tragedies. Several of them have successful blogs. Some of them are publishing in magazines, both in print and online. I admire them. Let's face it-- they are wonderful people. They are God's amazing daughters, totally sold out to Him.
I want to be like them when I grow up......
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