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Monday, September 29, 2008

Literary Rejection is Hot on the Interwebs

Seems like there's a proligeration of rejection lately. That, and I like using the word "interwebs."  Here are some interesting reveries for you to check out:
  • Indie writer Zoe Winters thinks it's best to adapt to the changing atmosphere.  (Writers are a bit like cockroaches, so it's easy to agree.) She offers a nice list of links at the bottom of her post about whether or not we have reached the end of traditional book publishing.
  • Some practical submission guidelines at Thoughts from Botswana offer an interesting perspective on rejection, including an inspirational quote by Wendell Meyers:  "You're only willing to succeed to the same extent you are willing to fail." (I'm willing to succeed big, then.)
  • Sally Ahearn (not to be confused with GAK winner and contested publishing muse  Rosemary Ahern) offers some advice, including information on the website Duotrope.
  • Some understandable writerly frustration at Blogfranz.
  • Advice for the rejection weary at Dark Knight Dramaturgy includes, "know thyself," and "it's not a race, it's a StairMaster."

2 comments:

Zoe Winters said...

Hi there, thanks for the mention. To be totally fair, I'm not self-published "yet." It's not so simple as just slapping something into print and sending it out there.

I tend to prefer the term "indie" personally, like "indie label" which musicians have done for years to get their stuff out there. "Self publishing" tends to call to mind people the lulu.com, and authorhouse crowd. Which isn't, IMO "true self-publishing" in the sense of starting one's own publishing imprint and actually learning how to run a micro-press.

I also don't think going indie is right for everyone. It's not even right for most people. I think it takes a special kind of temperament and a high risk tolerance to do it. But my choice to do it stems from the fact that I understand the insane odds of making money in publishing, period, whether one goes indie OR goes the traditional way.

I know too many NY published authors who are still hanging onto their full time day job because they simply can't afford to write full time. Knowing this, I am unwilling to go the traditional route, turning it into a second job that doesn't pay nearly as much, when I can hold onto the reigns myself, and do what I do for the love and passion of doing it, and if money follows it, great. If not, I can either find other ways to subsidize a serious artistic hobby, or else put my stuff out as ebooks and podcasts lowering my financial risk to practically zero.

Zoe :)

Anonymous said...

LROD, did you see this on Galley Cat today? The link in the name goes to the article.