Malcolm, as I'm spooling up a writing project, and watching people on social media go through the publishing process, everything about this resonates with me. I really appreciate your thoughts on the landscape shift that has happened. I've been contemplating self-publishing, even releasing chapters on a blog and/or podcast (a la Andy Weir) and either seeing what kind of traction that gets with a traditional publisher, or going the full self-published route. My biggest hesitation is that I know the value of teams, that I have a lot I could learn from others, if I can find the right "others" to hitch up with. I'm not afraid of rejection letters, but now that people have pulled back the curtain a bit, I'm afraid that the vast majority of the literary gatekeepers aren't literate, and are working on a totally different project than I am. I haven't finished this thought yet, but, that's the direction I'm looking at: Where can I find good people who will see something in the mediocre idea I'm working on and make it really great.
Hi Tait--thank you for reading, and for commenting...legacy publishing has become increasingly inscrutable, even unto itself, so much so that at this point there's really no right or wrong way to build a career and get work into the world. Andy Weir was definitely one of the first to demonstrate that, and Colleen Hoover REALLY drove the last nail. If you haven't read Alex Perez' recent piece in The Free Press on the state of the industry, it's well worth it--both harrowing and hopeful at the same time, and a tipping point for me in that it compelled me to start up here...https://www.thefp.com/p/the-fight-for-the-future-of-publishing
What a great explanation of your two different journeys. I worry that a lot of great writing is being overlooked. I wish we could avoid pendulum swings and just aim for the middle of the road!
Malcolm, as I'm spooling up a writing project, and watching people on social media go through the publishing process, everything about this resonates with me. I really appreciate your thoughts on the landscape shift that has happened. I've been contemplating self-publishing, even releasing chapters on a blog and/or podcast (a la Andy Weir) and either seeing what kind of traction that gets with a traditional publisher, or going the full self-published route. My biggest hesitation is that I know the value of teams, that I have a lot I could learn from others, if I can find the right "others" to hitch up with. I'm not afraid of rejection letters, but now that people have pulled back the curtain a bit, I'm afraid that the vast majority of the literary gatekeepers aren't literate, and are working on a totally different project than I am. I haven't finished this thought yet, but, that's the direction I'm looking at: Where can I find good people who will see something in the mediocre idea I'm working on and make it really great.
Hi Tait--thank you for reading, and for commenting...legacy publishing has become increasingly inscrutable, even unto itself, so much so that at this point there's really no right or wrong way to build a career and get work into the world. Andy Weir was definitely one of the first to demonstrate that, and Colleen Hoover REALLY drove the last nail. If you haven't read Alex Perez' recent piece in The Free Press on the state of the industry, it's well worth it--both harrowing and hopeful at the same time, and a tipping point for me in that it compelled me to start up here...https://www.thefp.com/p/the-fight-for-the-future-of-publishing
What a great explanation of your two different journeys. I worry that a lot of great writing is being overlooked. I wish we could avoid pendulum swings and just aim for the middle of the road!
Me too, Rachael--and I do think cooler heads are starting to prevail. Fingers crossed!
I aim to do my part to see that this venture kicks ass. When they make us outlaws, outlaws we shall be.
Gracias, my fine friend. Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend...No retreat, no surrender...