It just struck me yesterday (so I'm slow) how very many wannabe authors there are in this world--even in my own personal little view of it. I don't actually know any personal acquaintances (outside my writers' groups) that want to be authors, but there are certainly plenty of people willing to admit, "Yeah, I've always kinda wanted to write a book..." They get that faraway look in their eyes when you tell them you're an author. But it doesn't seem serious. None of them really have any intention of actually acting on that desire. At least not right now.
I'm talking about all the writers that blog, all the writers on loops, all RWA members (and members of other writers' associations), all the loners, and all those writers that just seem to appear out of nowhere--the breakouts. Talk about competition. It's more than a little disheartening if you want to go the traditional route to publishing. Even if you want to self-publish, you've gotta find distribution channels and then promote like crazy just to get your name to be noticed! I'm going to try not to think about it and think like a breakout author.
I'd like to do a little experiment when I get a little bit of time: sort of a Kevin Bacon 'Degrees of Separation' sorta thing. I'll pick a blog, read it, randomly select a commenter and follow the links to their blog, and keep going until I make it back to the original blog. Wonder if it will work...
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
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3 comments:
I used to think about that all the time Alyssa. I had to keep telling myself that in the grand scheme of things there aren't that many, it's just that we congregate in the same places!!!
Someone (Martha Graham, perhaps?) has a fabulous quote that flys around creative circles about how each of us has something unique we are here to give to the world. If we don't write it/sing it/ choreograph it/ paint it, "it" won't exist, and the world will miss out on what we were supposed to bring.
Okay, Martha says it better... but it helps me to remember that there's actually lots creative room out there, even if there are a few of us author-types hanging out at the same blogs :)
I guess we have to think like that just to keep our spirits up! :)
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