Thursday, January 26, 2012

Writing... for me

I am interested in knowing the benefits of querying and publishing in today’s volatile book market. Why would anyone subject themselves to this arduous task when there are so many other avenues such as self-publishing, and indie publishing?

Recently, a friend of mine underwent this trial called submitting and found that there were some unfriendly waters out there.

There is always the initial excitement one feels for every query sent out – electronic and on paper (some things never change). I won’t go into detail on the evolution of publishing right now, but just know that the new and magical e-revolution has become a true love for many (or a painful divorce from paper for others).

The evolution of publishing – at least for me – has become like a wanderlust, a searching for something. And I believe it may be affecting my ability to write.

Writing is a part of my who I am, I recently discovered. I tried to deny it, tried to override it with lots of other things, including photography, but found that it is like another arm, or leg. I can be many things but inside, I am a writer. Everything comes out of that writerly side too, I might add.

I can shoot photography or video until the cows come home, but I am always telling a story with that. I also imagine myself as characters throughout my workday, which proves at least to me, that I am a writer first and foremost.

And I am wondering if trying once again to send my work out into the publishing ether will result in anything more than reopened old wounds, bruises that won’t heal, and headaches from beating my head against the wall.

Keep watching, folks. You may see me do some amazing things this year. (and no that does not mean more head-banging)

4 comments:

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

KIm, I'm thinking of doing the same thing this year. I'm still not sure. It's so easy to keep things where they are. There's comfort in the way my life is. Yet, part of me yearns for more challenge, more excitement. I must be nuts. Well, everybody knows writers are strange being, might as well accept that. (huge grin)

Marta Stephens said...

I spent a little over a year writing "Shroud of Lies." I spent eight months querying it and received over 60 rejections with little more comment than, "Not for me." "Okay," I thought. "What would make it 'for you'?" One agent took a chance with it in April 2011. She is still sending it out. But here's the thing, if by chance and editor likes it, he/she then will have to "sell" it to the publisher. If that ever happens, I'm thinking it'll take another year or two to get an answer, let alone get the thing published.

I've come full circle on this and know that I write for the simple pleasure of it. If she is able to sell it great, but I don't see putting myself through that grief again with any other book in my future. That was one of several experiences that nearly brought my writing to an end.

Aaron Paul Lazar said...

I've had two agents in my career, and although they were nice ladies, the timing of our ventures just didn't gel. When I found my highly regarded small press publisher, Twilight Times, I was very pleased. She's already released five books for me and there are six more coming this spring. That's mostly because I "wrote just for me" for a long time, piling up the books for the sheer pleasure of writing my character's stories, or documenting their lives, as I like to call it. ;o) The next step was getting audio books done - there are four now with a fifth on the way. Loved doing that, it was really fun working with the actors, etc. If someone happens to want to make movies out of the books, that'll be the next step. But mostly I just want to keep writing and see what happens!

Isn't it fun, Kim? So many options, so many stories to write! Bring 'em on!

Kim Smith said...

Yea Aaron! and possibly profitable. I would like to make more $ with my writing. Maybe thy is the direction to go in?