Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum.

- Graycie Harmon

Thursday, September 23, 2010

We Are Not Entitled

I have been struck dumb by people's attitudes over the past few months. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind people of something very important:

We are not entitled.

Just because you've written a book, it doesn't mean you will be published. You are not entitled to be published. If you want to be published, you need to do the work that will get you there. Period.

In life, if you want something, then you get off your arse and go get it. No one said it would be easy. So why do you get all stroppy at the slightest set-back?

I've heard authors rant and rave like lunatics over the most polite of form rejections.

How dare they? My book is nothing but genius. Acquisition Editors are idiots. The publishing industry is one giant doodle-head (I stole that one from BBC's Merlin... ahem, moving on). It's everyone else's fault but my own.

Get over yourselves, people.

Granted, I've been upset at all the rejections, and I'm currently burnt out from working like hell trying to get published (but I'm resting up so I can keep at it). Never once, however, have I called anyone in the industry names. Never once did I blame anyone else but myself for my current state.

I'm not entitled to be published just because I've written a book (or 6). If my book is good. If I'm doing the work. If I persevere. If I manage to keep my head and keep writing and keep working, then I will be published.

However, I have to work to get there. A publishing opportunity isn't going to just fall in my lap.

And it's not going to fall into yours, either. So get off your arse, and do the work!

Jeez!

4 comments:

Plind said...

Your blog is again inspiring, even if it is not something someone wants to hear. It is much easier to blame someone else than yourself. Hope everything is going well, or at least better!

S.M. Carrière said...

Good afternoon Plind!

I'm feeling much more myself, thank-you. Give me another day, and I'll be back to my goofy self.

I'm a little concerned that I may have come off a little strongly there, but must say my patience had quite worn out this morning....

Plind said...

It did not seem to strong in my opinion. It actually parallels my own thoughts on people (though for other reasons than writing.) Sometimes people can just be... odd... for lack of a better word.
It is always good to be reminded that you will fail before you succeed, helps make the failures that much easier. Again thats just my opinion though!

S.M. Carrière said...

You're right. People are odd. I'll be the first to admit, I'm one of them! I'm afraid that I'm guilty of being far too timid in other areas of my life - but I'm only ever mad at myself for that. That is also no one else's fault but my own. I won't blabber on about how my personal life, however. I'll save that for my private journal!

When it comes to writing, I think that everyone should remember that it is a business. In other words, a query is a lot like a job interview. You might be qualified, but not the most qualified of the day. Thus, you don't get published.

Simply put, it's nothing personal. It astounds me constantly how many writers aren't prepared to take responsibility for themselves.