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

- Graycie Harmon

Monday, December 12, 2011

No, Thank-You... I Think

So I've been forced into a lot of thinking this weekend, largely due to a post by my friend and fellow author Gerard de Marigny. He put up a post about Mr. Konrath, the self-publishing sensation, and something he said.

We butted heads over the interpretation of Mr. Konrath's advice (I read it as being entirely more sinisterly self-serving that Mr. de Marigny, to his credit, did). It was, essentially, work your butt off and forget everything else - at all (friends, family, and if they loved you, they'd put up with your neglect.).

I most vehemently agree that any author should be working their behinds off in order to get themselves off the ground. I don't agree that one should have to sacrifice everything else all the time.

No downtime - needed to collect my thoughts, percolate ideas, eat, breathe and remind myself why I write? No time for friends or family? No, thank-you! Life was made for living and I adore writing. I don't want to turn it into something that I despise for taking my time away from all the good things I have.

But then, Mr. Konrath has sold millions of copies. I've managed to sell one paperback, and roughly 7 e-books, so what the hell would I know, right?

And that's what has me thinking. What more could I be doing right now?

On that note, I have a six book series to finish writing, and I'm not nearly as finished as I should be! On to work!

Higgler

One who sells provisions from door to door; one who buys fowls, butter, eggs, &c. in the country and brigs them to town to sell. [From] higgle, to beat down the price of a thing in a bargain; to sell provisions from door to door. Hence higgledy-piggledy, corrupted from higgle, higglers carrying a confused medley of provisions; in a disorderly manner.
- Daniel Fenning's Royal English Dictionary, 1775

4 comments:

Debbie Maxwell Allen said...

I like your perspective much better! You have to in order to have something to write about!

~Debbie

S.M. Carrière said...

I think so as well, but then I can't rightly complain about not selling much though, right?

I'm wondering about the difference between being a good writing and a successful writer.

I might be a good writer (up for debate, but whatever), but my decided lack of success is making me reconsider everything.

Like I said, much to think about.

Debbie Maxwell Allen said...

It's not necessarily an indicator that you're not good--time is a big factor. Think about all the successful writers whose publishing dreams were delayed for years. Sometimes the world is just not ready yet. :)

~Debbie

S.M. Carrière said...

Oh, I'm aware of the good writer vs. successful writer. That's part of my dilemma. I can write (I think), but I'm terrible at marketing and unless I can get word out about my books, well, I'll never be read.

Hence my current train of thought. What can someone without much spare income do to promote their books to a flooded marketplace?

Writing is most definitely the easy part!