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<\/a>One of the comedy celebrities had this to say when asked about achieving success: \u201cFirst, you have to have the talent. Second, you need to work very hard perfecting your gifts, promoting yourself and be courageous. And finally you need to be lucky enough to get that big break, that opportunity to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\nYou must have all three ingredients for success in creative arts like writing, art, dance, theater,or comedy. I totally agree with him.<\/p>\n
I have been trying to be successful in writing fiction, and more recently in painting art. I\u2019m not successful. I certainly couldn\u2019t make a living at either of these endeavors, or call my work a career. I enjoy the creative process and think that I just may have enough of ingredient one to be successful, but I know that I don\u2019t possess enough of the persistence in ingredient two to be eligible for the needed third part of success. So, I\u2019ve come to accept my work as a writer and as an artist as really a leisure pursuit, or hobby.<\/p>\n
The time I devote to my hobbies is, and has been, considerable. I\u2019ve written three novels and many, many, short stories and essays over my lifetime. I have enjoyed writing them and have also enjoyed learning the craft of writing and putting a story together. I enjoy my continual learning of illustration and the mechanics of painting. Over the last three years I\u2019ve painted more than 60 works.<\/p>\n
I followed the normal process for success as a novelist and experienced that rollercoaster mix of emotions that a needy person goes through for acceptance. I wrote the novel, did the synopsis, the outline, and wrote an intriguing query letter that I sent to over fifty literary agents. I did it three times. Three different novels. I had some success, but no publishing contract or offer for representation from any of the agents for any of the works.<\/p>\n
I would wonder how these agents could be so hesitant of a great opportunity. Couldn\u2019t they see the genius of this story? Jeepers. Everyone who read this thing absolutely loved it. Well, Ellen didn\u2019t, but after I explained the pivoting 14th<\/sup> chapter, she did.<\/p>\n So, I didn\u2019t get an agent or a publisher. I guess that I could have just printed the novels on my own by self-publishing. Back in the old days they called self-publishing, \u201cVanity Publishing\u201d. The business model was that you pay to publish and print your novel. You hand the printer a check and pick up the books on their loading dock. It was a very different process.<\/p>\n Vanity publishing is easier and more affordable than ever and the eBook business grows every day. A person with a manuscript can get computer-generated copies of their book and on an Internet list somewhere for about the price of dinner for four at a decent restaurant. They call themselves \u201cIndependent Authors\u201d.<\/p>\n I had come across a blog article where a guy who published his own historical novel was angered by a couple of independent book stores because they either didn\u2019t care to stock his book and, if they did, they wanted a higher percent markup. He was further outraged that when he offered his book for their shelves. They told him that they might take 3 copies to begin with and bill him for the shelf space. He tried to set up a promotional event at the bookstore. He would give a little author\u2019s speech about his wonderful story and his journey to become a successful independent published Author. The book store said, \u201cGreat idea!\u201d and then went on to tell him how much it would cost him to rent the room for his presentation.<\/p>\n This independent author thinks he\u2019s being ripped-off by the independent book stores and wonders if this entire process of charging him to get his book in their store is just a \u201cMill to make a buck.\u201d<\/p>\n If I really cared about this guy, I\u2019d grab him by the shoulders and give him a shake. \u201cWake up! It\u2019s all a big money mill.\u201d Every interest we have and that we work at is commerce for other people. \u201cHow could you not know that?\u201d What makes you think that you can independently change or short cut your position in the commerce mill? The only thing you share with the independent bookstore is that you\u2019re calling yourself \u201cindependent\u201d. You share a name and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n Believe me. I know what I\u2019m talking about. I been there and done that. You are not unique and your novel is probably, at best, mediocre.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve gone to writing classes, to work shops, bought all the books on how to write. There are most likely several shelves of books, most of them paperbacked, near the area you normally write in. Friends and relatives all have copies of your pages, chapters and manuscripts that they gush over. They love your stuff. \u201cWhere do you get all these great ideas?\u201d They say.\u00a0 They tell you how interesting your story is and what a wonderful writer you are. It goes on and on. Of course they like it. They love you. Why would they hurt you?<\/p>\n Your journey to publishing is gonna cost you. Your job in the Mill is to fund the resources that give you encouragement, and a sense of both pride and satisfaction. The professors and professionals need to get paid. Do you really think any of these people are going to tell you that your stuff reads like crap? Come on, do you? I\u2019m not suggesting that they\u2019re in it just for the money, but I do think that we all tend to rationalize our jobs into perhaps something nobler than they are. A guy\u2019s got to eat, so you never insult your client. They\u2019re part of the mill, Silly. Including the How-To authors, universities, on-line classes, writers\u2019 workshops, and writers\u2019 retreats.<\/p>\n Are you beginning to get it? You\u2019re blending all these services and costs within the mill to further your interest and pursue, what you hope will be, a rewarding, successful career as an author.<\/p>\n Once that final manuscript is complete and the uplifting critiques of as many friends and relatives that bother to take the time to read it come in, you\u2019re off. Maybe you try the conventional methods, like I did, to get representation and a publishing contract. Maybe you\u2019ve saved up a couple hundred bucks and you want to see that story on paper so bad that you just print the damn thing yourself. Good for you\u2026 an independent author. Wow.<\/p>\n