politics and modern problems with becoming a writer

mesh138 · Jan 11, 2006

I have begun taking writing seriously for about five years now and have had mild success here and there with getting shorter pieces published. I am a novel writer, and have spent the last two years working to produce two or three books that I am confident enough to try and sell. 2006 is here and I am ready to thrust myself into the world of authors with a book to sell.

I am trying to keep a level head as I work into this new year, but there are certain things that tug on the confidence I've gained. First of all, it seems no one reads anymore. Are we all striving to become professionals in a dying business? Hopefully, it's just a downtrend.

Secondly, do writer's magazines and writing books ever piss you off? One person has all the answers in the world on how you should do it, but you see in their bio that they've published nothing except books on how to write.

There are a lot of intimidating factors out there for people like ourselves. I don't think writing used to be this way. I am curious as to why it changed. Is it the sort of books published now, the current unease in America regarding politics, or just laziness across the board?

I live in Las Vegas, so I look at things in terms of a casino. The odds of becoming a writer now seem much slimmer than before. And if you hit the longshot, it might not even pay that well.

Still, that's what makes us writers. We try anyway. MAybe some of you have had similar doubts. I'll get over mine. In a month I'm going to my first writer's conference and I'm terrified. I'm just going to wear a suit and carry a deck of cards in my pocket to see what happens. I'd pretty much sleep with anyone, man, woman, or sea urchin to get my work out there.

In the casino, we say "Play Warrants the Increase," which means the more you play, the more money the casino will give you. I think this same logic applies to writing. Keep playing. Keep fighting. And the increase will come.

Fingers crossed. It's late. I'm drunk. You get the jist of what I've said.

MadScientistMatt · Jan 11, 2006

mesh138 said:
First of all, it seems no one reads anymore. Are we all striving to become professionals in a dying business? Hopefully, it's just a downtrend.

From what I've read here, people are buying more books than ever before. Some people have even been concerned that, in order to meet the rising demand, publishers have been printing too many different book titles.

Secondly, do writer's magazines and writing books ever piss you off? One person has all the answers in the world on how you should do it, but you see in their bio that they've published nothing except books on how to write.

Fortunately, there's plenty of books from professional writers, too. Jenna's books come to mind. Other ones that are talked about include The Elements of Style (originally written by a college professor, but put together by none other than E.B. White) and On Writing by Stephen King.

There are a lot of intimidating factors out there for people like ourselves. I don't think writing used to be this way. I am curious as to why it changed. Is it the sort of books published now, the current unease in America regarding politics, or just laziness across the board?

I'd say that the biggest change that has made getting published harder is the word processor and the popularity of computers. They've made it far easier to bang out a manuscript, and consequently, an aspiring writer has to compete with far more people who think they can write a book. Slush piles are a lot taller now that computers have allowed people to type up a lot of hack tripe that would never have been written in the era of unforgiving typewriters.

I live in Las Vegas, so I look at things in terms of a casino. The odds of becoming a writer now seem much slimmer than before. And if you hit the longshot, it might not even pay that well.

But only for the same reason that having more people enter a sweepstakes drops the odds of winning the prize.

In the casino, we say "Play Warrants the Increase," which means the more you play, the more money the casino will give you. I think this same logic applies to writing. Keep playing. Keep fighting. And the increase will come.

My mathematical side has to argue with this one. Statistically, the more you play a game of chance where the odds are in the house's favor, the more money you are likely to lose - even if the odds of winning back some of your money go up. Luckily, writing is not a game of chance. Mostly not, at least.

sirensix · Jan 11, 2006

I'm only 30, so maybe it's a factor of my youth, but I don't remember there ever being a time when it was anything but lottery-unlikely to become a published writer. At least, that's what I was told from the time I was a child. I started studying the market when I was six years old, and all I ever heard then was, "It's so hard to become a writer in this day and age, nobody reads, why don't you get a nice job at a toothpaste factory or something, etc." If there ever was a "good old days" for fiction writers it would have been pre television/cinema, but even then it was really tough to get published - how many of the "greats" had to self-publish? How many got rejected over and over? Sure there were people like Dickens who got published all their lives, but today we have people like King who got published at 21 and hasn't stopped since. My theory? Now we just have more forums for frustrated writers to compare notes, and more "average joes" trying to get published (whereas writing used to be seen as a specialty profession), so it seems harder due to our increasing awareness of the phenomenon of rejection.

So the only thing I know for sure is that it has always been hard to get published. Though I tend to doubt it, I suppose it's possible that it's gotten even harder in the past few years. Anyone have any statistics on how things have changed? Concrete examples and so forth?

SC Harrison · Jan 11, 2006

sirensix said:
So the only thing I know for sure is that it has always been hard to get published. Though I tend to doubt it, I suppose it's possible that it's gotten even harder in the past few years. Anyone have any statistics on how things have changed? Concrete examples and so forth?

I would venture to guess that bad writers are just as likely to not get published now as they were 100 years ago, and good writers still have to break their butts to fight their way out of the slush pile.

The few anomolies, such as those whose first effort magically makes it into publication with little apparent effort, only serve as fodder for those who think short-cuts are worth the effort.

Sorry, I have no statistics or concrete examples.

MattW · Jan 11, 2006

sirensix said:
"It's so hard to become a writer in this day and age, nobody reads, why don't you get a nice job at a toothpaste factory or something, etc."

I've heard similar phrases, and had the same impression for my whole life as well. Writing "literature" was always an exercise for ivory tower academics, the stereotypical screenwriter was broke, and genre novelists were weirdos worthy of contempt.

And I've even worked at a toothpaste factory. Makes you want to stop brushing.

maestrowork · Jan 11, 2006

First-time writers get published all the time. Many of the recent best-sellers are first-timers. Yes, competition is tough, but it has always been tough. What it means is we'll have to work very hard and keep doing it. Keep writing something brilliant (and not just the same old drivels that ten million others have done), and you'll have a good chance.

Many writers on AW are living proofs. Should listen to them.

victoriastrauss · Jan 11, 2006

mesh138 said:
I live in Las Vegas, so I look at things in terms of a casino. The odds of becoming a writer now seem much slimmer than before. And if you hit the longshot, it might not even pay that well.

It's not a crapshoot. Publishers are looking for books to publish. If your work is marketable (and most people's isn't), your odds of getting published are better than not.

One reason that writers come up with this notion of long shots and slim odds is that they believe that every manuscript is in equal competition. 'Tain't so. Only a very small percentage of what's out there is actually publishable. If you're in that percentage, you're only in competition with the other writers who are in that percentage, not with every other writer trying to sell a book.

I do agree that it doesn't pay that well.

- Victoria

politics and modern problems with becoming a writer

mesh138

MadScientistMatt

Empirical Storm Trooper

sirensix

Mediocre Sorceress

SC Harrison

Dances With Hamsters

MattW

Company Man

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess