About this writing thing…

In his Live Journal, Greg Herren said:

I am not really sure how I feel about writers who begrudge other writers any small success.

Without addressing Greg’s situation or whoever prompted his remarks, this particular statement did call to mind a conversation I had with my writing partner, Jim, the other day. I am often reluctant to comment on other writers’ books even on readers’ boards of which I am a member because while I may express dislike for a writer’s work to a few trusted friends or fellow authors, it’s just not in me to publicly belittle another writer or his work. As far as begrudging a writer success… It’s a tough business. In my opinion, anyone who can get an agent or a publisher or find a means for getting their writing to the public is already a success, regardless of how much they sell. Nor do I look down on writers who self-publish. The amount of perseverance it takes to write, to complete a work, to believe in it enough to pay for its publication, to market and promote and distribute it, is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.

Before I grew up, I was like a lot of people who complain about not being published and make snide comments about everyone else’s bad books without doing all they can to BE published. For starters, they need to write and not just talk about writing. Then they need to seek readers who will be honest about their flaws. They need to learn from criticism and do whatever it takes to be better writers. They need to write what they love, not what they think will sell.

In my early years as an unpublished writer, one of the worst things anyone ever said to me was, “You should write books like John Grisham. He’s very successful!” Well, no. John Grisham should write books like John Grisham, and I should write the books I want to write. For years, I was unfairly resentful of John Grisham because of that comment. But like I said, I grew up.

Another necessary task for writers is to submit. They need to submit in the face of rejection after rejection. They need to heed the responses of that handful of agents and editors who actually take the time to provide more than a form letter and give them good advice.

They need to learn to self-edit, or if that’s a skill they can’t master, they need to find someone who can edit them. When a writer submits a manuscript, it should be the most professional manuscript it can be. I say that knowing that every week, I find typos and grammatical errors and problems with continuity in published works. I still don’t think that excuses sloppy work from any writer, established or not. Writing is a gift, but it’s also a craft. For the sake of the work itself, a writer should constantly strive to hone his or her craft.

And mostly, like Greg says and does, writers need to write because they can’t not write. They need to write because they are full of stories begging to be told. They need to write whether or not they are published. They need to keep writing even after they are published and realize they aren’t getting rich or even making a living from their work–yet.

If writing success were measured only in money, fame, or acclaim, and writers wouldn’t write without those rewards, shelves in bookstores and libraries would be nearly empty. All books, even the ones that end up in remainder bins, have an audience. Sometimes they don’t find it. Sometimes it takes a long time to find it. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until after the writer is dead. But writers keep writing because it’s what they love to do and have to do.

I write to a small market because I write what I love. Any time a writer who writes to that same market makes money for his or her publisher, and/or achieves critical success, I believe it opens the door a little wider for the rest of us. It sends a message to publishers that what we write will be bought, read, and appreciated. In time, it may even slip its way into a more mainstream audience.

I don’t always succeed, but I do try not to regard other writers as competition. Sometimes I envy the amount of buzz they get, but that’s just a reality I have to accept without letting it discourage me from working. I’m sure there are far better writers than I am who wonder how the hell I’ve been published. To them, I say, “Keep writing; keep submitting. It’ll be an honor to be on the shelf with you one day.”