tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post9090630072449194180..comments2024-03-17T02:12:53.713-05:00Comments on POD People: Thoughts on The Craft -- c.anne.gardnerveingloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03709708573358649383noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-27134470710918602622010-07-29T12:51:16.097-05:002010-07-29T12:51:16.097-05:00Exactly Kristine. That's the distorted measure...Exactly Kristine. That's the distorted measure of success I am talking about. <br /><br />And the sad thing is, landing an agent or a publishing deal does not make one a successful writer. Doesn't mean you will become a blockbuster superstar celebrity; it doesn't mean your next book will get published; and it certainly doesn't mean you can quit your day job. So I am not sure how much "success" that is by their -- the publishing industry's -- yardstick.Cheryl Anne Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12564041914501542048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-54773685704347182832010-07-29T11:34:07.433-05:002010-07-29T11:34:07.433-05:00What's been irkly ME lately, as I read my morn...What's been irkly ME lately, as I read my morning (small) handful of industry blogs, is how they announce a "self published success story!" wherein a self published author has just landed a deal with a big name publisher, or signed with a big name agent.<br /><br />As if THAT is the measure of success for a self published author.<br /><br />The implication that sure, you can self publish, you can go Indy, but you're not going to be a success at it until an agent has signed you and a big name publisher is handing you cash!<br /><br />Pish. <br /><br />Success begins with your first reader.Kristinehttp://www.Midnightreading.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-84046805145152037682010-07-29T11:24:55.818-05:002010-07-29T11:24:55.818-05:00Oh yes, that same blog inspires the rant in me as ...Oh yes, that same blog inspires the rant in me as well. And that was the whole point of my piece. While the validation is nice, it can come in many different ways, but one should not "need" validation from others in order to think and be a successful writer, artist, or whatever. Success should be measured by how happy you are doing the thing. If our happiness depends on the need for validation versus the act of doing, then we won't be very happy writers.<br /><br />And one thing self-publishers seem to have in common is that they have faith in themselves and their work, and they work hard at it because they love it. I am talking about serious self-publishers here, not the badly written and formatted slapped it up on Lulu with a clip-art cover self-published writer. <br /><br />So you are welcome Levi. I read that same post and thought it felt a little patronizing.Cheryl Anne Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12564041914501542048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20796627.post-10221316577005415132010-07-29T10:24:16.237-05:002010-07-29T10:24:16.237-05:00In my daily routine, Google Reader comes fairly ea...In my daily routine, Google Reader comes fairly early. One of the blogs I follow (and no, I won't name him here -- but you'll figure it out) has a post today telling all of us cute little authors out there in teh interwebz how special we all are, laboring away for months or years to write our novels, then spending more months querying agents, then a year or more waiting for our book to come out, and I'm thinking "No. Not. I released my first book in January of 2009. I now have six books in print, plus two novellas out as ebooks. These books are getting purchased, and read, and enjoyed, and I get emails all the time from people who've taken the time to tell me how much they enjoyed them. They're getting reviews -- good reviews. I'm not waiting months and years for your variety of affirmation." But I decided, once again, against leaving the angry rant this particular blog had inspired in me, once again.<br /><br />The next blog up in Google Reader was yours.<br /><br /><b>"Self-published writers, if anything, can be said to have zealously embraced the dream."</b><br /><br />Perfectly timed. Thank you.Levi Montgomeryhttp://www.levimontgomery.comnoreply@blogger.com