Quote:
Originally Posted by Whackatagin
Of course, who wouldn't. If the wolves come sniffing it's becuase they see the possibility of a good meal. It's probably still one of the biggest slaps on the back a writer can receive, but at a massive financial price in terms of your success, unfortunately. Tradition is a hard thing to break away from, but I think the core question here is, ( Elfwreck's thoughts notwithstanding) does a good writer with a good story still need a publisher in the conventional sense? Can a small competent independant freelance formatter/editor compete on a level playing field with the "Big Boys"? I think we still need a third party to ground our expectations and doe-eyed view of our own work, but is that a role that can only be fulfilled by a tradional publishing house as we go forward into the "New World" of digital publishing
...snip...
Related question:
It's the old question again, do you write to live? Or, live to write? The former I think has new options today, the latter, very probably, still really needs some form of publishing support to temper and polish their work. ( A bit harsh, but true I think.) That said, I think those who can provide this service should do so on a percentage return basis, not as paid for up front services. They should be engaging with, not exploiting the dreams of, aspiring new talents.  What do you think? |
But that is the point, I write because I love to tell stories. I suspect many authors would agree. I suspect that most authors would not tell you that they write because they "love marketing," "love typeface setting," or "love dealing with retail chains." If someone one can be paid to do all the rest of the junk and just let us write, I suspect most authors would be very happy with that.
I suppose that there are some fools that get in this to be rich... but I suspect their are the minority.