Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
I wonder if there is, as a gross generalisation, also a difference between authors that have managed to publish from authors that haven't yet made that step. It seems to me that many unpublished writers still think there are secrets to success, and so they tend to guard what they think are "secrets" more than those that have since worked out that that it's all an illusion. There is education, there is hard work, there is talent, there is luck and there is also money, but as far as I can tell there are no secrets.
Unlike the typical business, authors aren't really in direct competition with each other, or not to any significant extent. (Yes: there is a limited number of books that people can buy, there can perhaps be some advantage in trying to keep the slush pile down, but it's not quite the same thing as a GM vs Ford comparison.) Authors are more often in competition with themselves.
My experience, like VydorScope's, is that writers in general seem very happy to speak of their experiences. In fact, in more cynical moments while browsing the Internet, I've sometimes thought that many writers have more to say about writing than is perhaps a good thing. Not from a competition perspective, but from the perspective that the audience for such sites become other writers rather than readers.
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Y'know: I spent 40 minutes writing a reply to this, and realized, it's fruitless. I'd be fascinated, however, to hear why,
exactly, publishing is somehow "different' than the car analogy. What is the difference, precisely? Why isn't Author A in competition with Author B for that buyer's $3.99?
@VydorScope:
The people on this forum put links to blogs, other forums, websites, their BOOKS, Smashwords, Amazon, etc., all day long, particularly in their signatures, sans a second thought. Personally, I think making a distinction about a "forum" as opposed to any other type of CMS seems pretty slim. I'd be interested in you PM'ing me the forum that you find so helpful, because I'd love to share it with my authors and put it in my Resources, to help other authors.
Hitch