Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
The question is not as simple as it sounds. It is extraordinarily rare that any writer's first attempt, however much they worked at it, turns out to be a literary triumph. Like most trades, writing is one that you really have to work at before you start to get it right. You have to keep trying until you find your own voice, and even then you may not find success. So you keep trying until you manage to get the right book at the right time in front of the right people that will help your voice be heard. (Lots of work, followed by a good helping of luck.)
|
I entirely agree with you. The problem these days, though, is that all too often these unsuccessful attempts are inflicted upon the world through the medium of self-publishing. In the "old days", the worst tended to be filtered out via the "gatekeeping" of commercial publishing. There's a great deal to be said for the old-fashioned rejection slip as an incentive to improve one's writing.