Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
My assumption was that writers going into writing as a for-profit career are deluded. That the industry now, and in the past, does not support that notion apart from the lucky few (talented or otherwise).
|
That is the same for any career that is not your run of the mill, swap money for time, type job. Only the "lucky few" make it in just about any endeavour. Stock trading, starting a business, being an artist, inventing a new product, being a sports person, whatever the case may be. Writing is no different.
Why does that mean one should not hope to make a living from it? Why should one not want to make money from it? If one enjoys it, is "good" at it and wants to do it full time rather than slaving away at a job 9-5 then who are you to rant and rave at them about it?
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Moejoe
The web community is about respect, its about, for want of a better word 'doing the right thing' and sociability. Why do you think Twitter is so big? Why are Facebook and all the rest of the social networking sites so buzzing with activity? It's all about respect and community, about your standing within any particular niche. And I'll tell you one thing for certain now, and definitely in the future, the 'love of money' is not going to gain you any respect or readers (Unless you're Harlan--sue em all-- Ellison).
|
You don't think Facebook and twitter are about making money? I saw an interview with someone involved in creating Twitter and he was saying the makers are disappointed they having found a way of making any real money from it yet. Next you will be saying Google was just a project to earn respect from the web community right?
There may be communities within the web, facebook, twitter or whatever that are doing their thing just for the fun and respect of it all but don't be fooled into thinking that if 99% of them could up and sell their community for a buckload of money they wouldn't jump at the chance.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mojoe
The web, and the communities that it forms, are more open to honest declarations of intent than any other place.
|
I nearly fell off my chair laughing at this one!!
You really believe the internet is where you find honest declarations of intent??
The net is more open to scams than anything else. It's biggest advantage is exactly what you are proclaiming as the biggest advantage to writers. The FREE or LOW COST scam! So easy to convince someone to part with a little bit of money, to give something a try, to take a punt on the unknown. There is a whole industry built around teaching people how to drive web traffic to their sites, how to market their sites and how to grab a few bucks from the unsuspecting.
So in a way you are correct. Unpublished(and generally speaking, unpublishable) writers will make more money by going it alone on the net. However, they will generally do so by scamming people into taking a punt and parting with a small chunk of change to try something new.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Moejoe
And the vast majority, pardon my french, is unutterable shite. Bland, insipid, paint-by-numbers, bottom-line, dull mass-produced crap. If money is the measure of success, then I don't want any success at all thanks very much.
|
As is the vast majority of fan fic and other shite that people self publish on the net. What's the point?
Success can be measured in many ways. You may think these mass produced books are crap but obviously many disagree with you. If only "literary masterpieces" were ever allowed to be published there would be far fewer people reading today. Many people just want a bit of escapist fun. A bit of drivel that passes the time. Why should they not be catered for? Why should not someone who enjoys, and is good at, writing such stuff seek to earn a living from doing so?
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Moejoe
The end is nigh, sorry to say, and if you're a for-profit writer in the next few years then you've got a big shock coming as the web opens up even further to free and near-free publication. Content is no longer king, but context will be. There's a really interesting talk linked to in this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48877 about the future of publication and publishers. It only confirms what I've been saying all along about what's going to happen in the coming years and why money is a bad motivator in writing. Especially when it comes to the web and the communities that are built upon the web. |
Money is bad, mmmkay.
Cheers,
PKFFW