Thread: Suddenly unsure that I even want to be published...

So, I got to thinking about it, and I realized: If I publish something and people like it enough, they (the publisher/readers) are going to want me to write more. Now, I wrote a whole book once because I wrote a short story for a class and everyone wanted to know the rest (long story) but I'm wary of being tied down. Once I publish, what's really going to be expected of me? I write multiple genres of prose, I write poetry as well and I'm also an artist, so I've got a lot of things I want to do, but I'm afraid if I ever become even moderately successful in any of them, the others will suffer. I don't even know what I'm doing with some of it.

What exactly will be expected of me if I get published? I mean, I don't have to submit my work to begin with, but what good is a work of fiction or art if no one ever reads or sees it? It's like a tree falling in the woods with no one around. I'm not exactly worried about making money here, but I will be graduating college soon and then I'll have to make a living. That is going to cut time out of my creative life.

Looking for some advice, evidently...

I have already decided that when I become a commercially successful writer, I will know how to say NO.

If I get any pressure from my agent or publisher, I'll tell them to go suck '72 Dodge Dart muffler. While it's running.

They need us. I am not a greedy man. Nor do I crave the praise of people that I don't know. If being successful gives me more time to write, that's great. If I decide to spend my time doing something else, I will. I will never be one of these authors that process books like one of Upton Sinclair's meat packers canning rancid beef on a filthy assembly line.

I'm thinking I'd like to emulate Henry David Thoreau or J.D. Salinger.
Write. But most importantly, live.

Thanks. That's actually very encouraging. I mostly write fantasy, but I don't want to write novel after novel like so many of the authors in the genre do. I'd rather be like Tolkien or Lewis, I mean, what better to aspire to, right? I do my own thing, but... I just worry. Can you be off the market that long and still be successful?

I don't want to be famous. I don't want the praise of others or money. I want my work to be enjoyed if it's good enough to be enjoyed. Ultimately, if I could be like Billy Joel in "Piano Man", for readers "to forget about life for a while" (those who need to, I was one of them) that would be the best thing ever. My work is art, no matter what form of medium. I don't matter, the work does. That's always how I've looked at it.

And yet I'm sitting here worrying about myself... Maybe that's the point. I never have. I've just gunned straight down the line towards being capable without wondering what I was going to do with it once I got there. And now I see that people are going to expect things of me if I achieve any kind of success. I want freedom. My work needs freedom.

So, yeah, it'd be great to be able to tell the editors to go suck a lemon if they want more than what I have at the time. I just didn't think you could do that and still get published.

Why don't you start a new trend? There are thousands of writers out there paying people to publish their books, why don't you put a new slant on the vanity publishing business - Find a publisher and pay him not to publish your work; I'm sure that would be even more popular than paying them to publish, after all, look at the reduction in overheads.

Heh. We should all have such problems.

I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself. Why don't you just get published first and then worry about it?

If I wait till I get published we've missed the whole point!

Though I am still probably getting ahead of myself...

I don't think it's vain to expect to get published. If you have dedicated yourself to writing, learned the craft and art, put in as many hours and years as it takes to get good enough, as long as you're persistent, you'll get published. You don't have the ability for no reason. I mean, Fitzgerald had to get "The Great Gatsby" rejected somewhere around twenty times before it got published. Not that I'm Fitzgerald.

My question isn't about what to do when I become published, but what to do if I do become published.

Originally Posted by Logan Myrddin

I mean, Fitzgerald had to get "The Great Gatsby" rejected somewhere around twenty times before it got published. Not that I'm Fitzgerald.

Could be wrong, but that was his third novel and I'm pretty sure it was with the same publisher as the first two. I think his popularity was waning, so maybe they weren't so enthusiastic about it. He'd also been a popular short story writer for a good while -- and appeared consistently in the top magazines -- The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire etc. I'm a big fan -- just got a collection of all his short stories, although I've read all of them many times.

Originally Posted by Logan Myrddin

My question isn't about what to do when I become published, but what to do if I do become published.

Heh. Sorry -- I'm not seeing the distinction here.

What will be expected of you?

Well, you'll be expected to meet deadlines. However, you'll find that most agents and editors will ask how often you can deliver a manuscript. At least that's been my experience.

Uh, now that I think about it, you're right. There is no distinction. Silly me.
And sorry if I got the info wrong, it's been a while since I've read that bit of information on Fitzgerald.

If editors asked what kind of deadline I could meet and were at least halfway reasonable, I could do that.

Perhaps the publishers will offer you a diamond as big as the Ritz....

Probably my least favorite...

Originally Posted by Bloggsworth

Perhaps the publishers will offer you a diamond as big as the Ritz....

Nice warm welcome to the community. First thread and all.

Like I care what they pay me. You don't go into writing for money.

Welcome to the community, Logan! I think the point the guys are trying to make is that it is terribly difficult to get the attention of any publishing house these days. Quite honestly, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John would have a hell of a time getting published today. So your quandary might just be a little cart-in-front-of-the-horse. Sift through the historical threads on the site. I'm sure you'll find many, many similar discussions.

Don't take it personally. You are a welcome addition to the Forum. Who knows? Perhaps we'll ALL get the chance to say 'I knew him when....'

Think the thing is that most publishers or agents want to represent a solid product, not just one book or story but you, the writer as a product. Not necessarily a franchise, just someone with a shelf-life who can produce a cohesive body of work. So of course there will be expectations and agreed deadlines and if you want to just turn something in every few years when you feel like it or when your many commitments allow, you should maybe consider another line of work. But yeah, it's far too early to worry about any of that. Get something published first. Philosophise later.

As a few have said.

An agent or a publisher is after someone who isn't going to give them just one book every three or more years. They want someone who can push out books rather quickly. While YOU may not be in it for the money they are.

My experience is that generally they want to get a bunch of books by you out right away so you become a Brand. Then you can slow down and get a book out on your schedule.

Take Australian Author Matthew Reilly, when he first got noticed after self-publishing he released a few books within a year of each other and built up a huge fan-base and got on the Australian Best Seller lists. Now that he has that he choices to publish a book one every two years. His publishers don't mind because each of his books generally make the best seller lists.

Personally with that attitude I don't believe you would get published easily, they would want to know how long until you get release your second book and third book. Not trying to attack you, just letting you know what I have found out there.