{"id":519,"date":"2009-05-28T06:51:11","date_gmt":"2009-05-28T14:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=519"},"modified":"2009-05-28T06:51:11","modified_gmt":"2009-05-28T14:51:11","slug":"perspective-in-publishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=519","title":{"rendered":"Perspective in Publishing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A lot is happening here in the Matilija Press and SPAWN offices. For those of you who have just tuned into this blog, Matilija Press is my 26 year-old publishing company and the business through which I do my writing, editing, book selling, online courses and so forth. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n

SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. ( http:\/\/www.spawn.org<\/a>) I am the President of SPAWN\u2014soon to move into Executive Director position. We are currently putting together a new leadership team for SPAWN. And it is a bit unnerving to realize how crucial our choices could be to the future of this organization as well as to our current and future members.<\/p>\n

I have recently been reminded of the power of perspective in our businesses, in our projects and in our organizations. What is perspective, anyway? It\u2019s a viewpoint, a perception, a way of looking at things. And we all know that not everyone can look at the same thing and actually see the same thing. It\u2019s the glass half full or half empty issue. <\/p>\n

As an example, I have clients who greatly appreciate my editing work, my guidance, my suggestions. They understand that they are in charge\u2014that they have the power to veto any advice I might give them. But they will seriously weigh each of my recommendations and usually accept them. Others will fight me all the way. They argue with my suggestions, take offense at my opinions and sometimes eventually walk away. However, they often come back once they begin to understand what I\u2019ve attempted to teach them about writing, about preparing a manuscript for publication, about creating a book proposal and so forth.<\/p>\n

The thing is that some authors hire editors in hopes of being validated. These authors don\u2019t want help, they want praise and they perceive my attempt to improve their manuscripts as a personal attack.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been with me throughout most of my 500 blog posts, you\u2019ve read my rants about authors and organization members who desire\u2014no, demand\u2014specific results and tangible measures of success in a field where this is impossible. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to have goals; I recommend goals. But what some people don\u2019t realize is that there are steps to meeting goals and the individual is responsible for defining the steps and taking those that are appropriate. While there are many book shepherds, publishing consultants, educational organizations and authors with expertise, none of these people or the material they produce can make you a success. Success is totally up to you. <\/p>\n

Your job is to gather material from all of the best sources, do tons of research, consider all of the pros and cons of all of the possibilities, focus keenly on your ultimate goal and then make an educated decision. After all, your project is unique. It\u2019s a one-of-kind and so are you. Outside of such advice as, \u201cStudy the publishing industry, write a book proposal, and be willing to promote your book,\u201d there are no templates you can strictly follow in order to achieve success with your project. <\/p>\n

Likewise, when choosing a publishing organization, make sure that it is the type of organization you desire\/need. Know what the organization offers before getting involved. SPAWN, for example, is a networking organization and information\/resource center for anyone who is interested in or involved in publishing. We constantly provide an enormous amount of updated information, news and resources as well as a discussion group for members, but it is up to members to peruse what we offer, assimilate it, evaluate its value to him\/herself and implement it.<\/p>\n

It can\u2019t be any other way. Not every agent or publisher, for example, is right for every project. Not every resource or SPAWNDiscuss topic will resonate with every member. But, if you are seeking publication, if you are a freelance writer, if you offer a service to authors or writers,
\nSPAWN is for you. We won\u2019t serve you a publishing contract on a silver platter. We can\u2019t guarantee you writing work. We aren\u2019t able to promise enough clients to sustain you for a year. But we can and do promise that we will provide the resources and information you need to help you to make these things happen. <\/p>\n

Perspective<\/strong>
\nHere are two opposing views. Which one more aptly describes you?<\/p>\n

1: \u201cI did my part; I joined SPAWN. Now you do your part and provide me with something tangible. What do you offer, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

2: \u201cI studied your website and like what I see. I\u2019m eager to start reading the Market Update (in the member area) and researching the Market Update archives. I have some things that I\u2019d like to share in SPAWNDiscuss and I hope to learn from members, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

What have you learned about perspective as you\u2019ve navigated within the world of writing and publishing? Leave a comment here or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A lot is happening here in the Matilija Press and SPAWN offices. For those of you who have just tuned into this blog, Matilija Press is my 26 year-old publishing company and the business through which I do my writing, editing, book selling, online courses and so forth. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t