{"id":590,"date":"2009-09-13T05:44:49","date_gmt":"2009-09-13T13:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=590"},"modified":"2009-09-13T05:45:44","modified_gmt":"2009-09-13T13:45:44","slug":"publishing-and-breakfast-cereal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=590","title":{"rendered":"Publishing and Breakfast Cereal"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might want to check out Maria Schneider\u2019s blog of September 8, 2009, wherein she lists her pick of the 25 best writing blogs in 2009.
\n http:\/\/editorunleashed.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When she announces the 25 best \u201cpublishing\u201d blogs, maybe she\u2019ll include this one. <\/p>\n

There are sure a LOT of writing and publishing blogs, organizations, books and publications. It\u2019s like a movement out of control. I think I\u2019ve mentioned before that, when I started writing, I didn\u2019t know another writer. I was unique\u2014a rare novelty among my friends and acquaintances. In fact, I was rather unbelievable. That is, others found it difficult to believe that I was a writer. They\u2019d never heard of me or read my work. I didn\u2019t look like their perceived profile of a writer. What is that profile, anyway? In my mind, a male author had tousled hair. He was wearing a heavy tweed jacket with leather elbow patches and smoking a pipe. The typical woman writer, in my mind, was lean, pithy, mid-aged and wore large glasses on the tip of her nose.<\/p>\n

Well, despite what others thought, I was a writer\u2014a working writer who constantly struggled to
\nprove it. <\/p>\n

During the 1970s and \u201880s, anyone who actually wrote did so only when the mood struck. It was
\na matter of inspiration, not perspiration. They wrote to satisfy their muse, not to earn a living or build a career. <\/p>\n

I think it was in the late \u201880s, perhaps, when someone publicly estimated that 80 percent of the public believed they had a book in them. Today more and more of those people are actually writing that book. Not only that, they are seeking publication. <\/p>\n

While some serious writers\/authors see this as a terribly invasive rash of competition, others know that this invasion and the changes occurring because of it, will certainly alter the face of publishing forever. In fact, the changes are taking place as we speak. <\/p>\n

In my mind\u2019s eye, I can see a caricature of old-school publishers holding on for dear life to the way it has always been, while some of the new kids on the block are tugging on the other end of their security blankets. Who will make (is making) the difference in publishing? You and me. The savvy, innovative, smart entrepreneur will be responsible for the transformation as well as the newby, clueless author. Each one of us who dares to enter into the publishing field, whether we arrive with knowledge, creativity or we\u2019re completely unaware, our choices will help to shape the publishing paradigm of the future. <\/p>\n

This is not something that most people consider. When a positive shift occurs, whether it is in business, education, politics or whatever, the credit (or blame) is bestowed upon a band of leaders. But, actually, everyone involved was responsible to some degree in facilitating meaningful changes\u2014some by making all of the wrong decisions and bungling their way through and others by using the mistakes and success of others to reshape the future.<\/p>\n

Authors come in droves from every walk of life to write the next best selling book, share their life story with the world, make a statement through their writing. First time authors are starting publishing companies in order to produce books for other new authors. While some authors and publishers excel, most drop the ball and fail. But each of them brings something to the industry and helps, in large and small ways, to chart its course.<\/p>\n

Most of you, who are reading this blog post, are writers or authors. This week, think about what you are contributing to the future of publishing. What direction are your decisions and choices likely to shift the tides of this industry? Are you bringing into it a valid project or a frivolous one? Do you strive for excellence or do you just want to hurry your book into the system without regard for quality? Here\u2019s a really important question, are you making informed choices on behalf of your book project or are you supporting one or more of the many sleazy companies that are in business primarily to take advantage of unaware authors?<\/p>\n

PLEASE be proactive on behalf of your writing career or book project. The best way to do that is to educate yourself about the publishing industry. While I wrote a book to help with this important task and, while I\u2019m going to highly recommend that you read it sooner rather than later, I also want you to reach out beyond what I\u2019m offering. Publishing is not for the weakling and it never has been. But today, just as there are more brands and flavors of breakfast cereal on the supermarket shelves, there are more choices and opportunities in publishing. Think about it, you stand in the cereal aisle for several minutes each week gazing at the packages, reading labels, checking prices and studying the manufacturer\u2019s promises before paying $3.00 or $4.00 for a box. Doesn\u2019t it make sense that you would give your business decisions with regard to a publishing project at least this much consideration?<\/p>\n

Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em><\/strong>. Order it today at: http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up for my online book promotion course (in progress) by Tuesday, September 15, 2009.
\n http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/course_bookpromotion.htm<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You might want to check out Maria Schneider\u2019s blog of September 8, 2009, wherein she lists her pick of the 25 best writing blogs in 2009. http:\/\/editorunleashed.com. When she announces the 25 best \u201cpublishing\u201d blogs, maybe she\u2019ll include this one. There are sure a LOT of writing and publishing blogs, organizations, books and publications. It\u2019s […]<\/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