I'm pleased to introduce you to Tanya Reimer, talented author, generous supporter of fellow writers--and owner of a great sense of humor. She'll be sharing her two cents today.
Take the stage, Tanya!
I lived by this motto for a long time: Write because
you love to, because you absolutely have to, and worry about publishing when
it’s time.
But what happened when I ironed out the
technicalities and was staring at something that was… done? I discovered that
while writing might be art, publishing is business. Writing and publishing are
often thought about as one, but they aren’t the same. Many write and never
publish. Some write to sell. Others fall somewhere in between. I’m glad I gave
myself the freedom to create without the worry about selling. In other words, I
wrote with dreams, and now, I publish with goals.
When I left the comfort of my artistic world and
ventured into the business realm, I got conflicting feedback. For example, I
had a publisher ask for more setting and another wanting it cut. I thought
about these things with both my creative and my business hat on. They were
opposites. Which meant from a creative point of view, with a few tweaks, the
book could be published. From a business point of view, my creative piece would
not sell without a few tweaks. Even if I decided to self-publish, I was going to
need a team of support from editors to readers and how many tweaks would they
ask for? It put my creativity to question. Sure I am always willing to make
more than a few tweaks, but! BUT! I was suddenly knee deep in the mud wondering
why I couldn't just write for the market to begin with? Does creativity work
that way? I reflected on my goal and my dreams. My dream was to be creative,
but my goal was to publish. Can creativity be marketable? Should I force a
piece into a particular market just to see it sold, and if so, which one?
So what’s a writer to do? No matter what anyone
says, despite the doubt and the panic; you are the artist. When you write, you
learn about the creative side, (everything from grammar to plots) and when
you’re ready to journey into that business aspect of writing, you must take the
time to learn all you can about the business (everything from the market trends
to which stories will compliment and drive your sales). Understand it as well
as you did the creative aspect. This will allow you to stay in control of your
work and make the right choices for your career.
ABOUT:
Tanya Reimer is the author of Ghosts on the Prairies
published with Elsewhen Press (2014) and Petrified published with Sunbury Press
(2014). She lives on the prairies where the tranquility inspires her not so
peaceful speculative fiction. She is director of a non-profit Francophone
community center, where she offers programming and services in French for all
ages. She teaches social media safety for teens and their parents and offers
one-on-one technology classes for seniors.
"I wrote with dreams, and now, I publish with goals." Nicely said!
ReplyDeleteYeppers, Elizabeth. That quote is priceless. :-) Thanks for visiting!
DeleteWriting is art and publishing is business is something all writers have to learn and figure out. The art is easy, but the business not so much.
ReplyDeleteI also love that sentence Elizabeth quotes above. :)
Sometimes I miss the (naive) days of writing with passion and dreams. Perhaps all writers do?
DeleteThanks for visiting, Chrys. :-)
Naive! Bhahaha! We were so innocent back then. Thanks for having me over to share my two cents, Teresa.
ReplyDeleteWe were, indeed! ;-) Thanks for sharing your sense/cents, Tanya!
Delete'My dream was to be creative, but my goal was to publish.' That hits the nail on the head. Your advice on both is excellent.
ReplyDeleteThat line is priceless. Thanks for visiting, Richard!
DeleteExcellent advice, as always. And you have obviously found a path between your creative and business selves. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, VB! :-)
Delete"writing might be art, publishing is business"
ReplyDeleteI love that quote.
Excellent post. I'm glad you shared it.
Thanks, J! She does make some good points. :-)
DeleteIt's the marketing that I struggle with- it just bores me... Taking the stage is a good way of viewing the process though. And hello Teresa! Glad to see you are still writing too :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a job. When people comment that I spend a lot of time online, that's what I tell them. It's my second job. Thank goodness the act of creating stories is enjoyable enough for redemption from the evils of marketing. ;-) Good to see you, Lil!
Delete