Where’s my party?
I admit it. I feel like that sometimes. We give parties for some pretty weird shit. I think every time someone finishes a book they should have a party.
Here’s the thing, the book I just read hasn’t been published yet! And it’s great. It’s a great book. Beautifully written, moving, huge story. LOVED IT. But along with that, there’s something lacking … the book hasn’t been published.
Granted, the book came to me through my ever-expanding group of writing friends. The writer of said book asked me to take a look and tell them they weren’t crazy. Because this whole thing … this book-writing thing … it can be discouraging. Once you get a look behind the curtain, it’s pretty bleak. There’s, you know, a handful of people deciding what’s going to make it into print. It can be disheartening. Much worse than working in the theatre. So much worse. Honest. I know a bit about both worlds.
But here’s the thing about it—I’m new to this, so some of you that are more savvy than I am about it feel free to chime in here—for the life of me, I can’t understand why it has to be so. I know all about valuable criticism. I know all about constructive feedback. Almost every book about acting starts with the same message—don’t do it. It’s hard. It’s unpredictable. It doesn’t pay. No one is ever a star. No one is ever secure. No one is ever what the think they need to be … blah, blah, blah. The good acting books, the ones worth reading, tell you, “Don’t do it … unless it is something you feel you absolutely have to do.
But writing doesn’t/shouldn’t be like that. If it were, there wouldn’t be any books. So I wonder about this book I just read. And the book I’m about to read. The book I’m about to read is written by a relatively young author. Untried, so to speak, but gaining ground. The book I just read is totally new, fresh, and by and large it is a story that needs to be told. Yet I know (or at least I assume) that said book I just read is struggling. That book has met with rejection. Hell, there’s probably a book about the book that could be written. And I truly can’t understand why.
I know, I know. You are all going to tell me about self-publishing, or print on-demand. I haven’t actually dipped my toe into those waters yet. But if/when I do … I’m hoping it can be an optimistic, uplifting, affirming experience.
In the meantime.