“If you ain’t got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.” Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Those two lines from Like a Rolling Stone are an anthem for me. I sing them along with Bob every time the tune comes up in my “Liked Music” playlist. I love the insight into freedom they imply. I think they could, and should, be the anthem of the vast majority of author/indie publishers as well. Them’s that aren’t making money at it. With nothing to lose, we’ve the freedom to write exactly what we want to write, how we want to write it. In short, it allows us to;
“Be yourself, no matter what they say.” An Englishman in New York – Sting
Stories are art. They’re also a consumer product, so it’s understandable that we’re tempted to write the stories we think – or hope – readers will buy and enjoy. But if you’ve been publishing stories for any length of time, you know that discovery – merely giving potential readers the opportunity to choose to read your book – is an almost insurmountable barrier to finding readers, and thus, commercial success. So, given the near virtual certainty of commercial failure, unless you’re a social media celebrity or a well heeled and wily entrepreneur, we author/publishers can safely ignore commercial considerations and simply write stories that appeal to us. We can create pure art, art as a unique expression of our creativity, and then publish it for the rare reader who somehow stumbles upon it and appreciates our vision. Their numbers don’t count, though I should point out that every popular genre, sub-genre, trope, and story beat was once a unique and original expression of some author. We’ve nothing to lose by swinging for the fence.
I should also point out that author/publishers can be in a unique position in the publishing world, in that we can actually publish our undiluted vision. In traditional publishing, authors are not trusted to publish the books they write. Books in traditional publishing, and even in indie-publishing these days, if you listen to the experts, are ensemble creations, co-produced with the help of various editors who work to make it better than the writer’s original version. And since these books are definitely commercial products, “better” probably means more salable. Some, maybe even most authors, appreciate this help – in the various acknowledgments at the end of books, they often give a great deal of credit to their editor. Stockholm syndrome perhaps? But as an author/publisher we can, if we’re brave enough, publish our work in its pure form. We can be ourselves, no matter what – any editor – might say.
Still, you’re likely thinking, we must consider the readers. What readers? Well, to be less snarky, let me rephrase that to say that, we should trust readers. All we owe them is an honest blurb, a sample of our writing, and the best book we can write. We need not concern ourselves with their tastes and expectations. We needn’t worry if they’ll like it or not. If I learned one thing in art, it is that someone somewhere will always appreciate anything. There’ll be readers who will like any story we write. And if we write a book that pleases us, we can at least be certain it pleases someone. A bullet dodged.
Given the steep odds against any commercial success, it seems to me that following our unique vision, without compromise, is actually the wisest course to follow. With nothing to lose, why not?
Of course you all do that already, right?
Writers Supporting Writers 
Yes, I already do that!
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So do I!
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Preaching to the choir:)
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Yup. 😁
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I’m a poser. An imposter. I haven’t lived an authentic life for thirty years. But, so what? Memento Mori.
But, if one finds oneself compelled to fabricate a life purpose, telling the world it can “kiss my grits” and therefore free yourself from the critic’s shackles, then such by all means, write with abandon. In the end, it won’t matter anyway. Nothing ever does.
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This was harsh. Apologies.
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I’m glad there’s others out there who understand.
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When I think of the control one loses going the traditional publishing route, I wonder why I would do such a thing. That doesn’t mean I won’t try a few queries the next time I finish a book, but I enjoy the ability to publish exactly what I write and not have an agent and editor and publisher turn it into something they want instead of what I want.
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One of the reasons I wrote this rant, is that it seems that indie-authors are being pushed to adopt the traditional publishing method, employing editors and all the other services, that cost us thousands of dollars – I’ve heard $5,000 to $10,000 per book, with no return on your investment, since self-published books will only command a fraction of traditional published books no matter how professionally produced they are.
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I agree. I see more and more people/companies offering to make your publishing dreams come true. For a low-low price. And I don’t know anybody who has used one of those services who has experienced anymore success than I have.
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I’ve just read this post a second time, as well as the comments, and think it needs to be shared, so I’m reblogging it.
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Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Chuck!
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this is artistic freedom. We write for the joy of writing. Storytelling is art…it is life. Loved this piece
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As one of my favourite bloggers says:
“I am only here for a short time on this planet. I want to have my voice in this world.” – Luann Udell
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“All we owe them is an honest blurb, a sample of our writing, and the best book we can write.”
Some of us, suited to it or not, crave a lot more than that. I want legacy, people reading my magnum opus years after they can’t thank me for it in person. I’m twenty-four years into the production of a mainstream trilogy set in 2005/2006. What are the odds?
The reason? Because I think that’s what I’ve wanted since I was a kid reading everything I could get my hands on in English – and I’ve lost two major chances to do that, one of which was actually happening, when a random virus reached into my life 34 years ago and casually destroyed it.
It gives me something to work toward, instead of me spending my days breathing, surviving, slowly going crazy.
Otherwise, well, there are plenty of things to entertain myself with, if that’s all I want.
You get ONE life (unless reincarnation IS a thing), and I can still guide this one, if I use the discipline I had planned to spend on the other options, and didn’t get the chance to.
You’d be surprised how sanity-preserving that is, and the first two volumes keep me going on the third.
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That’s as good a reason as any I can think of to keep writing, Alicia! Whether our works are read in the distant future is out of our hands, but we can write them in the here and now.
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Thanks for having the courage to name the elephant in the room, Chuck. I’ve always believed that publishing my writing/graphic art was for my legacy, but a silly little voice kept wishing for fame and fortune as well. I haven’t tamed it completely, but I am back to creating the things I want to create, and $ugger everyone else. It’s liberating. 🙂
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I’m just establishing my alibi. My “2025” novel is likely too long and I have a strong feeling most readers will find it very boring, but I like it, so I’m going to publish it anyway.
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I’m looking forward to it already!
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Working on our writing to make it as good as we can is much more satisfying than struggling with marketing and blaming ourselves for not being good enough at it.
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Couldn’t agree more, Audrey. I like being accessible, but I hate having to be a ‘brand’ and selling myself. 😦
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