3 Most Frustrating Misconceptions Writers Face

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Gwynn tweaks my manuscript. Writing: so easy, a cat can do it! :P

Getting traditionally published is easy.

“So, are you published yet?” 

Me (before indie publishing): *headdesk*

I’ve lost count how many times I used to get asked this when I was still pursuing the traditional publishing route.  It would drive me a little bit crazy every time, even though I always knew the asker’s interest was well-intentioned. 

The fact of the matter is that most people who aren’t writers have no idea how the process of getting published by a traditional house works.  (Which is kind of strange, because most people seem to understand that just because a new musician records a demo, it doesn’t mean they automatically get a record deal with a major label.) 

I’m not sure how other people think books get from writer to bookstore under the traditional model.  When I try to imagine it, I picture some kind of magical, fantasy land, where writers drop their completed manuscripts off to the Publishing Fairy, who waves a magic wand and presto!  Your book is published and available everywhere.  No agent, query letters, or months/years of waiting for responses required.

But wait.  This alternate reality does sound suspiciously like the self-publishing process.

Partly in order to maintain sanity, I’ve embraced this world without gatekeepers and slush piles.  Now that I’ve gone indie, my biggest pet peeve has become my favorite question to answer.

Seriously though, if you do know someone who is trying to get traditionally published, do not ask them whether they are published yet.  (Unless you want to risk bodily harm.)  If they aren’t published, then they are working on it, and if they are, they will be the first to tell you about it.     

 

Being a writer isn’t a real job.

Many people seem to think that because being a writer involves working for yourself (usually sitting in front of a computer all day), that it isn’t real work.  These people couldn’t be more wrong.

I can’t speak for writers who are traditionally-published, but as an indie writer, I’m working pretty much 7 days a week, 6-12 hours a day.  (Most days are closer to 12.)  While I’m hoping to cut back after this initial learning-curve phase, I have no illusions of twiddling my thumbs any time soon. 

Being a writer is not just about writing.  There is the constant challenge of promoting your books and brand as an author.  Indie writers also have to pick up/delegate all of the odd jobs that are usually handled by a publishing house (editing, proofreading, cover design, interior layout, etc.).

All that work is an investment toward the final product: the writer’s books and brand.  Depending on how well the author has performed all these tasks, they will be rewarded with sales and a fanbase.

So don’t say being a writer isn’t real work.      

Writing is easy.

Sometimes, this one is true.  If all the planets align and you’re in the zone, writing can be a breeze.  But this doesn’t happen every day.  And if you are a serious writer, and dedicated to publishing your work, you can’t afford to only write when the mood strikes. 

There is nothing wrong with writing for fun.  But if the goal is to write something publishable that will find an audience, you need to be constantly honing your craft. 

Completing any writing project takes hard work and dedication.  Anyone who thinks it’s easy to write a 300+ page book is either insanely gifted, or has never done it.

Even finishing a project doesn’t make you a master wordsmith.  Chances are, your first few books/stories will be unpublishable.  My first three novels will probably never see the light of day.  That’s thousands of pages of work that no one else will ever read.

This is a part of the process.  If I hadn’t written those three books, I wouldn’t have evolved to where I am today.  They were an investment in my education as a writer.

Writers write because it’s something we’re passionate about doing.  But it’s the challenge of creating something from nothing and doing it well enough to engage an audience that make it worthwhile.