The madness of the author

A great number of books and music are published each week. Among these are many first timers, all hoping to reach the public. It's easy for a new product to get lost in this vast ocean. Thrown into the foaming waves many of the newcomers drift off and soon toss on the seas of shattered dreams.

You have gone through the process of writing the material, recording or editing and revising. Only to find this was the easy bit. No matter how good your product is if the public don't get a change to learn about you then you're on a mission impossible.

You almost have to be delusional to keep pursuing your dreams. In 1911 Bleuler published ‘Dementia Praecox or the group of Schizophrenia's.' Inconvenient or different behavior like; homosexuality, laziness, rebellion and remembering too intensely were among the symptoms a patient could have. What do you think of this; 'Many Schizophrenics display lively affects at least in certain directions, among them are active writers, the word improvers, the health lunatics and the founders of new religions.'

Oscar Wild once said;

"We are all in the gutter, only some of us are looking at the stars."

The Internet contains many artist forums and blogs. Anyone can join and post a poem, photo or any other form of artwork. Some members on those sites have gathered a large fan base, however this doesn't mean they produce quality nor have their own voice.

Four sites for upcoming writers

 Wattpad

This site is quite popular with younger writers and readers, but does have a wide range of genres. Becoming a member is easy and free. You can post your story and take part in discussions in different clubs and forums. An interesting aspect of Wattpad are the Watty awards

The Watty Awards is an annual celebration of the most loved stories by the Wattpad community. Over $20,000 will be given out in prizes!

Writersbeat  has a more serious tone and is therefore used by more mature writers.

People who wish to become a published author, there is an updated writer's market section, but you can get your feet wet right away with monthly writing contests, group writing exercises, and In Pencil - the official   online magazine.

 

Authonomy is a daughter of publishing house HarperCollins. Beside the usual forums, tips and excerpts, one has the opportunity to be picked by the editors and get an actual book deal. 

This site is far out the best option for the serious author who isn’t afraid of honest critique. An negative aspect of Authonomy is when your book is picked to be published, you receive only a 30% share of the total revenue. Not much considering you did all the work.

Writer’s Digest 

 ·         holds competitions

·         guide to literary agents

·         writing groups

·         writing levels

·         how to’s

·         and more

Bare in mind that getting fantastic comments on your work on any of these sites means your creation is really worth publishing. Many members of the Wattpad community give positive feedback in the hope to gain reads, fans and comments. I have seen high quality material which hardly got any reads and only a few comments. So don't be fooled or dis hearted.

Fresh from the Fantasy press

 Tristan v Sarah

Tristan v Sarah is a welcome, fresh take on the fantasy genre. There's a lightness of touch in the writing, which is a relief, after all those samey, weighty fantasy tomes that take themselves far too seriously. Yet Victor's and Stuarts use of vocabulary is wide ranged, but doesn't let the reader sink into a vacuum of over description.

Stuart and Victor understand, unlike many other writers in the genre, that characterizations need to be real-world and that the dialogue that the characters speak has to be realistic too.

The hilarity of a father who has taught his son essential life skills such as eskrima-fighting and knot-tying. Although fire-lighting and map-reading would be useful if you were having a barbecue and needed to find your nearest Sainsbury's, where Bruce has really let his son down is by neglecting to teach him to cook....

I really liked the scene in the kitchen where Bruce is dressed in his keikogi - and yet they're having to eat buttered toast for supper

Get your copy here

Is your manuscript conservative enough for the publishers market

I can with certainty say that my manuscript isn't, o dear am I to change the plot, the characters or the chronological order and even the viewpoints? Perhaps I should, perhaps I shouldn't.
I do admit I am guilty of at least one of the above crimes. There are more reasons why a book is rejected than I have fingers and toes.
Such as low tension, a poorly developed protagonist or even worse a non existing protagonist.
However there are many reason why publishers might not want your manuscript, there might be one that does want it. The thing is, you need to read their admission rules and stick to them.


One of the most controversial books written in the 20th century was Catch 22 by Joshep Heller.
This book goes against all the rules ever made up by any publisher, yet it was never rejected.

 In the music industry there are many possibilities and genres. I can't think of any type of music or there is a niche and a label for it. Of course there is also Indie, which are independent labels. With some knowledge of IT you can even produce your own records. So why don't we do the same thing as an author? I'm not saying that every one who has written a 80,000 word essay should venture into the self publishing world. But I do believe it is time for changes in the reading corner. There are young people out there, having there own new style of writing and yet they hear time after time their work isn't what the public wants. Actually what the publishers are saying is that they don't want to take the risk of taking on a new author. They rather stay on the well known road.