Hats Off To Writers!
Kudos to writers. There are many churning out book after book and I really don’t know how they do it. Well, that’s not strictly true. I know there are those churning out any old rubbish and using low paid writers from across the seas to do the work for them, mainly non-fiction. I’m talking about the professionals, like Danielle Steel. I can’t keep up with reading all the books she writes in a year and there are many more great writers out there.
Doesn’t writing a book take years? Mine certainly is! Then once it’s written you have the task of finding an agent and a publisher and then many more re-writes. It doesn’t stop there once it’s finally published, you have to do all the promotional work, the social media relationship building, which takes time and you have to find innovative ways to market your book. You have to work at getting reviews and learn to survive the nasty ones. So, I’m not sure which is harder, the writing or the marketing. As for earning a living, you are unlikely to hit J K Rowling fame and most people have to do this while holding down a day job too.
To add to the writer’s woe, there is also the age of piracy, something all artists are suffering. You put all that effort into your piece of art, be it a book or a song, only to have someone copy it and sell it on, or pass it on for others to use, instead of buying it themselves.
It is not a glamourous life for the vast majority, but we still do it. Why? I can only answer for myself and it’s because I need to, like I need to breath. I’m assuming that once you get the wheel turning – your third book, I believe – then things get a bit easier. You have your agent, you have something to show, you have some sales to back you up, but you’ve still got to write the thing!
My journey has been very slow, almost 40 years, due to a lack of confidence, a lack of encouragement and mostly life getting in the way. It wasn’t until I saw my teenage daughter through cancer, that I changed. I had to become positive for her. I had to have faith in the health service to save her and although I’d experienced life’s twists and turns, I finally realised I had to do it now, before it was too late.
So here I am, my first little eBook out which was initially for charity. It’s a small collection of stories about love and life, to relax and enjoy when you can grab a moment.
Writing is hard work, so when you next read a book you enjoy or that moved you, perhaps you could spare a thought for the author and give them a kind review or tell a friend about them. Thanks x
Available from our bookshop here or Amazon.uk & .com and other online retailers. You don’t need a kindle to read it, you can download a free e-reader from Amazon for most devices.
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