| Why Do We Publish? | | | | just sayit makes me want to not publish sometimes. |
| A major "character" in Mark Salzman's first | | | | So why publish? |
| autobiography is hisfather. Sometimes his father paints. | | | | I've entered the EPPIES three times, and been a finalist |
| But his father hatespainting. He likes it when his painting | | | | threetimes. The second time one of my books was an |
| is done. He likes havingpainted. But the act of painting | | | | EPPIE finalist, Imade some wisecrack in an author's |
| itself is, in his opinion, abig pain in the backside. | | | | egroup about how "finalist" isa synonym for "loser" and |
| Nobody reading this approaches writing like that, do | | | | was raked over the coals. |
| they? I know | | | | Oops! |
| I don't. Of all my experiences as an author, whacking | | | | (Maybe I annoyed entrants who weren't finalists. I'd |
| those wordsdown onto the paper is the best of the | | | | alwayswondered if they existed...) |
| best. Always has been,always will be. Even though I | | | | So let's say I'm not publishing for money or awards. |
| cut most of them. I like creating. | | | | They singa siren song to new authors which this jaded |
| I've quoted Hemingway before. Long periods of | | | | old bastard quithearing long ago. I got all that out of my |
| thinking, shortperiods of writing. These days, my thinking | | | | system in the previousmillenium. So why do I still |
| takes longer and myperiods of writing are getting less | | | | publish? What are my rewards? Letme mention a |
| frequent, but both stillhappen, and I still love creating | | | | few. |
| something from nothing. | | | | A psychologist turned English teacher formed a |
| If it weren't for me, you would never read the words | | | | women's readinggroup at the university where we |
| you'rereading right now. Nobody else would ever write | | | | once worked together in China. |
| them. And theycontain my thoughts. Through time and | | | | Her concept was women readers, women writers. But |
| space, better thantelepathy, you hear what I'm saying. | | | | the first bookthe group ever discussed was my very |
| So, there's one reason to write, isn't it? The biggie, if | | | | own RISING FROM THE ASHES,which is about Mom. |
| youask me. I write what I do because I can't NOT | | | | My only foray into "women's literature." Icouldn't attend |
| write it. I may beclarifying my thoughts in my own | | | | the reading group, since I'm a guy, but my wifewas |
| head. But, most certainly, I'mjust so moved by those | | | | there. What I learned about my book is priceless, as |
| thoughts that I must put them on paper. | | | | isknowing what those young students discussed |
| They're in me and they have to get out, kinda like | | | | because of my writing. |
| those crittersin the ALIEN movies. | | | | Issues of such depth that I'd be proud to inspire any |
| Is this the only reason to write? Because I want to zap | | | | student, inany country, in any language, to tackle them. |
| mythoughts into your heads? I don't know. But let me | | | | I used to work on North Carolina hog farms. I enjoyed |
| change thequestion. Is this a reason to publish? Why | | | | the companyof some damn fine people at every one |
| not write your booksand stick them in a filing cabinet | | | | of them. Hog farming is hardwork. This isn't the |
| like Sean Connery did in thefilm FINDING | | | | backyard family farm, folks, this is 13people with 98 |
| FORRESTER? Write it, express it, file it away. | | | | boars, 3500 sows, and all the babies they can make. |
| Whypublish it? | | | | One of my toughest coworkers was a lesbian who |
| (It's okay if you haven't seen this obscure little gem. I | | | | could break Xena inhalf, and my one foray into writing |
| willexplain all.) | | | | horror gave her nightmares. |
| In fact, there are writers who do exactly that. Some | | | | I don't consider myself a poet, and I believe most of |
| fearrejection or criticism. We hear about them | | | | the readingworld agrees with me. But I have published |
| whenever we pop into awriting workshop. But I don't | | | | 6 poems. There is onethat a hog farm coworker |
| think there are very many of them. | | | | insists will be read at his funeral. |
| I have trouble picturing someone who can spend | | | | Don't ask me why he was planning his funeral during |
| months (years?)doing something as essentially | | | | our lunchbreak because I have no idea. But, well, I |
| egotistical as writing a novel,but who is fundamentally | | | | guess I'm invited, ina manner of speaking. |
| lacking in any sort of self-confidence. | | | | Master Pizza, 30th Street, Tampa, Florida. A bunch of |
| Naw, they're thinking posterity but lack the stones to | | | | drunken |
| admit it. | | | | Italian relatives reading one of my less-than-serious |
| At times I've got an inferiority complex I wouldn't | | | | poems ALOUDbetween pitchers of beer. It was like a |
| dream ofwhacking onto your shoulders, but it was | | | | Joe Dolce moment. |
| absent when I wrote mybooks. During the act of | | | | I was working as a security guard in a particularly |
| writing itself, you think, "My words arebetter than your | | | | unpleasantplace. This was 20 years ago, I think. A |
| words." You do. You feel that you must recordyour | | | | fellow guard read one ofmy short stories. It is, by far, |
| thoughts because they're that much better than most. | | | | the most allegorical thing I'veever written. I can't tell you |
| That'swhat writing is. So, I would say that by definition | | | | how many times I've thought aboutthrowing it out. But |
| the authorisn't ALWAYS plagued by self-doubt. | | | | then, I remember Bob's words. "This is me. |
| In FINDING FORRESTER, the Sean Connery | | | | This is my life." Me too, old pal, and I don't care if you |
| character won the Pulitzerwith his first book, saw that | | | | and Iare the only two readers to have any idea what |
| every reviewer misunderstood him,and decided they | | | | I'm talking about. |
| could all get stuffed. This is a movie, a work offiction, | | | | {Scapegoat Bob!} |
| but I understand the attitude. I once wrote a true | | | | I've written some pretty heady volumes, but I've also |
| story,where the main character was Michael LaRocca, | | | | writtenquite a few short works. I've heard from |
| only to have acritic slam the main character as | | | | numerous students herein China that, "This is the first |
| "unbelievable." Apparently Idon't act like real people. | | | | book in English I've everfinished reading." When I write, I |
| I could never shove all my writing in a filing cabinet, | | | | certainly never set out tohelp anyone learn English. |
| unpub-lished, and tell the establishment to get stuffed. | | | | (Some of my editors may claim I neverlearned the |
| But yep,there are stupid people in the world, and some | | | | language.) And, students will LIE to teachers. But |
| of them reviewbooks. | | | | I've decided that at least one was telling the truth. |
| So, we've identified two groups who won't be seeking | | | | When I left the US, I embarked on several journeys. |
| publication. | | | | Learning tolive in China. Learning to love again. Taking |
| Hopelessly insecure and hopelessly arrogant. But, like | | | | another shot at thewriter dream. And, eventually, |
| Aristotle, | | | | teaching. After all that, I triedmy hand at writing humor |
| I prefer moderation. You still may be wondering why I | | | | for the first time. Every time I hear mywife laugh at |
| seek publi-cation. So do I. Let my exploration of this | | | | something I've written, I file it away as a reasonto keep |
| question continue. | | | | writing. |
| I've hit best-seller status for two different e-publishers | | | | I've written one play in my life. I was young, and quite |
| withthree different books. Minor thrills at the time, but | | | | hooked onthe album (pre-CD days) JESUS CHRIST |
| there's noway I could call them enough of a reward | | | | SUPERSTAR. So, you guessedit, I tackled JC. I wrote |
| for what I put intowriting. | | | | something that nobody can read withouthaving a |
| You're an author. You know what I'm talking about. | | | | powerful reaction. Readers love it or they hate it. |
| We all butkill ourselves to make our books. And let's be | | | | I'mproud of that. And hey, it's only one act long. I have |
| blunt here. | | | | a shortattention span. |
| Unless you're going to throw Rowling/King/Clancy | | | | I loaned Clint "Two Dawgs" Hill my very first book. My |
| Grisham moneyat me -- and you're NOT -- money isn't | | | | cousin. Hetook it to Durham (North Carolina) and loaned |
| sufficient reason topublish. | | | | it to a bunch ofhippie buddies. He asked for another, |
| Publishing isn't just a case of sending it to a | | | | because the first one fellapart from overuse. That's |
| publisher,signing a contract, and being done. | | | | why we publish. People all but fightingfor the chance to |
| Next up is editing, which is a blast. Not at the time, | | | | read my words. And heck, the book wasn't evengood |
| perhaps. | | | | yet. It's 20 years older now. |
| Any editor worth a damn will beat you over the head | | | | I mention all this for the jaded old bastards who have a |
| with everybad word choice you ever made. And you | | | | fewnovels and bit of minor success under their belts. |
| made hundreds! But at theend of that gauntlet, you | | | | Nobody else isreading this anymore, are they? |
| know you are da bomb. | | | | So, maybe this is why we don't just stop when the |
| Seeing my cover art is almost always awesome. Yes, | | | | book is written,stick it in a drawer, and uncork the |
| I did say | | | | champagne. Although I do hopeyou uncorked the |
| "almost." One bad experience among eight. It happens. | | | | champagne. This planet contains far too manypeople |
| But ifyou've worked with a publisher, you know what I | | | | who "want to be authors" but who haven't written a |
| mean. You logonto the Internet one morning, not fully | | | | book. |
| conscious, amazed thatyou poured that first cup of | | | | Never have, never will. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting |
| coffee without burning off yournaughty bits. You pop | | | | hereknowing we had no choice. We had to write. |
| open an email and see cover art that almostmakes | | | | Why publish? Heck, why not? |
| your head explode. You get this big rush, thinking, | | | | ===== |
| "Someone understands my writing!" What you don't | | | | Michael LaRocca's website at was chosen by |
| realize, naivelittle author, is that some artists don't even | | | | WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites |
| read the booksthey do the art for. But still. The art | | | | For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to |
| rocks your world. Feelthat. I always enjoy clicking | | | | throw it out and start over again because he's insane. |
| those email attachments and seeing | | | | He works as an editor from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and |
| MY book covers. | | | | publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED |
| Then comes marketing. Biggest pain in the... Well, let's | | | | MY RICE? |