Publishing is pointless

Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by Keith Trimm, Jan 4, 2013.

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  1. Keith Trimm

    Keith Trimm Banned

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    Do I need the approval of a publisher ?

    I approved it, I'm the only one who needs to approve it.

    Then it's up to the readers of the world to judge for themselves if they like it or not.

    If my book does well, then a publisher can contact me, if my book does poorly, then it will die a slow death on the internet.

    Either way, my six months of work is out there and alive and spreading across the world, not rotting in my hard drive or sitting on a publishers desk begging for approval.
     
  2. evelon

    evelon Active Member

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    When I read something like this, I understand why so many people are anti self publishing. You give the rest of us a bad name.
     
  3. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    I hate to burst your bubble, but if you are giving your book away for free, no legitimate publisher on the planet will consider it. There are no sales to take over.

    BTW, I would also like to point out something else in my experience that does not seem to have entered into your thinking. Editing is a valuable learning experience, as well as an opportunity to improve your work (from your initial post, I have the impression that what you put out there for free was a first draft; I never saw a first draft - mine or anyone else's - that was worth reading). Even rejection can actually be an educational process and it can be good for your writing. In the past, I have made two serious attempts to get a novel published, and in both cases, the feedback I got helped me to improve my writing. I'm not saying that all rejections are educational, only that some are. And, yes, even the educational ones hurt a bit. Most learning does.

    Like others, I don't quite understand why you felt the need to post in the first place, but I hope you get something out of it.
     
  4. BritInFrance

    BritInFrance Active Member

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    Well, he has got our attention. And, apparently, no publicity is bad publicity...
     
  5. Man in the Box

    Man in the Box Active Member

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    http://youtu.be/odwnpFwuwF8

    You're doing the same mistake as the guy in the white car.
     
  6. thedarkknight

    thedarkknight Member

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    Informational.

    How to avoid the headaches of landing a recording contract...

    Did you know you can record yourself playing a guitar and singing and put it on the internet and people can download it for free and listen to your music? Much easier than winning American Idol or The Voice.


    How to avoid auditions and become an actor now...

    Did you know you can upload a home video to youtube and possibly hundreds or thousands of people may click on it? Much easier than auditioning for movies or plays where 9 out of 10 are rejected. Nobody will ever see your work then. It's pointless.


    Anything else you want to know?
     
  7. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    I think it's great that everyone has a choice to go there own route in getting people to read
    their work. Whether it be the publishing route, self publishing or free downloads.
    I don't think any one of these choices are absurd they are all different choices for
    people with different goals. I'm a patient person and pretty stubborn. Multiple rejection
    letters wouldn't phase me especially after reading how so many wonderful authors
    have been there experiencing the same thing before me.
     
  8. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    On second thought, removed.
     
  9. blenderpie

    blenderpie Member

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    I Googled you and downloaded the free PDFs off of your website (the vampire story and the one with two stories in it). And, while I only read the first four or five pages of each, I couldn't help but think the same thing as I usually do when reading self-published work "This could be amazing if the author had worked with an editor!" It's a perk you get when getting published in a traditional way.

    That in no way means that your work isn't good or interesting, just that having other people work with you on additional drafts will make ANY story better. And I'm sorry that you don't feel that it's worth your time.
     
  10. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Is a chef who tries to make a better-tasting dish a "slave"? Is his effort to get just the right sear, just the right combination of flavors, a waste of time?

    A chef who wants to be recognized as a chef has to work at it, spending hours or hundreds of hours mastering each of many small skills. He has to accept comments and criticism from people who taste his food. He has to focus his ego on recognizing his flaws and fixing them, rather than on defending his first effort. And, yes, he has to pay some attention to fads and whims, at least until his food is so well-known and so obsessively craved by diners that he can do what he pleases.

    Is it always better, more virtuous and pure, for a cook to set up a pop-up restaurant in his home and cook for a few dozen people a year, rather than being a "slave" to the standards of the profession and the demands of the restaurant owners that can give him access to thousands of diners?

    Sure, if a person wants to cook for fun, without putting a lot of angst and struggle into it, that's fine. If he wants to improve his skills alone, without the aid or input of more skilled cooks and without knowledge of the current lore of cooking, that's also fine--it may not be terribly effective, but it's his choice.

    It's when he sneers at other cooks who make other choices that it's less fine. And if he shows up on a cook's forum to sneer, repeatedly, at the idea of traditional cooking education and the idea of seeking a paid job as a chef...well, he's going to get some negative responses.

    If you're content with your choices, that's dandy. If you don't want us to criticize your choices, a good start might be to stop criticizing ours. "Publishing is pointless" is a general statement. "Publishing is pointless for me" might have produced a lot less backlash.
     
  11. evelon

    evelon Active Member

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    changed my mind. couldn't be bothered.
     
  12. Keith Trimm

    Keith Trimm Banned

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  13. Hambone

    Hambone Member

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    Good point! Its one thing to try to get better and better, another to put it out there and call it a day.
     
  14. Show

    Show Contributor Contributor

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    I think revision is a necessary skill no matter how you intend to pursue publication. Be it free online, self-publishing, or an attempt at the traditional route. Heck, even if it's going to sit on your hard drive, I'd recommend revision. ;) I think revision is just the next logical step after you've finished a draft. It's not connected to any one path.
     
  15. Hambone

    Hambone Member

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    I think this is an obvious opportunity for Keith to try to get his work noticed. He basically started an argument that is covered on this forum in many threads, hoping to turn some heads toward his work. And he was successful! At least one person has admitted to downloading some of his stuff (who knows how many more have without saying anything). Good for him, I guess. Personally, that is one of the main reasons I would stay away from self publishing. I don't have it in me to market my work. One can only go so far on social networks, then it comes down to different forums and such. Not for me.

    Good luck to you! I hope you get a million downloads!
     
  16. Keith Trimm

    Keith Trimm Banned

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    I didn't write it to bury it. I wrote it to be read. Thanks for noticing.
     
  17. JJ_Maxx

    JJ_Maxx Banned

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    Well, I agree that if someone wants to give their art away for free should be able to do so.

    But, the attitude leaves something to be desired. Keith seems defeatist at best. He assumes that all manuscripts will go nowhere. This is untrue. Also, six months is a laughable amount of time for a polished, final product. He shouldn't be complaining.

    But if you don't want to make money or gain noteriety than shoveling your writing onto the endless pit of the Internet is the way to go. Might as well open a fictionpress account.
     
  18. Keith Trimm

    Keith Trimm Banned

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    He assumes that all manuscripts will go nowhere. This is untrue

    Prove me wrong
     
  19. Mithrandir

    Mithrandir New Member

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    All the manuscripts that have made it to the big leagues are proof enough. Every well known author was a unknown writer once.
     
  20. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Ok then. Hundreds of books are traditionally published every year in many different countries across the earth. Ever been in a book shop before? There you go.
     
  21. JJ_Maxx

    JJ_Maxx Banned

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    Every book that has ever been published proves you wrong. People get published, people sell books and people make money. I don't believe this is in dispute.
     
  22. Mithrandir

    Mithrandir New Member

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    I think he might be trolling us for more publicity.

    What are you trying to accomplish here, Keith?
     
  23. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

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    It would appear the only purpose is to get people to download his stories (I haven't and won't just because I have no interest in reading something that hasn't been sweated over to make it the best it can be). Just from the OP's comments, I can't see any reason to even continue the discussion.
     
  24. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    I agree. Sorry everyone, I should have paid more attention. I'm closing this thread as I believe it to be an advertisement.
     
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