ISBW #97 – Why I Do What I Do
Mur Lafferty | 2008/08/24 | 2 comments
I recorded this last week. My book comes out TOMORROW, not next week. I’m not anxious at all. Just not sleeping much… This rambles a bit, but I do include Keys to Publishing #6 by Jay Lake! What do you do with the keys to publishing?
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Category: I Should Be Writing
Very nicely put Mur. I liked your story about how you came to accept the “giving it away is OK” philosophy, because it’s very similar to my own. I used to be very egotistical about my work, which had the unintended side effect of slowing down my work to a crawl. My novel that I mentioned in my voicemail a few shows back, And Here’s To You, began in 2003. I didn’t finish it until NaNoWriMo ‘07 (in my defense I didn’t include the stuff I’d written before then in the 50k word count). You and Hutchins share equal credit for finally getting my ass in that chair and not only finishing this project (Oct. 31st, Lulu.com, ding), but bouncing off the walls waiting for NaNo ‘08 so I can get started on my untitled Shaun of the Dead meets Serpico project. I say equal credit ’cause I started listening to Heaven and 7th Son litterally on the same day. Anyway, the point is, thanks to what I’ve learned in the past few years, I made the decision to bypass the big publishers alltogether. I know there’s a huge risk in doing this, but it was long overdue for me to realize that even if people love and evangelize my work, I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon, and that the Kings and Rowlings of the world are the exception rather than the rule.
So, here’s a (metaphorical) toast to ISBW, and a toast to no longer spending 5 frakking years on a novel that easily could’ve been written, editied, and submitted in 1 and a half tops.
Hi Mur,
As always, you had lots of interesting things to say this time around (even if you did sound a little overwhelmed while saying them). I guess first let me say a big thank you for getting this podcast out, even with everything on your plate. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, and I for one really appreciate it!
Anyway, other thoughts. I think we’re in the middle of a major paradigm shift in the publishing/literary indusry (also, I enjoy using fancy soundin’ words like “paradigm”). The old model went something like this:
write -> get published -> get fans -> build community -> repeat
The new one is more like this:
write -> get fans -> build community -> get published -> repeat
In other words, the publishing seems to be becoming more of an end step than a beginning. Similarly, I think the way people pay for literature is starting to change, too.
Old way: pay money -> experience content -> repeat if desired
New way: experience content -> evaluate content -> pay for content if deemed worthy -> repeat if desired
I guess it’s the difference between paying for your meal up front and paying for it at the end of the night. I’m not really sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I think it’s one emerging trend.
Anyway, that’s my thought. Thanks again!