My friend sent me a note when I emailed people about my blog. His observation was (and it's a sound one) to write not with a commercial bent but for oneself. This is very commendable and I am happy and also on days proud of having written a novel that is actually readable (according to 60 odd people anyway).
Now here are some realities of this business in case you wondered why I and so many of us clamor to be published. The money you say!! Truth? The advances for first time authors (average) is about $25000 if you're lucky to be taken on by a big house. That works out to an hourly rate for me of about oh let me see...$ 0.00001 or so. You may say some get hundreds of thousands of $$$. Names that end in King, Grisham and Hilton get those numbers. Lets say I knock the socks off an editor and get--hold your breath now--six figures!!! That works out to about $ 0.00005 an hour for my labor, not counting the uncertainty, tears and so on. So its not the money. The fame then! Yes, the wonderful fame (which I truly think is vastly, vastly overrated) I am sure to garner as the writer of a obscure niche book on an ordinary Indian family.
What is it then?
Not yet self-actualized as I am, I want the validation no matter how small. I don't care if its Penguin or Jack and Jill Press who publishes me. It's just a notch on the belt, trying to reach for something out there, no matter how difficult and unattainable and no matter how unreasonable the establishment might be.
And I have started a new book so I don't have all my eggs in one baskets. I have started weaving a new basket to put the eggs in :-)
In addition I am one of the lucky ones. The "real" writers work two, sometimes three jobs then go home and write. I on the other hand have a husband who supports my writing habit and has even made the gross error(?) of encouraging it.
I truly admire the ones that do get published, especially unknown, unconnected ones like yours truly, for it isn't easy.
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