To Worry or Write? That’s the Question
It seems like, for the past few weeks, I keep running across articles of doom and gloom. Now I know. I get it. The economy stinks. And it’s hitting everybody, no question. Including publishing.
Realistically, this is going to impact us as writers. And, realistically, I–for one–am capable of breaking into a cold sweat and spending way too many hours fretting about how, specifically, it may impact me.
But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’m going to keep writing.
Yes, things are bad, but the economy, like everything else, goes up and down and–sometimes–in loop-de-loops. I am incapable of predicting how long this downfall will last or where I’ll be on my writing path when it’s over. For all I know, just as I finish my current revision or get the next book idea drafted, everything could be on an upswing and every publisher in the world will be wanting me as their author. (Okay, its a stretch, but if I’m dreaming, I might as well really dream.)
So I’m going to figure that there’s still a book market out there and that Publishing will survive and I will have a place in it. And I’m going to keep putting words on a page and networking with other writers and marketing my skill with words as a valuable commodity.
I’m not putting up any negative links in this post. Instead, I’m just going to share a couple of the ones that made me feel better today.
My sister, a home economist in Illinois, put this link up on Facebook. The article basically says that, when we freak out, we don’t do ourselves or the economy any good. I’m taking it as a prescription to stay sane.
And this article shows the flip side of book sales (maybe!) going down. We all love our libraries and wish good things for them, so…
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/16/library_use_rises_as_economy_falls/
What about you. Got any cheerful links to post about what’s happening with books and writing and how you’re dealing with the uncertainty?
beckylevine.com 
6 Comments
I deal with it by writing more. I think that readers need the escapism more than ever and I know we’re happy to oblige!
Especially if it creates escapism for us.
RT
http://www.richard-todd.com
raincloudbook.wordpress.com
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Richard–I agree with you. I know my book purchases haven’t gone down, and they aren’t going to drop over the holiday season either.
And you’re right again–I definitely need the escapism. If I stop writing, well–its just not possible. 🙂
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Could this be the time, like no other, for writers to try a new direction in their work?
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Gary,
Hmm. That’s a good thought. Especially if they’ve been contemplating a switch. Might be the time to play!
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I have been posting recently about hope and not hope in publishing and elsewhere. Most recently I wrote about an unusual book, From A to X, published by a company called Verso. It gave me hope on so many levels—that a book like that could be published (yes, it was written by John Berger) and that a publishing house is proud to publish it. Because it’s important, not because the marketing people predict huge sales.
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You never know what WILL happen, so there’s not much point–I don’t think–in figuring that things won’t. You just write and keep your fingers crossed. 🙂
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