WHAT'S SO WRONG ABOUT WANTING TO BE DIFFERENT?

Status: On vacation till the end of the month due to a lot going on.

Doing: Writing on this blog; answering e-mails; working out, and well...you know the rest! :0)

Watching: Nothing at the moment.

Listening to: "In Winter; Pain"--by Kittie

Reading: Kushiel's Scion. Page 404.

STAR TREK-THE NEXT GENERATION: WAR DRUMS. Page 78.

TOPIC: YOU JUST GOTTA BE YOURSELF. NO ONE CAN BE THAT FOR YOU.

It's funny how some people react so negatively to an idea.

I thought it would be beneficial if I had posted my publishing ideas and plans on one of these writers' sites--which is dealing with the fallout from NCP, and all I got was from the majority: "If I had a publisher like that, I'd take my pocketbook and run."

Run to where--exactly? To someone else that doesn't appreciate you or your work? Someone whom doesn't pay you for what you're actually worth? Just where do you plan on taking your money to? Hmm?

Anyone want to answer me that one?

How about taking your works to a publisher that understands the writer? The art of a good book? What will connect the reader to such books in the first place? That will cause these newfound readers to come back wanting more--because they are of a different fare than those seen in commercial bookstores?

How about a publisher that treats their clients like assets instead of commercial liabilities?

Or publishers that treat their first-time clients like crap?

It makes me wonder just how different most publishers are from the ones that go out and deliberately try to schnooker their way onto an unsuspecting writer; steal away their rights (and their money)--and don't give nothing back?

Or the ones that give so little to that first-time author to start out with--but in turn, heavily FAVOR their top 1% with everything but the kitchen sink?

And I in turn get shot down because I want to be a different writer and future publisher?

It's not like the same model of writing success has been equally applied to each and every writer/author which has traveled down the pike in the last hundred years or so.

The same thing can be applied with a business model.

Outside of the basics, you could run it however you see fit. But from what I gathered, so many writers are still fixated on nothing but the money; acting like my stance is something of a pariah against whatever they've been taught to believe in.

Y'know?

Personally, I don't find anything wrong with what I want to do.

Being different, acting differently, is not a weakness or a business liability. But not many people see that as something they can live with.

Pretty much why so many McCain supporters and other GOP trolls are so terrified of Obama on Yahoo! Answers: They can't take the chance of everything that's worked for them (and not everyone else) going down the drain or stopping entirely--in order to favor the struggling American man, woman, or child.

Much like my openly transparent publishing ambitions. Y'know? I want to try something different that hasn't been tried before. Instead of focusing on pure profit, how about focusing on the writer and the book in question?

Oh, no!...we can't have that, now can we, people?

Nope.

Everything has to follow the same failed capitalistic model of greed, power, and most importantly...? MONEY.

Screw personal endeavors.

Screw personal ambitions.

Screw delivering a well-made product.

Screw even the guy who had made it or fashioned it with his own blood, sweat, and tears.

Just focus on the business side of the model and fuck everything else along the way!

And people keep wondering why nothing in made in America anymore?Because we've outsourced all our damned ambition, hard-work ethics, and DRIVE--to places like China and India for cheap-on-the-fly business ethics!

PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE WORKER. PROFIT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM!

And people think I'm nuts for wanting to do things differently?

Maybe it's because I'm tired of seeing things the way they are and want to affect a little change for the common good!

Has anyone figured that out yet? Do I need to keep spelling it out until it finally sinks into those thick heads of theirs?

I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT THE MONEY!!! IT'S NOT GOING TO DO ANY OF US ANY GOOD ONCE WE ARE DEAD!!!

HELL~O PEOPLE!

FOCUS!!!

If none of us can accomplish anything in our miserable begotten lives--what the fuck difference does it matter if we aren't able to get our hands on all that wealth, fame, and name-recognition in the first place?!?

What is so damned scary about doing things differently?

Did we all just fall off the highest branch of the tallest stupid tree in existance--and declare that ambition is no longer a necessity in our shortened lifespans?

But I look at the common writer and all I see is greed from those whom don't care about whether or not their books sell or not. For those few of us who are bucking the tend--I implore you to keep doing it.

Because one of these days, I'm going to come after you and sign your butts up.

***

I realize that having money is important, but what few writers (and some published authors) don't seem to realize is that if you don't have a good book (preferably one that connects to the reader), how is that "it's all about the money"-ideal going to help you when you can't even break even in book sales after you get published; because either your book--or book sales--sucked so bad from the start?

See, this is the dark reality the majority still doesn't want to face. They think if they can get TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED, everything will still be hunky-dorey F-I-N-E. (Or as my wife calls it: "Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.")

Wish that were true, peeps! But...reality can be such a bitch sometimes, y'know?

Granted, I probably won't make enough for a down payment on a beat-up looking Gremlin--but at least I didn't go the same route as the rest of us struggling eggheads; by dumping all my hopes and dreams on traditional publishing and stubbornly believing that is where the big bucks lie.

(Because I already went and did that. Nearly 10 years wasted trying to beat my head against that unmoveable brick wall. After which I said: "Enough of this shit. Let's try something else.")

So to those who want to continue to shoot me down on what I want to do?

AT LEAST I'M DOING SOMETHING THAT WON'T BE CONSIDERED A CONSTANT EXERCISE IN UTTER FUTILITY.

I'm getting something out of this. A real life-learning, life-changing, experience.

That is what I apply to my books. To all of my characters. To every world I have built in the last 20+ years.

And if society in general can't understand that? Well, then, that's their loss.

Not mine.

Sky