On Writing, Ideas, and Making a Difference
In any craft, there are professionals and amateurs. We know this. We can sense it, intuitively.
In every industry, there are are experts — the rock stars, the celebrities, the talent — and there’s everyone else. There are those who take their work seriously and create excellence in whatever they do. Then there is the rest of the crowd.
Everybody wants to be the former. Nobody wants to be the mediocre majority. But the truth is it’s hard to be awesome.
What’s the most important publishing platform? The one you actually use, of course.
So many people are fixated on getting the right tools, buying the right pieces of technology, and taking the right classes. These people are constantly chasing trends — never satisfied, always searching.
And they’re missing the point.
Suzanne Collins has created a worldwide phenomenon. It’s expected to be the next Twilight. Maybe even the next Harry Potter.
The Hunger Games movie (titled after the popular young adult book series) is expected to earn over $100 million its opening weekend. When my wife and I went to see it last night, we remarked we had never stood in a longer line on opening night.
So what is this about? Why is The Hunger Games so popular? I don’t think it’s an accident. Collins knew exactly what she was doing. And modern writers would do well to follow her lead.
It’s that terribly famous word we all hate to hear, when it comes to getting published: “No.”
Everyone likes to get her way. But what happens when you don’t?
Ten months ago, I submitted my book proposal to a publisher. While I waited to hear back from them, I kept writing. Then I heard those awful words.
If you try to sell a book, you will fail.
We don’t need more books. Our shelves are full of them. What we need are world-changing, revolutionary ideas.
Don’t assume you need a publisher and a book contract to change the world. You can start spreading your message now.
In this age when you can pick yourself and build a platform in no time, this is the question we are all wondering:
Can self-publishing actually be done well?
Can you create a compelling book without going through the traditional gatekeepers? The answer is yes, you can.
Is it easy? No way. But you absolutely can self-publish a beautiful-looking book that people will read — if you do it with the right help.
Before you write your first book, you should publish at least a dozen magazine articles. Maybe more.
Until you cut your teeth on a few shorter pieces, you’re probably not ready for the challenge of writing an entire book.
So how do you get started?
Well, believe it or not, the hardest part of getting published in a magazine isn’t the writing.
