I think David’s interview with Sarah Wendell is a good lesson in doing what you love, putting it out there, and letting that love catch on with others.

Do you know how many print-published writers I know who ask the same questions you have? Writers with actual backlists of printed-on-paper books who daily teeter on the edge of being dropped by publishers looking for Blockbuster Books?

I offer you Charles Bukowski:
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/charles-bukowski-outsider-writer-poet/

>>>How do you know that you’re the one [to be a writer]? You don’t know. It’s a shot in the dark. You take it or you become a normal, civilized person from 8 to 5, get married, have children, Christmas together, in comes Grandma, “Hi, Grandma, come in” “Hi, you,” you know. Shit! I couldn’t take that. I’d rather murder myself.

And:

>>>[T]en years ago, I was a postal clerk, down at Alameda Street, sticking letters into slots like this. Within ten years, I’m published in Germany, Norway, France, Holland, Italy, England, uh, you know, more. I can’t name six or seven more. What happened?

And finally:

>>>Your life is your life. Don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.

Now get back to writing!

But I sure don’t love it the way he does, and I could never be happy spending 40 – 60 hours a week (his schedule) doing nothing but marketing.

Lauri, exactly!

The person who devises effective marketing packages for self-publishing companies that their customers can purchase is going to make a lot of money. By effective, I mean it can get you into media and bookstores through the same doors as the marketing departments of traditional publishing houses can.

Do we know there isn’t such a service? I don’t know because I haven’t looked, but if there’s not, you’re absolutely correct.

Yes. This is the reason I have not made STP available in print. People keep asking me. I keep giving them the same answer: I’d like to write more books, rather than have to spend all my writing time trying to sell the one I’ve already got.

I don’t hate marketing – my husband is a marketer, and he’s taught me some things that make it interesting. But I sure don’t love it the way he does, and I could never be happy spending 40 – 60 hours a week (his schedule) doing nothing but marketing.

The person who devises effective marketing packages for self-publishing companies that their customers can purchase is going to make a lot of money. By effective, I mean it can get you into media and bookstores through the same doors as the marketing departments of traditional publishing houses can.

So, it’s do the time at the job that feeds me, and then polish my art because I love it.

But you know, in the big scheme of things, there are relatively few writers who don’t have to worry about the day job. We’re not alone, and especially in this financial environment. I’m not going to say it can’t be done, but novel writing takes time and from what I can tell (at least in romance), advances aren’t anything to write home about.

One important thing Tao Lin both demonstrates and articulates is that having a publisher doing a lot of the time-consuming, non-writing work for you is invaluable.

Yes, and that’s where self-publishers really lack. I knew that going in. On the other hand, I see authors in romance who A) don’t have much, if any support from their publishers and B) do as much or more marketing (and more creative marketing) than I do. It’s expected and they have a time limit on their books.

Twitter can keep you in communication and grows your network effectively. Blogging is still there for longer form stuff, but needn’t be relied upon exclusively for self-promotion or relationship building.

My traffic exploded after I got on Twitter. I could NOT believe how effective it was, and all I had to do was write what struck me funny.

I don’t believe in the efficacy of struggle, so I just want to write more, write better and keep myself out there and involved.

I love that.

I seem to have fallen into a groove recently with being able to balance the marketing/business side and the creative side.

Perhaps what I’m doing is walking the path to GETTING that balance.

I absolutely believe that the best thing writers can do for their last book is write another one.

I see this occasionally, but the noise of the MARKET MARKET MARKET people drowns it out. It struck me JUST RIGHT the first time I saw it, and it strikes me that way every time I’ve ever seen it after, and every time I’ve ever repeated it. My instinct.

I figured out right away how easy it is to get sucked into the blog/comment/blog/comment timesink.

Yes, and it’s so ENJOYABLE. I’m glad to know I’m not unanimous in my opinion. 😉

When the amazon tracking number for my book is over a zillion-and-twelve, the fact that someone has checked it out and is reading it is a comfort.

Also, I knew a long time ago that I will always need a day job; just as I know that my readership will die with me.

I am as sure that my teenage daughter’s generation will rediscover reading as much as they will become avid Morris dancers.

I absolutely believe that the best thing writers can do for their last book is write another one.

But — easier said than done. My last book keeps nipping at my ankles, demanding attention.

It’s a constant struggle to balance its demands with the book I’m writing now.

As for the blogging/commenting/blogging cycle: OY! I enjoy blogging (much to my amazement) but I figured out right away how easy it is to get sucked into the blog/comment/blog/comment timesink.

(I feel guilty just sitting here reading your entry and commenting on it!)

Anyway, no real point here except that you’ve hit every writer’s-dilemma-nail on the head.

Regarding the benefits of having a publisher doing the ‘dirty work’…I really do envy that. Still, I seem to have fallen into a groove recently with being able to balance the marketing/business side and the creative side.