Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Books

I'm sitting in a used book store wondering why the original owners of these books decided they didn't want to own them anymore. It is somewhat intimidating to try to write in this environment. It's like I'm surrounded by hundreds of little voices reminding me that if I don't write something really meaningful, my books (futuristically speaking) will end up here one day--read once and then cleared off the shelf at home to make room for better books.

Of course, what is even more intimidating is to think that I might never even have a book in a new bookstore, since they have to have made a stop there first before landing in the used store. When I go into Barnes & Noble, I see the thousands and thousands of books that have been published, and I feel encouraged that surely I, too, can do this. (Have you seen some of those titles?!) But then when I actually start pursuing the publication process, I can get easily overwhelmed and discouraged. It's a tough market. And there are lots and lots and lots of other writers out there. Lots.

I shall press on, though. Even if I never end up with a published book, no one can stop me from writing for myself or on my blog--my own little publications.

I'm glad there's not a used blog store. I don't think I could handle that.

10 comments:

laurie said...

I have friends and acquaintances who've pursued the publication thing. Some have been successful. Some haven't. With marketing, money, and such, it's unfortunately about more than a person's writing ability.

It takes a lot of courage to even put your writing out there in the form of a blog, much less write a columnn for Parents and Kids, much less pursue the publication process. I'm glad you're doing it, and I hope that it will prove to be fruitful.

p.s. The used blog store comment made me laugh.

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

THANK YOU for your encouragement, Laurie. These are the kinds of words that keep me going. And I'm glad you liked the used blog store comment. :)

laurie said...

Yes, yes, YES to the twitter quote:

"What if, when we begin our day, we begin with not what we need to do but with WHO WE WANT TO BE today?"--Jane Rubietta

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

Admittedly, it's a hard one for me, since I'm so task-oriented. I want to strive for that, though.

Janna Barber said...

I have both a juno and gmail address for you, which one should I use? Just wanted to talk about what you're working on, maybe compare notes, etc.

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

Use the gmail address.

Jen said...

I look forward to purchasing your books one day, and I will promise to keep them on my shelf always!

A used-blog store... That made me smile!

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

Awwww :)

Neil said...

I'll have to echo Laurie's observation...getting published seems to be clearly about more than a person's writing ability. I get a sinking feeling every time I browse through B&N, partly because my title's not carried there, but also because there's something sickening about what titles ARE carried. It feels so backwards. Some of them are great, of course. But some of them are hardly worth the paper they're printed on. Yet there they are. Some company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars putting them there. And people buy them because they look good.

All I know to do is keep writing when the inspiration is there. If it's truly a calling, someday it will bear its fruit in season :-)

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

Good words from one writer to another. Thanks, Neil!