Hope, Vanity and Glory Literary Article |
Yes, I have hope, a conviction that the current trend in publishing, it is clearly the worst it has ever been for modern authors, is unlikely to get much worse before it hits bottom. There are some reputable name outfits that have struggled valiantly to maintain their reputations against the ruinous policies established by Bertelsmann, but they must make a profit to compete and survive. Unfortunately, the old norms of scanning the globe for worthy material (even those written by unknowns), the backing of such authors by marketing and advertising their worthy works, the accessibility of reliable literary agents, and the general quality of literature, is now in sad disrepute. You might well ask what hope exists, for nearly all my fellow writers, and I am speaking mostly of the talented, impecunious, frustrated variety, are at their wits' end. Are we all expected to follow the footsteps of the screenplay authors? Remember what Faulkner said about his having to do that for food money? He wrote a scathing essay describing it as the lowest thing he ever attempted, casting someone else's prose into something readable, like an ignominious ghostwriter. Today, Stephen King, Michael Chrichton and many other famous men and women are doing just that . . . to survive. The quality of literature has suffered to such a low ebb point that virtually nothing written in the last fifteen years can be assured of its being considered a great book by posterity. You all know the horrors of the agent scene. Only the wealthy and notorious authors, or those young and beautiful with marketable images, are now relevant. No others need apply because the fix is in. My hope is that the creative force in all of us will not accept these conditions much longer, despite the odds. Sarah Mankowski's Wordthunder Publications is a small example of the kind of revolution that seems to be forming. Why a good author like Sarah should feel compelled to start her own publishing company, in order to get a fair shake, is another indication of our estate. But, in doing so, she has grasped the new technology with a firm grip and has researched what it takes to sell her products in today's insane and largely juvenile market. The rebellion can be labeled personal, digital publishing (POD,) where one no longer must stockpile books that do not sell. Vanity is not necessarily a sin or a bad word. Is it improper for a great painter to want to see his works displayed in a museum, or at least an art gallery? Should a writer feel demoralized simply because he/she wants his novels read? Why shouldn't we self-publish, or find a small press like Sarahs to claim a stake? Maybe that is vanity, to see ourselves in print and read, but I prefer to think of it as satisfaction for doing hard work. The stigma of vanity presses (venues that cost) is in the lack of editing. That is what hamstrings the bookstores on stocking such books, though not the online booksellers. Of course, there are many POD houses that charge a lot of money for the privilege, but they should be avoided. No writer of distinction should have to pay to get published today. No cost houses, like Lulu Enterprises and Cafe Press, are springing up where they are willing to publish manuscripts and risk taking a small profit on the number of copies sold, based on the printing costs and a percentage. The rebellion is beginning to take shape, though its final definition has yet to be determined. When it does, Bertelsmann will most certainly crash or sell out, leaving the business to hundreds of enterprising people like Sarah who have had more than enough disappointment. I hope to see that glorious day because it will be a new beginning for authors and writing. There will be a fresh rendition of great books to thrill readers, teach our young the fineries of language, provide a proper and possibly lasting choice of entertainment not limited to just sex and violence, and a reason once again to be proud of our accomplishments. One day, we will again encompass dignity, a word long shredded in western civilization. W. A. Rieser |
