Jason Howell
asked
Paula Berinstein:
Paula: This a question I'm asking of several writers, some friends, some strangers... Can you think of a risk you should be taking but are avoiding right now? In your writing life or otherwise? If so, what would you guess is holding you back? Why are you avoiding this risk? What's at stake? Thanks.
Paula Berinstein
Thanks so much for your question, Jason. Very interesting!
The simple answer is no. I'm not avoiding taking risks. I've taken so many risks in my life that I'm not sure there are many left untaken. What I am doing is avoiding doing things I'm not yet ready to do because I haven't finished laying the groundwork yet.
Let me explain. Self-publishing has turned out to be much more difficult than I thought it would be. If you look around, it seems that it's lost most of its stigma and indie writers can succeed as well as writers who go the traditional route. However, that's not quite the case. It is still very difficult to get past the gatekeepers, which means it's difficult to get reviews and to sell books. Many, or should I say most, reviewers will not look at self-published books, and that includes not just Library Journal, etc. but also bloggers. It is also still nearly impossible to get self-published books into libraries, especially school libraries, which in the case of kids' books, don't want to buy books that aren't on the AR (Accelerated Reading) lists, and of course if you're self-published it's very hard to get onto the lists. Of course it's nearly impossible to get *any* book into physical bookstores. Etc., etc.
All of this means that it's very difficult to establish credibility, and without credibility, it's hard to get speaking gigs, do school visits, raise money, win awards, etc. So before I can "take the risk" of attempting to do those things, I have to establish credibility. And that's where I feel stuck at the moment. I have big plans I want to implement. I've just got to get past a few obstacles first.
Just one more note. If you'd asked me this question a decade or two ago, my answer would have been completely different. Experience makes a lot of difference. After a while you can either just do things or don't worry when you can't. Age has its advantages. :)
The simple answer is no. I'm not avoiding taking risks. I've taken so many risks in my life that I'm not sure there are many left untaken. What I am doing is avoiding doing things I'm not yet ready to do because I haven't finished laying the groundwork yet.
Let me explain. Self-publishing has turned out to be much more difficult than I thought it would be. If you look around, it seems that it's lost most of its stigma and indie writers can succeed as well as writers who go the traditional route. However, that's not quite the case. It is still very difficult to get past the gatekeepers, which means it's difficult to get reviews and to sell books. Many, or should I say most, reviewers will not look at self-published books, and that includes not just Library Journal, etc. but also bloggers. It is also still nearly impossible to get self-published books into libraries, especially school libraries, which in the case of kids' books, don't want to buy books that aren't on the AR (Accelerated Reading) lists, and of course if you're self-published it's very hard to get onto the lists. Of course it's nearly impossible to get *any* book into physical bookstores. Etc., etc.
All of this means that it's very difficult to establish credibility, and without credibility, it's hard to get speaking gigs, do school visits, raise money, win awards, etc. So before I can "take the risk" of attempting to do those things, I have to establish credibility. And that's where I feel stuck at the moment. I have big plans I want to implement. I've just got to get past a few obstacles first.
Just one more note. If you'd asked me this question a decade or two ago, my answer would have been completely different. Experience makes a lot of difference. After a while you can either just do things or don't worry when you can't. Age has its advantages. :)
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