Eagan to Joe the Plumber: I won't fix your toilet if you won't write a book
A wonderfully snarky Op-ed in the New York Times by Timothy Egan, called “Typing Without a Clue“–basically attacking Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin for the book deals they’re expected to ink, and saying writing should be left to the many talented but unappreciated writers out there and not sold off as if it were junk bonds by those in the 14th minute of their 15 minutes of fame.
He has a point, certainly–but I’m actually rather fond of the democratization of writing, music making, movie making, etc. There’s still plenty of third-party validation available for those who want to judge these works by some kind of standard–but there’s also an openness, an ability to disseminate a message, that I could never have dreamed of in 1972 when I published my first articles (in an underground high school newspaper published, oddly enough, by conservatives–they ran my liberal stuff with disclaimers). From these mimeographed samizdats–already more accessible than traditional media–to the disintermediated world of blogs, e-zines, Tweets and, yes, hundreds of thousands of books every year is an amazing leap.
Now all we have to do is find time to read one-millionth of it, ha ha ha.
A lifelong activist, profitability and marketing specialist Shel Horowitz’s mission is to fix crises like hunger, poverty, racism, war, and catastrophic climate change—by showing the business world how fixing them can make a profit. An author, international speaker, and TEDx Talker, his award-winning 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, lays out a blueprint for creating and MARKETING those profitable change-making products and services. He is happy to help you craft your messaging and develop profit strategies. Learn more (and download excerpts from the book) at http://goingbeyondsustainability.com
I’m not disagreeing, and I actually think some of the major houses could *raise* their standards. When they publish trash just because it will sell, they don’t do the culture any favors.
Maybe I didn’t make it clear that I wasn’t sugesting publishers open wide the doors–but that the ability of people to publish on their own is ultimately a good thing, that they’re no longer dependent on a few gatekeepers.
Unfortunately, too many of those gatekeepers judge not on quality, not on the importance of a message to the culture, but on how many copies they think they can move out the door before the tide shifts.
I’m not disagreeing, and I actually think some of the major houses could *raise* their standards. When they publish trash just because it will sell, they don’t do the culture any favors.
Maybe I didn’t make it clear that I wasn’t sugesting publishers open wide the doors–but that the ability of people to publish on their own is ultimately a good thing, that they’re no longer dependent on a few gatekeepers.
Unfortunately, too many of those gatekeepers judge not on quality, not on the importance of a message to the culture, but on how many copies they think they can move out the door before the tide shifts.
Sorry, Shel. I strongly differ on this. Sure let people write what they want and publish what they want on the Internet, or self-publish but let’s bring back some literary standards in the publishing industry, so that real writers have an outlet to reach real readers.
Sorry, Shel. I strongly differ on this. Sure let people write what they want and publish what they want on the Internet, or self-publish but let’s bring back some literary standards in the publishing industry, so that real writers have an outlet to reach real readers.