Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
We’ve all unwrapped the new year, expressing ourselves in the individual ways we’ve celebrated the tossing out of the old and the ushering in of the new. For me, I literally tossed out lots of stuff–how did we ever accumulate all this outdated technology (anyone need a copy of Word ’95?); “shrunk” clothing (did you know items left to hang in your closet will shrink in and of themselves?); and enough used wrapping paper to assure me that I was the recipient of a treasure trove of gifts?
As I’ve tossed out, I’ve also pondered what I liked about ’09 and what I didn’t; what surprises delighted me and which ones dismayed me. And what I expect in ’10. Along with the list of expectations, I found myself creating a wish list–what I wish were different in publishing. I came up with four items
#1 wish for the world of publishing:The overwork and stress associated with publishing would diminish.
I remember decades ago reading a survey about the most stressful occupations. Right after fire fighting, police work, and some medical professions, publishing was listed. Since I was just dipping my toes into publishing, I gasped in surprise. How could a simple love of books have landed me in the midst of Stressville!?
Over the years, unfortunately the trend has been for greater stress and more work. With the economic downturn, everyone in publishing (who still has a job) now has to do the job of everyone who lost his or her job. While publishers are producing fewer books, the workload has grown for individuals.
And the stress to make right decisions about which books to publish has also grown. I’ve talked to decision-makers at publishing houses who have literally groaned as they’ve agonized over whether to take a project to committee. Too many wrong choices, and the results become dire both for the person backing the wrong titles and for the publishing house that must bear the financial loss.
Add to the mix the rate of change in the industry, the onset of electronic publishing, the near-demise of formerly stalwart outlets through which to sell books, and the need to promote books online, and we ratchet up the stress-level another notch or three.
What’s a person caught in this quagmire to do?
For me, I’ve decided to set aside time each week to concentrate on the big picture rather than to spend most of my time on the small stuff (which leads to lots of stress since the larger issues never get addressed).
And I’m setting aside time each month to dream…yes, to dream. For with all the changes in publishing’s 21st-century version of an industrial revolution, reside opportunities to succeed.
I don’t want to miss out. So I’m dreaming. I’m focusing on the big picture.
How about you? Have you seen stress levels rise in your corner of publishing? What can you do to deal with it? Share your thoughts with the rest of us, please. We’re all in this together!
I agree with you, Janet. The book world has become far more stressful in the past few years and I’m looking at it through the eyes of one still seeking to be published. I can not imagine the stress you are going through. Agents and editors as well as publishing house execs seem to have a huge burden to carry these days.
It gets discouraging to constantly read the negativity. It almost seems as if people were trying to dissuade writers from attempting to seek publication. It’s the negativity the trickles down from this stress that hits writers, especially those of us in the process of seeking representation.
Good luck to you in the new year. Take that time to dream. That’s very important. I hope you find the stories you’re looking for this year, along with a few delightful surprises along the way.
Jen
Lately I’ve been bumping into the reality that I am not Superwoman. Still have my “day job” (and glad to have it!), and the “unofficial” job all women share. (Houses don’t clean themselves, laundry won’t jump into the machine, etc.) Writing has to fit into the spaces of time I can carve out, and sometimes that puts me in the tight niche between a rock and a hard place. While that’s pretty much the way it’s always been, the niche gets smaller and smaller as work demands expand. Unfortunately, hours are finite.
Pastor shared an interesting thought yesterday: “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” This year more than ever I need to evaluate prayerfully what are the “right things” I’m supposed to be doing.
Sorry to say I agree with you about the stress, Janet. Publishing always involved risk, because who can predict what will sell? (Did any professionals predict the staying power of “The Shack?”)
Negativity hangs over this profession like an endless Bad Air Day. I’ve been writing for years and sold four books. The last now is in its fifth edition, which should make me confident, right? Yet the past year or two so many blogs and articles spew forth a constant stream of dire warnings. Just the other day I read the market for nonfiction may already be lost to the Internet and people who give it away for free. Since that’s what I write, it sounds like a veiled warning: “Don’t waste your time.”
That’s when I stop and reflect on my purpose and remember where this “way with words” comes from. I spend some time reading the one Book with a message that never changes. That resets my compass and recharges my commitment to keep going. I choose to believe that my writing matters, somehow, some way.
I think time to dream and plan is essential, so good for you, Janet. Hope your New Year is joy-full, with the balance of “surprises” tipping toward good.
Thank you, Janet. Great insight into the stress the “other side” of the industry is under. I can better pray and empathize. I also appreciated your thoughts on taking time out to dream. Maybe in February! (After that deadline. Ha ha!)
“And I’m setting aside time each month to dream…yes, to dream.”
This is brilliant! We too often overlook the power of dreaming our dreams. God will speak to you in these joyful times, I am certain. I believe it is important for everyone to take time to day dream. It is one of my greatest strengths!
And talking to myself. I like doing that too. Have solved many a problem by sitting myself down and having a cuppa with me.
🙂
I’ve never really thought about that: that a person who in an unknown future gives my manuscript a go, can lose his or hers head if the book fails to conquer the world. For the sake of my fellow beings I’d better write not just to be published, but to be a huge success then. (more stress even for the writer…)
So wise to set time aside frequently to look at the big picture and to allow yourself to dream of what can be. To just imagine possibilities. We don’t allow ourselves the freedom to do that enough. All too often I think we get bogged down in the details of life and get so structured on following our plans we loose sight of what it’s really all about and where God might want to take us on this journey. It’s not an easy task but if we’ll see it as a priority, schedule the time and give ourselves the freedom to let our creative juices just play around without an agenda …. wow! Thanks for the reminder of the importance of doing this.
Lenore, you just reminded me of one of my favorite messages from the Book you mentioned.
“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow can take care of itself. Today’s challenges are all you need to face.” and “Your Father already knows everything you need.”
Thank you Janet and all for your time to post here. As one who is also yet to be published, one who is overwhelmed with the steep learning curve, I too look to the Book for wisdom and direction.
Thanks Lenore for saying it just that way – that your “writing matters somehow, some way”. Mine does as well – now how to get it “out there”? Prayerfully, 2010 will reveal the answer!
I keep thinking I’m ready, but apparently, not quite yet!
Nice to “see” you again, Janet. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season and found joy and refreshment!
As an aspiring novelist I experience some of these stressors from the other side of the book. Being a creative writer, or even a talented writing (which I’m diligently trying to become), is not enough in today’s market. I’m dedicated to going the long haul and doing everything that is expected to develop my “whole” self as a writer and prove my professionalism (platform, marketing, networking, industry knowledge, remaining pliable, all of it). This does create a certain amount of stress and in the beginning years was overwhelming. As a recovering perfectionist this isn’t easy, but now I’m rather striving for excellence and learning to keep pace.
I’m trying to be mindful of all that happens on your side of the book – one of the reasons I enjoy this blog. Although you share some of your stressors, helping me to understand what they are actually helps me to also understand the big picture. That is a stess reliever for me.
Thanks! I do hope things level out a bit for you as the industry adjusts to the many changes from 2009.
I understand the word “stress.” This has been a very stressful year for us (my family) in an already stressful lifestyle (medical family.) My husband’s partner, an ER doc, perfectly healthy and seemingly at his peak of happiness, dropped dead on the job–which caused a chain of events and high stress. I wondered if stress would fell more of us in the crossfire. (And it really messed up what I had been writing–real life crossing the beams with imaginary life.)
Add to it that I continue to work under deadlines and with authors. One in particular was painful this summer–but turned out beautifully in the end. Afterward I felt a peace.
This year I did take a moment to dream for myself–things I had set aside and it refreshed me. I think that your advice to dream each MONTH is valuable advice and I’m going to adopt it. I also needed to step back and see the big picture. I was stunned that in doing so gave me a measure of confidence and excitement. I needed that!
I look forward to seeing your other 3 wishes! 🙂
Thank you to all of you with words of encouragement. I have to keep my eyes on the God who called me to write, not the pressures of the industry. (While still holding my end up responsibly! It sure is hard to find balance.)
Janet, your post is something I needed to read. I thought finally becoming a book author instead of just writing for periodicals would reduce the stress. I always knew marketing would take a lot of work, but had no idea I’d need to get involved in social networking and how much time that would require. I’m with a small press so most of the marketing falls on my shoulders at a time when Christian schools and bookstores are closing and people have less money to spend. I think I’ll follow your lead and schedule some time to focus on what really matters.
Obviously stress exists for both the writer and for those at publishing houses and in agencies. We need to remind each other why we got in this biz to begin with, and to encourage each other to dream. It’s hard to dream when you feel stressed, but it’s also a great stress reliever.
Yes, encourage each other to dream . . . and to go back to what drove us to writing in the first place. I’ve dedicated the past six months to doing all the things suggested by many “in the know.” Blogging, social networking, building a platform, and getting my website redone (or trying to). Now, I’m breathing a sigh of relief and heading back to my books. They need me (editing and polishing) and I need them. I need to write and create stories. I need to dream again.
The question is, what’s the root cause of that stressful, harried pace within publishing?
You’ll never get rid of the stress until that root cause is addressed.
Off the cuff? My guess would be that the root cause = systemic greed.
Jason, greed might be the cause of stress in publishing, but I think the cause is more amorphous than that. I think it’s trying to figure out which books are going to succeed and then hedging bets by over-publishing. That way, if the title everyone thinks will hit it big, misses; then maybe the debut novel will surprise everyone by taking off. Many titles must be produced when a business is structured this way. If only a few titles are published, the risk is much higher if they miss the target. So each publisher is caught in a cycle of over-production, which means all employees are working on too many titles to keep up with it all. And we haven’t even talked about the mountain of potential projects that have to be considered but will ultimately be rejected.