Indie Life - Control Vs Freedom

Hey gang! Time for another Indie Life post...

What is Indie Life?

How: Sign up on the Linky at the bottom of this page

When: Post on the second Wednesday of the month

What: Write anything indie related: something that will inspire or help a fellow indie; something that celebrates a release or a milestone; something that talks about the ups and downs, joys and heartaches of Being Indie.

Grab: The banner below to include in your posts!

Control Vs Freedom

Ask any child who has been allowed to sit at the BIG KIDS table for the first time, any teen who has driven solo for the first time, or any eighteen year old who has just spent her first month at college away from home: Being independent kicks all ass.

Understanding the degree varies by culture, it's safe to say most humans crave autonomy. We yearn to define our own boundaries. We pine to show our worth. We hustle to mark our unique spots in the world like an overactive male puppy in a fire-hydrant factory. 

I'll submit to you today that I think creative artist are the worst ME seekers of the lot. And justifiably so. After all, self-expression is our business, and doing-things-our-own-way is the only real product we have offer.

"Why buy my painting of trees when there are thousands of other tree paintings out there? Because my painting was done by me, and only I can see the trees this way. Now you can, too--every morning above your sofa for the small sum of $500 US ... cash."

But, I believe this is also why artists struggle so much with security issues, finances, and the like. We're conflicted, and here's why:

Writing is not a business, so you can (and probably should) throw all of the restraints out the window and do it all your way. Writing allows--encourages, in fact--us to think independently.

Writing feeds our habit. It feels good, even when it might be a little unhealthy.

Being an author, however, is a business. A business with boundaries, a business with rules. Yes, you can break rules and still be successful, but you usually have to be damn good at following them first. 

Being an author can be like going to rehab for our habit. It hurts like hell, but sometimes it's the best thing for us.

So what happens when you stick a group of highly independently-minded folks in a constrained environment with the provision of, "you can do anything you want, but you can't leave this area"? 

Imagine sticking a couple-dozen two year olds in an empty room and giving them the same orders. You'd return a few hours later to find: Poop. Blood. Tears. Little people trying to gnaw through walls to escape ... we're talking straight up Lord of the Flies level chaos.

"Where's Timmy?"

"We sent him through the air ducts to find freedom and haven't seen him since."

"Why Timmy?"

"Because I'm holding the LEGO, and the LEGO holder must be obeyed."

If that all sounds a bit too much like your writing routine/journey (poop, tears, blood, teeth gnashing, etc.), or your online writing group (Lord of the Flies), for comfort, trust me, you're not alone.

In the end, if you want to be a SUCCESSFUL published author, you might have to cash in some of that independence. You'll be asked to write in a way that is pleasing to a broad range of readers, agents, and editors. You'll probably need to understand terms like 'markets', 'genre', and 'metadata'. Heck, you might even have to change the names of your characters.

(I know, you LOVE Zartan and Estes, but readers think they're stupid names...) 

And here's the trick for Indies: All of the 'business' stuff applies more to you than it does other authors.

Ain't that a kick in the Dungarees?! You became an Indie to have fewer constraints and boundaries, not more, and now EJ is telling you that isn't going to happen. *harumph harumph harumph*

Being an Indie DOES mean more control, but sometimes that comes with less freedom than you might think. 

You get to choose your own editor! But you have to pick one who isn't illiterate that you can also afford. You get to decide which book cover you want! But you have to be willing to follow the rules of good design and marketing--yes, even if you liked the one with the cats more.

Why not just do what you want? After all, there's no one wagging a finger at you saying, "Fix this or it won't be published." 

You follow the business rules, because if the product sucks you're going to get ALL of the blame. That's why.

Your cover stinks: that's your bad, not the publishers. There are typos: that's your bad, not the editors. (Even they miss things, and your the last one to push the 'publish' button = your bad.) No one knows your book exists: that's your bad, not the marketing department at Random House. 

I guess all of this is to say: Don't become an Indie because of any pre-conceived ideas of total freedom. Total control, perhaps, but not freedom. Not if you want to be good at it.

It's still publishing, and publishing is still a business.

~EJW~

A New Thing: Indie Life

Hey gang! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to wish Ellie luck on Monday. I know she truly appreciates the support, as we all do.

Speaking of support, I've decided to join in a relatively new blog movement being instigated by the fine authors over at the Indelibles blog. 

It's called Indie Life, and it is operated similarly to Alex Cavanaugh's excellent Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG), of which I'm also a part.

Basically, on the second Wednesday of every month a gaggle of Indie authors will share their triumphs, failures, and tips for success with the blog world. It's open to all independent authors, or those who are striving to be. The sign-up is below, and you can click the link above for more details.

Here's my first contribution to the group:

Being Independent Does Not Mean Going Alone

Writers and solitude is a marriage of necessity. Like most marriages, the relationship isn't always filled with longing gazes, special moments, and cosmically aligned thoughts of happiness.

Much of my time spent with solitude results in angry muttering, eye-rolling, foot tapping, and dreams of no longer being alone. No, I'm not always excited to be in the company of solitude, in fact I find her down right stifling most of the time.

But as I say, it's a relationship born of necessity. I need that quiet refrain to bolster my thoughts as a bird often needs a gust of wind to soar. Yes, it can be turbulent and scary, but it's a means to an end--a push into my subconscious where all of those stories await.

However, once the actual writing ends, I'm usually not that eager to be MORE alone. I've done my time, finished my chores, and am eager to journey into the more social aspects of the craft. I don't think I'm alone in this. 

Most writers, I've found, prefer to talk about what they're reading over what they're writing. Believe it or not, we enjoy chatting about ideas for stories with other writers more than stewing over the sentence we spent half a day re-writing. 

So you now probably understand why the thought of being an independent author scared the hell out of me...

In a business that by its very nature is lonely, it seemed like I was choosing to be more isolated. It was almost purposefully declaring myself as not part of the group, and I wasn't sure my ego could handle it. After all, I'd traveled a long damn way to simply choose not to go inside with the others. (It's actually not a one or the other choice, but that's a future IL post...)

Ten year-old me started thinking, "Whoa, being different gets you teased in the locker room and beat up at the bus stop. You don't want that kind of attention. You're so not ready." 

Of course the brave adult in me said, "Any attention that gets your work in front of readers is good attention. Any 'thing' that forces you to finally declare yourself a writer to the world is a good thing. You're ready."

Eventually, adult me won out, and I wish I hadn't spent so much time agonizing over the decision.

Little did I know that I was turning away from one group just to walk into the arms of another. I had no idea there were so many authors doing this publishing thing on their own. Talented, friendly, and professional authors, eager to build relationships and develop their craft.

So perhaps you're like I was, and the biggest obstacle you're facing in your writing journey is choosing the right path. And you'd prefer a path with other likeminded people on it. Don't assume that being independent means going alone. There's a real community already formed, and you can join any time you like.

~EJW~

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