What Really Matters?

Here's what really matters in the worldoutside of publishing: my wife and kids, faith, my family and friendsand reading every book I can find, my students and teaching. Outside ofthat, I have very few interests, little political motivation, and forfun I read, tinker around the garden, play with model trains and work out.
That's it.
Hey, I'm a simple guy. Which has somegreat advantages, the equally great drawback being that life and thehuman existence ain't nearly as simple as I'd like it to be.
Which reminds me.
Need to spend less time on Facebook. More time here on the blog. Think if I cut down on the meaninglessstatus-update-prattle, might have something more worthwhile to post here.Also, going to try and make the blog posts shorter. Quicker.
Daily?
We'll see.
Inside the publishing world, whatmatters? People you trust: friends, colleagues, publishers. Hardwork. Dedication. A passion for the craft. But lately, I'vestruggled with this whole beast. Have a lot of passionate andperhaps misguided feelings about publishing, what it was, what I wantit to be, and unfortunately what it most likely won't be anymore.

Sopassionate, I actually got into a snit over it with someone lastweek. And all I see anymore are blogs about self-publishing, printis dead, ebooks rule...and every man jack, from writers I've neverheard of, to folks I respect, are all jumping the self-publishingebook train.
Hey, why not? Especially the folkswho've proven themselves. It's no longer a stigma. And if you've gotpieces you're proud of...especially previously published pieces, why not? So, willI be self-ebpublishing any time soon, at least some pre-publishedpieces?
Naw. Problem is, none of those oldpieces speak to me anymore as being representative of my voice, orbeing worth anything. The only pieces I like have been accepted butnot published yet. And I'm under no allusions.
I'm a nobody. No name to my credit,have very little to show.
Not even a freaking novel. So, thequestion is: why contribute more to all the self-published masses? When I don't have anything worthy of contributing?
So, in the publishing industry...whatreally matters?
Writing.
And that's all. I do it every morning. And I'm hoping, that in cutting down my Facebook time - even if onlyto blog daily - I hope to do even more. Because in the end...when itcomes to publishing...
That's the only reason why I'm here.
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Published on October 02, 2011 11:08
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