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Where in the world are you paid to write ...
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Lakshmi
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Sep 22, 2013 02:44AM
Knowledge empowers and should be available to all. But which country or institution realizes this and ensures that writers are well cared for so that they can write for the joy of it, make their work available for free and end up benefitting humanity at large.
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Lakshmi wrote: "Knowledge empowers and should be available to all. But which country or institution realizes this and ensures that writers are well cared for so that they can write for the joy of it, make their wo..."I know exactly what you mean. This is why I like Wattpad. You can publish your work for free, gaining an audience for your work and writing without constriction. I find it's a great boost to get such feedback.
If I understand you correctly, you propose that either government or some "institution" subsidize or support writers so they don't have to charge for their work? How long do you suppose you'd be free to write whatever you want if a specific entity is paying you for it? Think it through, please.
Masha wrote: "If I understand you correctly, you propose that either government or some "institution" subsidize or support writers so they don't have to charge for their work? How long do you suppose you'd be fr..."The way I see it, it's a dreamlike wish, not a 'They should do this' opinion. As in, governments should realise the benefits of the written word and instead of having writing facilities e.g. Publishing, Agents, Covers, Sales etc, as something that a writer has to pay to achieve.
As in, if writers didn't have to fork out so much money to have their work published, then all writers would be able to more freely publish their work, for the pure joy, to their readers for free.
Masha wrote: "If I understand you correctly, you propose that either government or some "institution" subsidize or support writers so they don't have to charge for their work? How long do you suppose you'd be fr..."I am specifically concerned with certain genres : self help, mind body spirit, ... The human race as a whole can advance so much if they had unlimited access to the greatest works. Dare I say that piracy has stepped in to "save" the day !!!!!???
OK then, WHO will decide which self-help books are useful? The government? The FDA? The AMA? Should I just keep listing the alphabet soup or did I make my point?
Masha wrote: "OK then, WHO will decide which self-help books are useful? The government? The FDA? The AMA? Should I just keep listing the alphabet soup or did I make my point?"I don't want to sound argumentative Masha, but I think you're taking this a little too seriously. The point is that there are a lot of books out there that could help people, but that they might not have access to because they can't afford them.
As a disabled person myself, I understand this. A lot of medical texts that can help you with self-help or help explain your illness are priced in the £30-£100 bracket. They're targeted at medical students or professionals, but there are people with these illnesses who could also benefit from these texts.
I think what Lakshmi is saying is 'In a perfect world, writers can write for joy, not to make money' and everyone would have access to the type of books that can improve illnesses/people's way of dealing with life in general.
The point I believe Masha is trying to make is that any government or institution that would be willing to subsidize authors and writers to do nothing but write, would eventually, if not automatically, place restrictions on such writings. There is no such thing as a free lunch, as they say.Once you start asking for a subsidy, the one paying for you is eventually going to ask for something in return. It may be small at first, but soon, they will want more, and continue to want more until your "freedom" as a writer has all but vanished.
In the system we currently have, yes, agents and publishing houses do have a bit of a say in what does and does not get published, but that is slowly diminishing with the rise of self-publishing entities that are allowing exactly what you're asking for - a chance to write to write. If your goal in writing is to make money, you shouldn't be writing. If your goal is to write because you have something to say, great, there are plenty of places you can go to send your writing that won't cost a reader a dime.
I'm just saying watch what you wish for, because right now, we are free to write what we want, when we want. But if you ask the government or an institution to start sticking their noses in it, that freedom may slowly erode until we're left with only that for which the subsidy wants.
Someone seriously wants book publishing to be a government dept.?Would we really want America's publishing system to resemble America's healthcare system?
Committees of experts paid by corporations that manufacture drugs vote on diagnoses that insurance companies must pay to care for (that's how the DSM is created, for example) and insurance companies employ experts to deny claims so they don't have to pay, both types of companies give campaign contributions to politicians to pass laws that favor them, including a law saying each citizen must buy insurance or pay a fine and if they don't the IRS will come after them (an agency that can send you to jail, and if you try to escape you'll be shot.) Which means only the rich can afford care, everyone has to pay and no one gets anything back except the corporations, and poor people just get screwed. The elites in government and corporations get richer and more powerful, and direct money to universities to do research that proves the corporations are right, and passes laws that restrict who is considered a "real" journalist so no one can publish a news article that says any of that is the wrong way to do things or that any individual treatment is not really good for you.
Is that how you want publishing to be? Instead of paying $2.99 for a self-published ebook of your choice, or $8.99 for a professionally published paperback of your choice, you pay $2000 in taxes to be given what you don't want which is propaganda?
