Midlist Writer: Writers of the World Unite!

Thursday 1 May 2008

Writers of the World Unite!

Today is May Day, the international day of worker´s solidarity, and let´s not forget that all us pen pushers out there are workers too. Hey, most labor union members get paid way more than the average writer!

So what should we writers do to mark May Day? Shall we unfurl the red flags and take Manhattan by storm like the Bolsheviks did with the Winter Palace in 1917? As appealing as that image may be, it would probably end just as badly. Instead, we should unite in a better way. Remember that we're all in it together. With tens of thousands of titles coming out in English every year, we are not competitors. There is plenty of room for everybody. Help promote the latest books by your fellow writers. Give them encouraging advice on the newsgroups instead of tearing them down. And if a publisher, agent, or editor tries to rip you off, report them to Preditors and Editors or one of the many similar organizations.

Of course you can always own the means of production by publishing your work as an ebook or POD, but the capitalists still have the all-important means of distribution, so they´re still in control (mostly). They also have the big advertising revenues, so the revolution will definitely not be televised.

But it can be on the Internet.

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