HomeadviceThe Path to Publication

Comments

The Path to Publication — 2 Comments

  1. That is exactly what I struggled with as I battered my way through my last year of college. After realizing what my degree would not do for me, I was angst ridden for a long time about it. Honestly it is what gives me cold sweats about pursuing an MFA. And is my biggest criticism about WU’s writing program is that there really could be more exposure to the practice of the craft. I can read what was successful for free at the library frankly. But I can’t have my notions about pacing, mood, color, plot structure and character development challenged by just anybody. Writers simply must write. Well, I could have stood some in class exposure to software like InDesign too.

    The fact is most “writing programs” only prepare you (kind of) to enter the career world as a communications director or some such. But without being equipped with skills in layout, editing, and web design software we’re lack genuine marketable know-how. But that isn’t really about getting published as much as it is about getting a paycheck. Even an artist has to eat some how.

    • When I wrote this, part of me was thinking about the path you’ve taken and the struggles you’ve had with the decisions. WU is small, so your exposure is minimal. I’m grateful for what I learned from Tom and Amy. They pushed me out into the world. But I don’t know of any degree programs out there that teach you everything you need to know about the publishing industry, agents, how to build a platform, how to send in queries and submissions, the differences between the various types of markets, the differences between submitting an article, a short story, and a novel…

      They simply can’t provide all that. It changes from one minute to the next. If they’d taught me all that when I was there, it would all be outdated now. E-publishing shifts everything. Even those working in the industry have to relearn as they go.

      Still, everything you learn is worth learning, so don’t discount the degree you worked so hard to get. Do it for yourself, Justin, not for some mythical company that might hire you if you get another degree.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

%d bloggers like this: