Interesting Links #11: Writerly Setbacks
No matter how well things go in life, there are bound to be setbacks, alas. Since setbacks are inevitable, it is important to learn to deal with them in a constructive way. So a lot of this week’s Interesting Links discuss dealing with the problems of writing and publishing.
-The best way to avoid the pitfalls of a traditional publisher is to self-publish: The Pitfalls Of Landing A Traditional Publisher.
-I’ve spent a lot of time wrestling with whether or not to use Kindle Unlimited because of the exclusivity clause, but to deal with that problem, writer Lindsay Buroker might have thought up the cleverest use for Patreon that I have seen in a while.
-This is a really excellent post about a writer persisting in the face of chronic pain and health problems: When The Going Gets Tough – Writer Edition.
-It is always instructive to observe how Amazon responds to setbacks. Like, the Fire Phone in 2014 was a failure, but that directly led to the current highly successful generation of low-cost Fire Tablets: Amazon Review Policy Change.
-Of course, sometimes when things go wrong, it’s best to retreat entirely and fight another day: We Messed Up. We’re Sorry, And We’re Not Rolling Out The Fees Change.
-And then sometimes things really go wrong: Barnes & Noble (Accidentally) Sends Millions Of Nook Related Emails.
-On the other hand, traditional publishing isn’t dealing with its ongoing setbacks very well: Stability in the book marketplace does not mean commercial publishers continue to maintain their share.
-If writing books doesn’t make you happy, then you probably shouldn’t do it. But this is true of many of life’s optional activities, not just writing: Business Musings: Quitting.
-I finished college, but I think I was at the very end of the time period when it made financial sense to do so (and I dropped out of graduate school and never went back): The World Might Be Better Off Without College For Everyone.
-I do feel like I do my best thinking by my bookcases: Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You’ll Ever Have Time to Read.
-JM
The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone……
That is a beautiful argument. What’s more the financial burden coming off of higher education is ABSURD compared to the payouts. Yes the overall increase from high school educated to college educated is high. But if you tell me to spend 100k (which a few of my friends DID), to learn a bunch of things I am never going to use (which is the definition of a lot of school), to find out that if I actually want to use my college degree I am super limited in my job choices, and in all actuality even with reduced interest and payment scaling the odds of me paying this off in 10 years or less is….minimal. I’m going to call you names. Impolite names. Over and over.
School is an indulgence, if you can afford it great, if not do yourself a favor and skip it. Or find an alternative. “Would I advise an academically well-prepared 18-year-old to skip college because she won’t learn much of value? Absolutely not. Studying irrelevancies for the next four years will impress future employers and raise her income potential.”…..I laughed. A lot actually.
The sad part is that’s not even a remotely uncommon story. The big problems with college these days seem to be a.) crippling debt, and b.) it trains smart people to be really good at taking tests and not much else. Like, I’ve met a lot of people 20 years younger than me who are really smart, but seem to expect life to be graded and have trouble taking the initiative. Which isn’t great combined with 100k in student debt.
So it’s a problem, and I don’t know what the answer is. Alas, the most effective way to learn things always seems to be the hard way!