I wasn’t expecting much. I’m new, and very few people really know about me. This is how it is for many writers these days. It’s not just about getting a book out there anymore. This blog was created to get myself in the world of literature. I put my two cents in as a writer so that others like me can learn from what I do. There aren’t enough people out there giving advice who are taking their own advice as they’re writing it. I’m not alone on this. Most writers these days have their own ways of getting known. Many of them choose blogs. We write anyway, so it might as well be doing something for us other than making books that may or may not ever get written.
Back in the day, you didn’t have to make sure you were known before you tried to contact an agent. You didn’t have to do anything to get your book out there if the book was interesting and written well, but that’s not the case. You didn’t have to work much more than writing. What’s changed? Everything. Go to a bookstore or a library and just count how many authors are in just that one building. Guess what, that’s not the half of it. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have great stories that are just waiting to get out there. What chance do we all have with all of these other great writers out there? We have a great chance if we work to get ourselves known. For that, I am telling you all right here and now that things must change if we want to get our books out there. We cannot just wait for things to happen. We have to take all of our chances and the risks that come with them.
So get off of your mental easy chair and get to work, get your blogs out there, start your vlogs, but whatever you do, get yourself out there. It’d also be a good idea to keep on writing as you’re doing all of this. Don’t stop your normal routine, because once you’re out there, you’re going to have to keep on working. Writing is not an easy way to fame and fortune. Meyers and Rowling worked for what they have, and they’re still working. They’re still writing, and guess what, they don’t have it any easier than you or I. If their books fail, so do they. They keep things up on their websites when they can, but their work is done for that. People know them, but when they get close to something coming out, they put tons of effort into telling the world. They aren’t going to stop working, and neither should we. Now get to writing, but get yourself out there, or you’ll never get anywhere
writingsaboutwriting 
The moments I beat myself up for not having pursued publication twenty years ago are fewer now, but I confess I still have them. Putting together a platform as an author isn’t easy. Many of us vastly prefer to stay behind the scenes, doing – guess what? – writing. This is no longer an option. Not only does the author have to get out there and create PR opportunities, he has to maintain a web presence with as many followers as possible. Oh – and write the next book! It’s dizzying and easy to become overwhelmed. Luckily, there are those among us who are especially good at it. They’re willing to share their knowledge. I plan to latch onto them and their books as soon as it becomes necessary. In the meantime, I polish my work until it shines so it’s ready for submission.
Great article – you really capture what it’s like to be a serious author in today’s changing publication market. So different from a couple decades ago.
Take care,
Jess
Thanks for the compliment, and I completely agree. There is no way for us to get out in the world of literature, if nobody knows us. We have to have blogs, we have to be freelance, we have to work before anybody even cares about what we can do. It’s a hard world for us, but we’re all together on this as long as we don’t go against each other.