The one thing that really stands out to me in the time I’ve been working with independent authors and musicians is this: the quality of the work produced. Indie musicians, for the most part, are incredibly talented artists. You can just tell they put their heart and soul into their work, and the result is some of the best music available on the market today. It’s raw. It’s edgy. It’s fun to listen to because it sounds great.
Indie authors are a different story, though. The vast majority haven’t taken the time to hone their craft, and it shows in the final product. Bad grammar, typos, and a lack of real substance and style are the norm. Instead of being a delight, much of what’s produced borders on painful to read. Why is that the case?
I think it has everything to do with the barriers to entry for the different disciplines. If someone wants to become an independent musician, they have to pony up a significant chunk of change to make it happen. There are instruments to be purchased, studio time to pay for, engineering, CD production and distribution…all on the artists’ dime. They’re not going to blow all that money (money they earned and saved themselves or scraped together from family and friends) on recordings that are less than perfect. But that’s not the whole story.
Musicians are inclined to practice their craft on a regular basis. Every chance they get, they jam. They chase perfection like a fat kid after a donut. That’s why, despite the fact that advances in computer technology have made it a lot easier and less expensive to record their work, it usually still kicks ass.
Now let’s talk about the barriers to entry for the self-published author. Short version: there are none. If you have a computer with a word processing program and an internet connection (and frankly, who doesn’t), you can produce and publish an e-book in a weekend. There’s even an e-book that will walk you through the process. I’m not kidding. And with print-on-demand publishers popping up like daisies in spring, for $3-$5 dollars you can turn that e-book into a real live paperback. In other words, any hack with a 3rd grade education (and some without one) can become an “author”.
But just because you can, should you? Wouldn’t it be advisable to take a page from the playbook of your indie musician counterparts and spend some time getting good at actually writing? I think so. I think it’s time we indie authors stop producing so much crap and start paying attention to the quality of our work.
Take a little pride. After all, this is going to be a book that has your name on it! People are going to read it and know that you wrote it. And believe me, they’ll make judgments (fairly or not) about you based on how well or poorly you write. If you’re going to call yourself an author, learn how to write!
And what’s the best way to learn? Just like the musicians, we need to practice every day. In the immortal words of Billy Crystal (in “Throw Momma From the Train”), “A writer writes – always.” Get yourself a notebook (or, for those a little more technologically inclined, a netbook) and a pen and just write. Don’t edit…just let the words flow like a literary jam session.
And for heaven’s sake, get yourself one of these new-fangled blog thingys. That way, you can get feedback from other people that will help you become a better writer still. It’s really amazing what a little practice will do for you.
Now, so that you don’t think I’m playing favorites, I think you indie musicians have a thing or two to learn from the authors, too. That’ll be the topic of next week’s post. Until then, keep banging away at those dreams!
Author: Jerry Kennedy
