Why Are You In It?

Every once in a while, the publishing world breaks out in highly publicized debates about big publishing versus small publishing versus self-publishing. It’s not a new argument. Not a new debate. And most people in the industry have super strong opinions one way or another about whatever roads they deem worthy or unworthy or right or whatever.

And I get it. We’re all entitled to our feelings and our opinions and our ways of thought. I have some of my own even. The thing is that we are all here to survive a different journey, and we are so much better off for the many available choices of roads. I could share my opinions and experiences and whatever whatever, but the thing is, it doesn’t matter. Because even though I’m writing with building a career in mind, that career isn’t necessarily the reason I create.

I write because I love it. It frees me. It makes me think deeply and notice the small things and observe people and situations and places. And also, it clears my head of all the voices. And those voices are the thing that make me believe that I was absolutely put on this earth to create, so it’s like a vicious cycle that boils down to this: I write to stay sane.

So there. I said it. Doesn’t matter which path I choose or how I find my success. The point is that I’m sane, and that’s what matters. And I’m proud of the quality of work I’m learning to produce. I’m successful in so many little ways, and I plan /expect/ am working toward more success in the future. So I’m going to take the advice of Caitlin at All the Write Notes and make my excited face as often as I can, and I’m going to remember how many successful roads have been traveled by Jennifer Armentrout, and be grateful for my publisher and my agent, and all the other people working hard to help me make good things happen, and I’m going to stand up and dance. Because people, I’m in it for the insane-sanity of the thing.  

And really, I don’t know of anyone who can argue with that. So tell me, why are you in it?