If you are a fan of "The Writer" magazine, I would encourage you to pick up the September 2008 edition. There is an interesting article by Sean McLachlan on page 28 titled "The Midlisters - Backbone of the Publishing Industry". McLachlan uses the article to highlight a segment of the writing community whose names don't take up residence on the tips of our tongues.
But McLachlan doesn't name names. He just asserts that published midlist authors are in the majority. The short description beside the article's title reads, "They're not famous, nor are their titles, but they steadily turn out marketable books. Here's how they do it."
McLachlan weaves the following insights into his article:
1) Midlisters are prolific, often to an intimidating degree.
2) Once they have a bunch of titles under their belt, midlisters resell their old work.
3) Midlisters deal well with rejection.
4) To secure a reasonably stable living, midlisters usually write in several different genres.
5) Having numerous titles across several genres means midlisters often write under a variety of pseudonyms.
6) Midlisters know how to change with the market.
7) In the chaotic world of publishing, it isn't just the genres that keep changing, so midlisters keep track of editors as they move between publishers.
8) Always on the lookout for other income possibilities, midlisters often have other writing-related jobs.
9) The common denominator here is that midlisters are professionals
McLachlan's article has inspired me to change the way I view my writing career. My previous writing visions had me living what Robin Leach calls "the lifestyles of the rich and famous." I would travel the globe to promote my bestselling books. I would sit courtside at the Staples Center to watch Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates exact revenge against the Boston Celtics. But then someone (probably my wife) would interrupt my daydreaming, pleading with me to wake up as she slapped me across the head.
After the sting from this slap wears off, I would hear her say, "Yes, you have the right aptitude, but your preoccupation with the career's fringe benefits is controlling your altitude." I would shake my head in agreement. Why would I argue with her? The rug would have been pulled from under me. When it comes to putting words to paper, we writers should be concerned with just that - putting words to paper.
I can't be considered one of McLachlan's midlisters. I'm still trying to figure out how to increase sales of my nonfiction and fiction titles, which were published independently through Infinity Publishing, Publish America and Lulu. But I am putting words to paper, both individually and collaboratively (with other writers). I don't have any assurances that I will achieve the kind of success that others have achieved. I just want to use my words to inform, enlighten and entertain.
In the final analysis, writers are required to have love for the writing game. This love is not contingent on the praise of others; you just have this urge to get out what you've been holding inside. If others want to gather around to hear what you're saying, that's fine. It's also fine if they want to pay you $14.95 for a piece of what you said.
Jeffery A. Faulkerson, MSSW
www.jefferyafaulkerson.com
Posted By: J. A. Faulkerson
Tuesday, September 9th 2008 at 2:15PM
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