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Excellently put. There's a problem in publishing, and we have to keep pushing for better practices instead of merely accepting pennies for years and years and years of work.
Yep, absolutely all of this. "Luck is designed to favor those in positions of privilege and power." A 100%.
The fact is that it isn't just the arts and humanities that exploit people. Every single trade and industry is trying to exploit people. And they all have different detailed and creative ideas of why that's just how it has to be, and why 'the system is just made that way'. As if the 'system' is some sort of naturally occurring formation, like a mountainous landscape, or an area particularly susceptible to rainstorms.
In fact all the systems are built the way we wanted to build them, and by we I mean the people profiting from them.
When I got paid $7500 for my first novel, in 1999, after slogging through a CW PhD program, and being faced with TWO CW jobs west of Denver, I left academia and got a corporate job in tech. It's been 25 years, I'm "retiring" with a tiny nest egg and a paid off little house, and plans to finish the 3 books I have in progress, find a new agent, etc. That advance made it really clear to me that I was not going to be able to make an actual living as a writer. That the industry was unwilling to pay the kind of $$ that would make a 2nd book possible. I know Summer, and she's great, but she's the kind of romantic I could never be -- and I was furious that the profession I'd worked so hard to join was absolutely unwilling to PAY ME. I needed to make a living! I had debts to pay and people to support.
Yes, Indeed!! Trades, yes, you are so correct!" The trades" as all aspects of the trades are concerned may be the most in need area of industry, creativity, skill and opportunity and understanding, etc. There needs to always be a new and authentic narrative, as in trades, Education and Creative callings. Now more than ever!!! Great respect for your authentic views and talents. Without heart felt reason and passion nothing real is created.
damn, so much here I wish I could highlight.
Thank you so much, Kerry!
Excellently put. There's a problem in publishing, and we have to keep pushing for better practices instead of merely accepting pennies for years and years and years of work.
Thank you so much! That's exactly what we need to be doing!
Yep, absolutely all of this. "Luck is designed to favor those in positions of privilege and power." A 100%.
The fact is that it isn't just the arts and humanities that exploit people. Every single trade and industry is trying to exploit people. And they all have different detailed and creative ideas of why that's just how it has to be, and why 'the system is just made that way'. As if the 'system' is some sort of naturally occurring formation, like a mountainous landscape, or an area particularly susceptible to rainstorms.
In fact all the systems are built the way we wanted to build them, and by we I mean the people profiting from them.
When I got paid $7500 for my first novel, in 1999, after slogging through a CW PhD program, and being faced with TWO CW jobs west of Denver, I left academia and got a corporate job in tech. It's been 25 years, I'm "retiring" with a tiny nest egg and a paid off little house, and plans to finish the 3 books I have in progress, find a new agent, etc. That advance made it really clear to me that I was not going to be able to make an actual living as a writer. That the industry was unwilling to pay the kind of $$ that would make a 2nd book possible. I know Summer, and she's great, but she's the kind of romantic I could never be -- and I was furious that the profession I'd worked so hard to join was absolutely unwilling to PAY ME. I needed to make a living! I had debts to pay and people to support.
Yes to this! 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Yes, Indeed!! Trades, yes, you are so correct!" The trades" as all aspects of the trades are concerned may be the most in need area of industry, creativity, skill and opportunity and understanding, etc. There needs to always be a new and authentic narrative, as in trades, Education and Creative callings. Now more than ever!!! Great respect for your authentic views and talents. Without heart felt reason and passion nothing real is created.