All these statements are ones I’ve heard. Once was enough.
1. “Oh, you are a writer! Would I have read anything you wrote?” I have no idea where to start with that answer. How would I know what you read? Am I supposed to ask you that? Or just duck my head and say, “Probably not. I’m not famous.”
2. “Did you get a huge advance like [big-name celebrity]?” I always want to say, “Well, those of us who write our own books get a much bigger advance.” But I do not.
3.” You didn’t self-publish? You know, if you did, you can control your marketing plan.” I can do all the marketing I want with my publisher, too.
4. “Why would anyone not want to self-publish?” Because I’m not a distributor and my publisher gets my book into stores I didn’t know about. Better than i could do.
5. “Oh, you write. Do you know E.L. James?” No, I do not know the author of 50 Shades of Gray. Or Janet Evanovich or Nora Roberts or even writers I’d like to meet like Anne Lamott, Anne Tyler, or Brené Brown. This brings back memories of when I went overseas and people would ask me if I knew their second cousin in Sheboygan. And were disappointed if I didn’t.
—Quinn McDonald is a writer. She hopes you might give Raw Art Journaling as a gift this holiday season.
QuinnCreative 