Professional seshional

     First of all, I am not even sure I understand what the phrase “professional writing” means.  Does it mean you get paid to write, or that you follow a set of guidelines that gives the impression that you are intelligent?  If I have published my work, but didn’t receive compensation for my writing, am I still a professional writer?  If I spend my entire life actively developing my craft, can I be considered a professional writer?  The term professional is vague and does not apply to how I label myself.  Teachers write professionally.  Morticians write professionally.  Lawyers write professionally.  Do poets?  What about bloggers? Or blogging poets? 

     I could find employment writing for a newspaper, become a lawyer, a teacher, or work as an editor or copywriter.  I could write ads for TV and radio commercials.  I could write nonfiction books and articles on any topic imaginable.  I could do interviews for a mainstream magazine or small newsletter.  Maybe I could work for the government crafting propaganda to publish in the Iraqi fledgling press about the good intentions of the American government.  I could write for a nonprofit organization trying to make abortion illegal or write about techniques to stop employees from forming a union for a large corporation.  Perhaps, I could write for a website that deals with pet grooming.  I could write TV dramas and sitcoms, or maybe even a play about special needs kids. The possibilities are endless.   The need for writers will only continue to grow as our society becomes increasingly more dependent on information rather than a particular product.  As a patent lawyer, I could potentially make a large salary and have a house with a picket fence.  None of these options fit my goals for the future.  I know that it is naive, but I choose to write poetry.  I don’t care if it is in prose format or written in chalk on the sidewalk.  To me, it is all poetry.  To me, life is poetry.  I will not compromise my writing style in order to put food on the table.  That is why I am started a publishing company; others will have to conform to my standards.  I believe in clarity, and I think writing should have high standards when it comes to thoughtfulness, not just trite rules of language.  I think people should write how they talk and feel rather than conforming to stale sentiments that mean nothing in the end. 

     My friends and I enjoy debating about literature.  Most of the debate involves us coming up with reasons why contemporary literature lacks real thought and what we can do to improve the different genres.  Sometimes we find a writer that has talent and who pays attention to detail.  If we do, we pass the book around and talk about the intricate details of the piece of work.  We discuss why a certain poem works, or why certain nonfiction treatises are groundbreaking.  We talk about the propaganda that is spewed out by our government and mass media.  We criticize journalists for being biased and for misleading the public.   We talk about where we would like to see these genres move towards, and what is stopping them.  We discuss what we are currently working on, whether it is a poem about war, or an essay on Kurt Vonnegut articles.   

     If you want to publish an article for publication, you send a query letter.  In order to publish poetry, you just send your poems to the press.  If you want to sell a sitcom, you submit a treatment.  If you want to create an ad for a company, you send a synapse of your idea and how it complies with the company’s consumers and how it would increase their profits margins.   Basically, if you want to publish your writing, you need to concern yourself with the audience of that individual business.   Also, each publication has different needs and expectations that a writer must keep in mind.  One of the most important aspects for a writer who wants to become published is researching the venue they are interested in.  Another important thing for writers to remember is that they will be rejected repeatedly, and if they really want to be published, they have to submit endlessly.  Writers must also stay updated in their field by actively reading the latest published works. But the most important thing a writer must do is to eliminate their ego from the writing process.  

 There is a plethora of publications that deal with the topic of publishing, whether it be self-publishing or marketing your work to large publishers.  I think that if you are a writer and you don’t already know this information, someone has failed you.  Most likely you have failed yourself because you were too lazy to go to a library and check out a book.  If that is the case, I think that you are probably not a very serious writer.  As Samuel Clements once said, “Those who don’t read are the same as those who can’t.”

radical decision

i have just decided that i will go a head and continue with my idea of having a publishing house.  

 

I will not give up.  I will continue to strive for mashed potatoes and gravy.  

 

My first project is a book that has my grandmother’s, mother’s and my poetry in it.  My second project will be collection of my poems.  

 

If anyone has advice feel free to offer it (Hint- I handle naysayerism best after a free lunch).  I have done a bunch of research so far but there’s always more to learn (Why does the tap water make my tongue fat?).   

 

My third project will be shocking and change the world, if only i could think of it.