The publishing industry has always been one of constant change. Having been a published author for over twenty years, I can tell you that. Publishers rising and falling. New trends. Heck, I even remember when ebooks were new and you no longer had to explain to people what they were. Yeah, I’m old. That’s okay, though, because it means for the purposes of this blog, I’ve been through a lot of uncertainty in the business, a lot of changes, and I want to tell you that the world needs your stories. You must write with and through uncertainty.
Think about marketing. Platforms rise and fall. Some allow us to gain large followings and help us boost our sales while others seem perfect for us and end up flopping. Trends, tropes, even whole genres seem to come and go in and out of fashion. Through all of this, yes, the world still needs your stories.
But it can be difficult to write through uncertainty. It can be difficult to write when you don’t know how you’re going to tell people about your books or if they’ll even hear about it. It can be difficult to know what to do when the political landscape, which has the power to impact our stories, shifts so quickly.
My answer? Keep writing.
I’m not going to be all pollyanna about this and say that things will change slowly enough for you to get your bearings. They might change on a dime. But what I will tell you is that your voice is needed. Your voice needs to be heard. Your stories need to be heard. Your stories could change a day or even a life. And let’s be honest, for many of us the reality we’re living in is difficult. It’s tough. Finding joy. FInding an escape. Finding a way to experience joy and hope for a while, even if it’s about fictional characters, that’s a powerful gift to give someone.
So how do we get through this? Together. With our communities. By holding one another, keeping space for one another, and most of all, you know I’m going to say it, so say it with me–keep writing!
If you’re afraid, put that fear onto the paper. If you’re worried for the future give yourself an escape with your writing. Do it for yourself and do it for others.
I promise you, your story and your voice is needed right now.
