Self Publishing Is a Dirty Word

I remember the days when people would be embarrassed to say they were self-published because when they did they received pitying looks; because money isn't made from self-publishing. If you did it yourself it meant that a publishing house would not accept your work. It meant you weren't a very good writer.

While it wasn't always true before, now, with the introduction of internet self-publishing and now the ebook, it's not only becoming far more popular and it's becoming an actual reputable platform.  Even many professional freelance writers are choosing ebooks over the traditional method of publishing.

The Question is Why?

When the Kindle came out the ebook revolution began. While many cried that it was the end of the book, and many still do, it is simply a new option. One that gives many people the opportunity to publish their work without the miniscule royalty that many publishing houses dole out to their writers. Many people who refused to buy Kindles when they came out now own them and swear by them.

While there is the ebook, there is also Print on Demand publishers such as Createspace that will publish a hard copy of the book you want to publish; but only when someone wants to buy it.  For a book that you know will either sell slowly or only sell a few copies, it is a good option.

What this means for Writers

Self Publishing is no longer the dirty word it was. While you still want to avoid vanity presses, ebook and Print on Demand publishing is becoming something reputable. Someone can publish their work for the world to read. Of course, some of the usual drawbacks with self publishing still apply. The biggest drawback that still applies is the marketing aspect. The writer, in most cases, are doing entirely all of the marketing to sell the book. While for many this can be troublesome, for others, especially those with small niches and new writers, who the publishers will not heavily market your book through traditional means.

So while you may still want to search for a publishing house, you may not need to go to a publisher for all of your writings. For that collection of short stories that many publishers will quickly overlook, self publishing may be an option. Make sure to check out your options when you are working on getting published.

Uses of an English Degree

So, you're getting an English Degree. When you tell people they give you a sympathetic look, or they ask if you're going to be a teacher. If your intentions are not teaching and you tell them such, they give you a confused look. Then comes the uncomfortable moment when you have to explain to them what you're going to do with that English degree, and hope they're not of the crowd of people that think you'll be stuck working at a coffeehouse or in fast food with such a 'useless' degree.

Have no fear! I'm here to let you know what careers are available for those of us with an English Degree so you don't have to feel like you have to are stuck with a career in fast food or waiting to become the next great novelist.

• Author - Most writers want to become authors in some sense. Whether they want to publish the great American novel or not, being an author is about having your name on a book. It's a hard part of the writing industry to break into, as it requires skill as well as patience.  
• Editor - One of the prized positions for many English Majors, an editor, for a magazine or a newspaper, will not only edit other people's work, but often times they will also be in charge of writing a few articles each issue, as well as dealing with freelance writers.
• Technical Writer - Technical writers are the people that write service manuals, and other instructional or informational pieces. They are needed in any industry, from electronics to automotive, to health care. If you like writing, and want to get involved in a specific industry that you don't believe caters to writers, technical writing may be for you.
  
• Journalist - You too can be Lois Lane! Well, perhaps not literally, but journalist have been around for quite some time. The most current incarnation, and the one people think of, came around with the onset of the printing press. A time honored tradition that requires good writing, reporting techniques, and a love of the truth.
• English Teacher- The most commonly assumed job for those seeking an English degree, if you like teaching others, it is always an option. You don't even need to stick to public school system. Private schools, tutoring, or professional writing teacher, you will find that many people want to learn how to write well. If you can teach someone else to write, this is an option.
• Freelance Writer - While not everyone is cut out for freelance writing, as it is a competitive field and the independence you get from working for yourself also translates into the panic of having to do everything yourself, if you can bowl through the awkward first few months where you're sure you'll never get anyone to pay you over $5 for an article, it is fun and rewarding.
• Marketing Director- Writing is, let's face it, pretty important to marketing. While you may not start as the director, you could end up there with persuasive writing skills.
• Public Relations - Writing speeches, doing press releases, and generally making the public happy isn't necessarily hard for a writer. If you are a good persuasive writer, and you love working with people, this could be the job for you.
• Administrative Assistant- The office world may not seem like the most attractive profession, but an English degree can be the easiest way to get your foot in the door to a writing based job. While some may use this as a doorway to another job, others may enjoy an Administrative Assistant job, especially in certain industries, as it is generally lower stress than a lot of other office jobs.
• Paralegal/ Legal Assistant- Those skills you learned for how to write a good essay and a research paper translate into investigative ability that will turn around and can be used well. Whether you decide to use it as a bridging degree or not, it's up to you.

However...
Despite that there are many professions available to the English Major, if you're interested in these careers and don't want to go to college or don't have the time, these are just some suggestions. Many of them you don't need a degree at all to get into. Many people move into their jobs without ever getting a degree. This can be great, and this can be dangerous, depending on the industry. I always encourage people to at least get an associate's degree in something, as it's the shortest (and cheapest) degree to get.

I may be a bit biased, however, since I grew up the girl who wanted to get a degree in everything, and still plans on getting quite a few degrees. Including a PH.D in psychology.

What are your thoughts on the uses of an English degree? Did you get one and then go in a totally different direction or did it lead to your dream job? Did you get your dream job without needing a degree? Did I miss any other interesting jobs you can get with an English degree?

You Are Not Original

I am going to tell you something as a writer that you won't like. You are not a unique, special snowflake. Or, at the very least, your writing isn't. Especially fiction writing. Maybe if you are reviewing a movie or book and you happen to be the first one, maybe you can think about claiming to be unique, but your critiques are probably ideas that have been thought before, about different books, movies or what have you.

There is no such thing as an original idea.

Now, doesn't that make you feel a teeniest bit better? I mean, really, this blog most is mostly for my fiction writing companions, but it can also be true for non fiction writers. However, I'm going to focus largely on fiction writing for this. Because that's when this becomes a pet peeve of mine.

Haven't you ever read those posts by various people that are upset that [insert author here] didn't give credit to their inspiration? That they really aren't that original?

Personally, I get tired of it.

Humans have been telling stories since, well, since they could communicate with each other. Stories have been woven by man and woman alike for millennium. The idea that it is even possible to come up with an entirely new and unique story seems a bit ridiculous to me. I know someone that continuously tries to prove me wrong on this point, and every time he fails.

And I don't understand why people get upset by this fact. In fact, I consider it a relief whenever I am writing and I tell myself 'You don't have to try to create something so unique and so different that it's shocking. All you have to do is make is believable: make it real.'

Making it Real

Now, when I say making it real is more important that making it original, what I mean is that the issue with writing is not the originality of the idea or of the story, but how it connects with the readers. Famous playwright William Shakespeare was by no means the first person to write about star crossed lovers (ever read Tristan and Isolde?), but he did so in a way that connected with the readers and the play goers and there he found success.

So how can you better connect with your readers? With people. People that seem real, and believable. Whether or not they feel that they can connect with the main character is not the immediate issue, because people will find what they like in the characters for themselves. But if the character seems like a real person, then they'll want to read more about them, about their life. High action works well for movies, where you can enjoy the special effects and action for action's sake, but in writing, especially in a world where there are many people who would prefer to watch TV than curl up with a good book, it's the characters that make people want to read the story.

Don't misunderstand, however, the plot and the action is also very important, as no matter how wonderful your character is, without a direction for the story, it can read more like a psychological study than a well thought novel. I think the book Plot vs. Character illustrates this the best, and helps explain why you need to balance the plot and the character development in your story.

So stop worrying about being the most original writer that ever existed.

And focus more on being a better writer.