Comments on: Why Do We Publish?

By: Brent Robison

Brent Robison — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:14:36 +0000

Shannon, thank you for one of the most empowering posts I’ve ever read! Stadler’s concept of creating one’s own public, plus your elaboration on his thoughts, help lift the discouragement of facing that amorphous mass of “the public”, and instead get me excited about bringng my rather uncommercial collection of literary short stories to a small audience that will love it, and then will grow. I’m glad I’m taking political action by, first, writing what feels true for me rather what the “market” seems to want, and then joining the self-publishing revolution to bring it to the world. I’d like to post a link to this entry on my own blog at http:ultimate-indivisibility.com (soon). Thanks!

By: Dan Marvin

Dan Marvin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:35:36 +0000

I’ve always been an entertainer. In grade school I learned the power of making people laugh and I’ve always enjoyed it. I’ve always had the conflict of entertain versus making a living. I was the only engineering major that appeared in plays in college, for instance. Through my writing, I get to entertain. It doesn’t matter what I do in my day job, I’m a author so I’m an entertainer. My words can give people a chuckle or make them go ‘hmmm.’ For me, that’s why I publish. I like being an author. I like having a book I can put in people’s hands. The nice thing is, I’m starting to find my public. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do to sell my book and it’s selling. It’s a nice feeling that people buy it, that people I’ve never met before think “That would be perfect for my niece, she has a great sense of humor and likes stuff like that…”

By: Declan Stanley

Declan Stanley — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:49:44 +0000

“Your success should not be measured by how many physical copies of a book you sell, but by how many people make up your audience, your public. ”
It is the emails and blog comments from readers that motivate me, not the hand full of book sales. And while I would love to make an living as an author I realise that is a long road to travel and I need to build a large “public” to support myself.