The five stages of publishing
Hey, writers! Where are you in the publishing process?
Denial: I think maybe I’ll write a novel. I have a really great idea for one. My friends think I’m a pretty good writer. I once got a rejection from The New Yorker that referred to the “obvious merit” of my fiction. Sure. I’ll write a novel and then send it to an agent!
Anger: No one is publishing me because they don’t understand how amazing my work is. They just don’t get it. Philistines. Agents won’t even look at my manuscript. The whole system is corrupt. You have to be one of those New York elites to get a book published. You have to be from money. You have to know people. You have to get an MFA. Publishing is a racket.
Bargaining: What the heck. I’ll go ahead and get an MFA. It might be fun to hang out with a bunch of writers like myself—people just trying to figure out how to get their work out for the world to see. It’ll be fun. I’ll learn some stuff about my craft. Maybe I’ll get into a huge argument in a workshop!
Depression: Even though I have an MFA, Knopf has not yet given me the big, Jonathan Safran Foer-esque, two-book deal. This sucks. Why have I been wasting my time? Publishers are only interested in turning people’s mildly funny conceptual blogs into books. Why the hell didn’t I just take a photo of my cat wearing a monocle, and then ask other people to submit photos of their cats wearing monocles to me? I’d have a book contract right now.
Acceptance: You know, it’s actually surprisingly easy for me to just do this myself. Maybe I’ll just start my own small press.
Tags: Kubler-Ross, Publishing
hah! this is very good Matthew
hah! this is very good Matthew
Nice. After I got through the Depression stage I thought I was in the clear–Acceptance seemed within reach!–but I keep slipping back into Denial.
Nice. After I got through the Depression stage I thought I was in the clear–Acceptance seemed within reach!–but I keep slipping back into Denial.
damn. i think i’m still stuck in denial!
damn. i think i’m still stuck in denial!
Hah hah! ha…ha….ha….h–….*sob.*
Hah hah! ha…ha….ha….h–….*sob.*
[…] Simmons wrote an hilarious post over at HTMLGIANT about the "Five Stages of Publishing": Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. I'm not sure it's a linear path, but I can […]
nice one
That’s about accurate.
nice one
That’s about accurate.
I’ve done all these except the anger stage? Do you think I’m repressing something?
I’ve done all these except the anger stage? Do you think I’m repressing something?
I’m in Denial, at least about my own writing, but I feel acceptance about anyone else’s.
I’m in Denial, at least about my own writing, but I feel acceptance about anyone else’s.
This cat + monocle project is intriguing.
This cat + monocle project is intriguing.
Don’t worry, Tim. I’ve got enough anger to go around.
Don’t worry, Tim. I’ve got enough anger to go around.
depression
depression
Yeah, great idea about the cats-with-monocles book, which I’m now officially stealing. Easy Street, here I come!
Yeah, great idea about the cats-with-monocles book, which I’m now officially stealing. Easy Street, here I come!
I would suggest you call it “Classy, Classy Cats.”
I would suggest you call it “Classy, Classy Cats.”
i’d be laughing even harder if it wasn’t so true…i flucuate between denail and bargaining, i think
i’d be laughing even harder if it wasn’t so true…i flucuate between denail and bargaining, i think
Enjoyed this. Thanks, Matthew.
Enjoyed this. Thanks, Matthew.
nailed
nailed
I’m in an amped-up mode of self-promo, can’t figure out if I’m a pimp or a hoe. But I did get the 1st excerpt of my 3xbad book published today in 3:AM – http://is.gd/6b0iP – is that acceptance? I want y’all to read it. Guess I’m just a pimpin’ hoe…
I’m in an amped-up mode of self-promo, can’t figure out if I’m a pimp or a hoe. But I did get the 1st excerpt of my 3xbad book published today in 3:AM – http://is.gd/6b0iP – is that acceptance? I want y’all to read it. Guess I’m just a pimpin’ hoe…
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I write like I bake: Some batches go straight into the compost. Some are good enough to feed to people. The people willing to try the share-worthy batches generally either say “mmm” or else don’t comment at all. I try to use the mmm’s (a pretty imprecise form of criticism) to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Then I bake another batch. There’s no point in getting too attached to any given batch: It’s either going to get composted or else it’s going to get eaten. Either way it’s gone. I figure eventually most batches will come out pretty good.
I can see how I might get neurotic if I thought writing was for keeping rather than for eating. The kind of dough that keeps–you shellac it and put it in your shop window–is called pate morte. I guess the kind of writing you get attached to is–what–ecriture morte? None for me, thanks.
I write like I bake: Some batches go straight into the compost. Some are good enough to feed to people. The people willing to try the share-worthy batches generally either say “mmm” or else don’t comment at all. I try to use the mmm’s (a pretty imprecise form of criticism) to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Then I bake another batch. There’s no point in getting too attached to any given batch: It’s either going to get composted or else it’s going to get eaten. Either way it’s gone. I figure eventually most batches will come out pretty good.
I can see how I might get neurotic if I thought writing was for keeping rather than for eating. The kind of dough that keeps–you shellac it and put it in your shop window–is called pate morte. I guess the kind of writing you get attached to is–what–ecriture morte? None for me, thanks.
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I think, having had a book contract cancelled a year and a half after signing, that I am the one who died and went to heaven, only after I saw the light, I got shoved off the cloud.
I think, having had a book contract cancelled a year and a half after signing, that I am the one who died and went to heaven, only after I saw the light, I got shoved off the cloud.
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that seems like a better idea: spend money on a small press vs. an MFA: yeah! yeah!
that seems like a better idea: spend money on a small press vs. an MFA: yeah! yeah!
[…] How to succeed in publishing without really trying… Posted on February 20, 2010 by Shannon So, aspiring writers, where are you in the publishing process? Check out the five stages of publishing. […]