377 days - Blog #92 the business I own

Last Saturday, I had the unexpected pleasure of speaking to the Massachusetts Federation ofBusiness and Professional Women.  It was a request that came through email over a month ago and something to which I said yes, only to find myself dreading it as the interruption of a potentially lazy Saturday morning came closer.  I don’t generally freak out about getting in front of groups of people.  Over ten years of being a tour guide helped me to squash those fears.  But, it usually helps if I am genuinely interested in what I want to talk about. 

What I had to talk about was me as an independent writer.  I actually have these conversations and discussions and monologues quite a bit.  I find the conversation/discussion option works ten times better, which is why I invited a fellow author to come along with me.  I was lucky that they were an audience who liked to ask questions and did so until the time was up.  That’s the best kind of ‘teaching’, the kind when the learners ask and make me think about what I know… or better yet, don’t know. 

The morning was a success overall.  Not only because of the friendly discussion, but also because I discovered this group of women.  They offered the two of us memberships to the group, as well as the gift of a bottle of wine.  I like those kinds of meetings.   

The discussion brought me to talk about something that is always in the back of my mind, but something that I don’t own completely.  My writing is a business.  My novel and - to some degree – this blog is a product of my manufacture.  It requires skill that goes far beyond knowing how to put words together or what is a likable syntax.  It requires an understanding of so many things, things I didn’t realize I have been learning… and again, still have yet to learn.  But the handful of which I was confident to say I had gained knowledge included marketing, technology (formatting a book in MS Word is a ‘fun’ sort of challenge), branding, and the lesson I was putting to action… networking. 

I confess a little smugness about this list (there are many other things I can add to it) after seeing some very untrue and unkind assumptions about writers last week in the context of Nanowrimo.  I long debated the act of publishing my book on my own before I decided to pursue it, but have been grateful that as time passes the stigma of vanity publishing disintegrates into an appreciation of the new world of books and writing.  At least, my new world – that has become full of other independent writers, aspiring writers, librarians, readers, and fans – Canadian fans (I mean how AWESOME is that?).   But, of course, there are still people who declare anything not traditional is unprofessional.   

I hate the word professional in case you hadn’t noticed.  Before these 377 days are over, I am going to toss it in the dumpster and hope you will, too. 

I know… of course I know that chasing after that old prejudice is a lesson in futility.  And… whatever.  It shouldn’t matter now.  Because my life is so rich with friendships and nights where we sit in my house and write and share a meal.  That is a success that goes well beyond any imagination of a New York Times bestseller list or approval of the New York Review. 

So, no, writing is not a livable source of income at the present.  But my writing  – the making and success of a book – is much more than typing up words on a document as I do for a blog every day.  The manuscript itself has a lengthy process.  That is only just the first step.  The rest is running a business. 

A business I realized, when I sold five books that day, I am starting to understand.  At least a little bit.