
Alright, alright…how about just 5 days?
See, I don’t think they could do it. I think they’d try, but I know that the first shiny glint from an Amazon/Hachette article would draw them away like a child in a toy shop.
They can’t resist – they just can’t talk about anything that will help you!
Maybe it’s not their fault. After all, they’re leaders, and they have an obligation to their followers to inform them of how the world works, and what’s best for them. That way they won’t have to think for themselves at all. I mean, who wants that hassle?
But, the thing is, you do. You desperately want that hassle because you’re trying to write a book. You want advice that will allow you to think for yourself. Just not on this crap...on something useful.
What would that look like? Maybe a topic list like this:
- Using Commas in Sentences: When and Why;
- Unique Punctuation Styles and Why Readers Like Them;
- Split Infinitives, Conjunctions and other Things that May or May Not be Important;
- What is the Best Size for a Paragraph?
- Does the Look of the Page Matter?
- Tricks for Writing Italics Quickly.
Those are all ideas that I’m sure many readers and writers would love to read. But these big-name and successful authors just want to shove Amazon/Hachette gibberish down our throats again and again.
Perhaps these are leaders in the industry and that’s what leaders should do.
I don’t think so – I think they’re failed leaders.
Of course that would assume they’re leaders in publishing in the first place. Are they? What is a leader in publishing?
Sorry, I guess what I really want are leaders in writing. I know the first three places I won’t be looking for when it comes to finding those leaders: Chuck Wendig, Hugh Howey, and Joe Konrath.
As far as I can tell from their sites lately, if you want to improve as a writer, those three men are worthless to you.
(Normally I'd link to those sites, but they're so incredibly worthless that I don't want to anger you).