Say it Ain't So, Joe!

Let me start off by saying that I have nothing but the highest respect and gratitude for the amazing Joe Konrath.

Now, when I heard that Joe was taking a break from blogging and asking for guests to post on his blog for him, that seemed just fine and dandy. Why not? I host guests on my author blog frequently, for what it's worth. :) So ... it's all good, right?

Then, I read the second post about Joe's hiatus from blogging.

Hmm ... okay, here's the thing. When I was a freelance writer (back in the days before ebooks), I knew people who did exactly what's being proposed here. This amounts to creating a compilation. And it requires a great deal of coordination and effort. I know because I knew people who did this for a living on a freelance basis (in the print world).

Now, given the sheer amount of contributors that Joe is talking about who have sent posts in (over a hundred in two days?? seriously, Joe???), I think the amount of coordination and effort required to pull this off could most fairly be described as monumental at this point.

Right. So ... with all due respect to Rob Siders and his (no doubt) monumental skills, I'm trying to picture one guy doing all this sh*t by his lonesome or even with an assistant (or two or three) (or maybe a whole battalion).

Plus, when writers agree to be contributors to compilations, they traditionally know who else is involved with the project. And they get to review and approve the final product before it goes out the (proverbial) door. Now, why do I get the feeling that's not going to happen here?

No one knows who the other contributors are. Their contribution could be sh*t, for all you know. Do you want to be associated with sh*t contributors? How can you judge? Will you rely on Rob Siders? Aren't you supposed to take responsibility? Isn't that part of being an indie author?

Don't get me wrong. Rob Siders may have awesome judgment. Or not. Who knows? But it's your job to take responsibility for your own work and your own career. And there's no easy way to achieve success in this business.

Finally, contributors to a compilation of this sort are definitely PAID for their contribution, along with the organizers of same.

Without the content, you wouldn't have the compilation, would you?

If the money would be spread too thin, they need to weed out a WHOLE lot of contributors, eh?

I suggest you listen closely to Harlan Ellison. Because, he's totally right, in my opinion.



And you have seen the motto on this blog, haven't you? :)