I recently read The Book: The Life Story of a Technology, in which the author, Nicole Howard, delves into the history of the book as a technology, evolving from the early, Guttenberg era into the present, with people self-publishing e-books at the click of a button. I found it incredible to see how society’s perspective on books has changed over time. In the early days, the common belief was that authors should write for the love of sharing knowledge, that authors should not be writing for profit.
This was just a way for the publishers to keep all the profits from books, and a long struggle lay ahead for authors as they tried to take their rights back. Laws such as the copyright laws appeared as the book matured, and authors were finally able to take control over their products—owning the publishing rights and having power over editorial changes.
Progress has defined the author’s ownership of his or her writing, and, with the definition of a book as a product, writers have become entrepreneurs. People will still try to demean authors, saying that the market is flooded and that it’s impossible to break through or make money. While the market is full of entrepreneurs seeking to make a name for themselves, the market works as any others in a capitalist society, where those who create the best products are those with the most success. The talking point of “job creators” is not limited to a conservative view, and writers create jobs for editors, agents and publishers—not to mention the possibility of movie adaptations, which could create a hundred more jobs.
As a writer, it is your job to refuse to let society demean you into thinking your work isn’t actually work. Writing can be a great hobby; it can be therapeutic, but it can also be a very important job. Writers are the ones who create culture, so don’t let anyone get you down! The Writing Rainbow will help you soar, but we’ll also try to keep you grounded so you don’t lose yourself in the possibilities.