Making it as a Writer in a World of Abundance
There's so much content out there—is it even possible to make yourself stand out?
Welcome to the brave new world of writing. A world where every day more than 2 million articles are published online. Where there are over 30 million podcasts episodes vying for our attention; 200 streaming services and counting offering hundreds of hours of visual entertainment; and at least half a million books published each year (making your 2021 reading goal of a book a week seem…inadequate.)
We are living in a time of massive abundance—now, more than ever before, there are so many avenues of entertainment fighting for our time. Every day we make a choice, whether conscious or subconscious, to lend our attention to the things that interest us. If we’re bored by a Netflix show, we can stop mid-stream and open Hulu. If we’re reading an article in The New York Times that loses our attention, we can click out of their site and visit The Wallstreet Journal online. There are just. too. many. options.
As a writer, it can feel overwhelming. Since there are a plethora of sources where we can find writing to consume, how are we supposed to surmount the impossible task of choosing where to spend our creative capital as writers? Is it possible to stand out of the crowd when there’s a multitude of millions muffling your each and every word?
These are the questions I’ve been asking myself as I’ve attempted to carve out my own space as a writer online.
So, here we are.
You subscribed to Noteworthy for a reason, and I created Noteworthy for a reason: to try and muddle my way through the literary world with a pen in one hand and a love for the written word in the other.
If you’re used to getting my round-up style newsletters once a month, you’re in for a treat as we explore the ever-ambiguous universe of writing, publishing, and reading. It’s all intertwined, it’s all abundantly full of opportunity, and it’s all going to be dissected and discussed here. And I can’t wait!
A little bit about me:
By the way—I’m Addey. Nice to meet you.
I’ve been writing for publications on (and off) line for going on nine years now and reading for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved books and the written word—in fact, when I was a child I wanted to be a librarian. The library is still a favorite place to find myself wandering on a weekend afternoon, but these days I’m more in the business of figuring out how to publish a book that will end up on the shelves than completing the summer reading program (though, honestly, I think there should be more of said programs for grown-ups.)
I adore my cats, Copper and Cinders, and a good ole cup of tea. Is there a better combination than a cup of tea, a good book, and a cat curled up on one’s lap, you might ask? I think not.
My pipe dream is to be the main heroine in a historical fiction novel—minus the lack of plumbing and the constant threat of disease, of course, but I digress. My favorite books to read are historical romances featuring a contemplative woman in historical garb on the cover, and ending with happily ever after, including said contemplative woman marrying a soldier or a laird or some other such dashing gentleman (ahem, Jamie Fraser, anyone?)
As an avid romance reader (and hopefully soon-to-be-published romance novelist), I’ll be sure to include what I’m reading every week, especially those books that are actually worth reading!
Let’s get started.
The idea for this newsletter was cemented into place this past weekend as I attended Daniel David Wallace’s Find Your Reader Summit. I was particularly intrigued by one of Daniel’s comments in a session on Sunday with Elle Griffin, concerning exactly what this edition of Noteworthy is titled: how can we thrive as writers when there is so much writing (really good writing, as a matter of fact) being released into the ether every day?
The unprecedented (I know, I know, I’m tired of that word after the past year, too, but it just…fits) amount of content crashing onto the internet every day like a tidal wave is overwhelming. It’s especially so when you’re trying to find your own place in some little corner of that overwhelm.
The hard truth is that publishing is not the same today as it was even five years ago. Do you think anybody knew an app like TikTok would take readers by storm, or that a global pandemic would alter the publishing industry in everything from response times to paper shortages to books sitting on cargo ships making their way from China to the US?
Our world is changing at a staggering pace, and while one catastrophe begets a slow down in query response times, it can also trigger another wave of self-publishing that is poised to give hundreds of authors’ careers a dramatic U-turn.
So where do you (and me) fit into all of this?
That’s what we’re going to try to find out. The first step, most certainly, is simply to write. It seems nigh on impossible, after all, to carve out your own little corner of an abundantly full writing world without actually…writing.
While there are a lot of things vying for our attention, there are also things winning our attention. I know I don’t watch every Netflix show that comes across my recommended list. Similarly, despite my wishes to read every book that remotely interests me, I simply can’t. So what makes me ultimately choose to press play on that show or buy that book?
We all likely have different answers. My reason not to read could very well be your reason to read. Let’s, then, figure out our reasons, and take it from there. One step at a time. As I mentioned earlier, I like Jamie Fraser. I’ve read (almost) all of the Outlander books and watched every episode of the show.
But why?
Perhaps it was the historical aspect. Perhaps it was that my friend Kristen recommended the series when I saw her reading book three on her lunch break. Maybe it was a combo of the two, or the fact that the Showtime series came across my Netflix recommendations (sometimes that section of the streaming app does, in fact, snag my attention.)
Similarly, there’s a reason someone might pick up your book, or subscribe to your YouTube channel, or read your article. Think about the why, and you’ll be one step closer to standing out in this brave new world of writing abundance.
Here are the places my words have ended up this week:
How to Keep Your Friendships Intact When Starting a Business published in The Startup
So You Think You Can Podcast published in Synergy
Why You Should Read Stories You Hate republished on my blog
I’ve been binging the BookEnds YouTube channel recently as I’ve begun querying my novel. Jessica and James are a wealth of information when it comes to writing and publishing. They have some excellent resources to help writers as we all attempt to break into the traditional publishing world. The video below about whether or not a book can be two genres at once was particularly interesting to me (spoiler alert: their conclusion is that a book can only solidly be one genre.)
If you’re looking for a sign to read a short story, this is it. Speaking of signs, I highly recommend reading my friend Madison’s short story, “May We All” below. It’s a clever little story examining how our ordinary days (or unordinary, depending on which character you’re referring to) may just be intrinsically linked to one another in more amazing ways than we can even imagine.
I’ve also been reading an old Laura Frantz book, The Mistress of Tall Acre, this week. Laura Frantz is one of my favorite inspirational historical fiction writers, and once I finish this book, I will have read her entire backlog. I am enjoying the read, though the main plot took more than half the book to get going. Nevertheless, it’s kept my attention, and I’ve spent one (or to be honest, more than one) too many nights reading past my bedtime.
In other news, season four of borrowed solace: the podcast, is coming along swimmingly. We’re recording episodes left and right in anticipation of the new season and the exciting changes we are making to the show. For now, you can catch up wherever you listen to podcasts, or on Spotify below: