(written to a reviewer who wouldn't look at my book because it was "self-published" through PublishAmerica, though I haven't paid them a cent.)
When I was a literature student at Southern Oregon University(who held a scholarship throughout my time there,) I was a lot more of a rebel than I am now. I felt wronged by society in a number of ways, and I saw a lot in society I felt was wrong, so wrong that it had to be pointed out in radical, even disturbing language, which I preferred to put in the form of poetry. I sent out a handful of submissions to university literary journals, but when I got back the refusals, I didn't see any reason to keep on submitting. That's because I wanted to say controversial things in controversial ways... and I knew the insipid state that academia in our country had come to.
So, being an intelligent and determined guy, I focused on the internet. I published myself on many sites, some reputable, some not reputable: the point being to generate readership AND to make sure that my work survived. Back then, reading on literary web-sites was a trend and, despite my eccentric artistic ideals, I attracted large numbers of readers and many admirers. And I've kept this up(publishing everything I write on the internet,) for ten years. My work's had a lot of admirers over the years, though I mostly insisted on writing in the unpopular poetic form, and didn't answer fan mail much. This was because: 1.) I'd decided not to ask admirers for money, however well-heeled they might seem, and 2.) I was busy writing, like a fiend. The thing consumes me.
Anyway, Karen, some literary web-sites keep track of how many people read a given author's work(most don't.) Just on those that do, I've had over a million documented e-reads. Here's my profile on ABCTALES.COM, a reputable British web-site:
http://www.abctales.com/user/seannelson
Just on that single web-site, I've had 315,522 reads, and until very recently, it was almost exclusively poetry. How many legitimate, publishing-house poets get reader-ship like that from all around the world? Not many and most that do, do so at the price of real artistic and intellectual freedom.
Comments
Milieu | July 19, 2010 - 18:05
A "hit" does not mean read.
Did you ever stop to think those editors at literary magazines didn't reject your "ideas", but your writing? Poor writing can rarely be saved; poor ideas can be developed and even made interesting by good writing - see Ayn Rand.
seannelson | July 22, 2010 - 04:04
Milieu, when I say a "handful" of submissions and rejections, I mean just that. Generally, I found success on the internet and decided to pursue that as my focus on socially unacceptable ideas was far more intense at the time. A hit means an "attempted read:" the same as someone cracking a book in a library or bookshop. And frankly, man, my writing's had numerous admirers from many walks of life over the years... personal and on the internet. Not as many as say Stephen King, but then his long-term reputation will be like a literary plague.
I was a paid newspaper writer by 16, on the cover of "Oregon Journalism" by 17, and held an academic scholarship for four years to receive my degree in English and Literature. Along with my other credentials, I think it's evident my writing skills aren't too poor.
Maybe there are things you're just not seeing... or aren't receptive to at this point.