The Doctor Is In - Santa's Mailbag Comes Back Tomorrow

We're skipping letters to Book Biz Santa today because Dr. Susan O’Doherty is back for our weekly dose of mental health. If you have questions for her, please write to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring.com

“WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE ANGER?”

Dear. Dr. O’Doherty:
When we sit down to write we, as authors, have total control over our characters’ lives and their outcomes. It's a very powerful job we give ourselves. And then, if we're lucky, we turn our books over to publishers to edit, print, and sell. But if we're even half aware of the publishing business, we know that they aren't necessarily going to do a good job on their end. We constantly see, hear and read horror stories from other writers about how their books were abandoned once the deal was made, how promises were broken as to how the book would be promoted, how their lack of follow-through and creativity in positioning the book killed it.

Everyone tells us to accept this, deal with it, overcome it. MJ's blog even gives us ideas for how we can get involved in the process ourselves. But no matter what, we're doing our job and the publisher often just isn't doing his or hers.

So how do we overcome what we know and keep writing? What mantra do we say to accept it? Or should we accept it? What do we do with the anger? And please don't tell me to channel it into the writing. It's not about that. And please don't suggest I write a better book. We all know this happens to brilliant books as well as books that suck.
Out of Control

Dear Out:
It sounds like you have been subjected to The Lecture. You know, the harangue all writers get when we have the temerity to complain about the haphazard and unfair nature of the publishing business. The Lecture takes a variety of forms, depending on who delivers it, but the thrust is: If your book does not sell as well as you think it should, you must be at fault somehow. The book isn’t good enough, your expectations were too high, or you didn’t do enough to promote it. Furthermore, since most writers don’t even get published, you have a lot of nerve whining. Suck it up and write a better book, one that will sell.

As your letter implies, this is hogwash. A book’s commercial success often bears little or no relation to its literary merits, and a publisher’s decision to “push” one book over another is often a mystery (and frequently, to the observer, a mistake).

Why, then, do the myths reflected in the Lecture persist? There is a psychological principle commonly known as the Belief in a Just World. We tend to defend the status quo in order to reassure ourselves that behavior corresponds exactly to outcome—in other words, that whatever bad thing is happening to you could not possibly befall me, because I play by the rules. Thus, poor people are blamed for laziness; crime victims for being careless or provocative; the sick for unhealthy lifestyles. The possibility of failure attributable to random bad luck, or the screwups of others, is too threatening to contemplate.

A variation on the Lecture: If you are truly an Artist, you write without regard to such pedestrian concerns as compensation and Amazon numbers. Writing is not work, like mining or brain surgery; it is recreation/therapy/spiritual exercise and therefore its own reward. So stop complaining.

This, too, is nonsense. Only seriously deluded or highly arrogant individuals become writers with the expectation of achieving fame and wealth. Most of us write because it is a necessary expression of our deepest selves; it is likely that we would write if we were the last survivors of a nuclear holocaust. That does not mean, however, that we don’t want or deserve recognition and compensation for this nerve-wracking, time-consuming work. Writing for self-expression is only half of the equation. We also write to communicate our ideas and discoveries, otherwise we would confine our expressions to private journals. Most writers are forced to support themselves by other means, but advances and royalties are still important. We assume that teachers, for example, go into the field out of love for children and knowledge, but no one would argue that their dedication disqualifies them from earning a living wage.

How to overcome the insidious pressure to shut up and take it? I can advise only on the emotional and psychological aspects of this question. As in combating any form of culturally imposed abuse (racism, sexism, classism, etc.), the first step is to root out any trace of belief in this propaganda within your own psyche. Of course you don’t buy into this nonsense on a conscious level, but having heard repeated variations of The Lecture, it would not be surprising if your unconscious internalized its message to some degree. If you find that you are reluctant to admit how few copies your book has sold, for example, ask yourself whether there is some self-blame at work. Remind yourself that you have lived up to your end of your book contract—you have produced the best book you are capable of and have cooperated fully with the publicity department’s marketing plan (I assume this is the case) and you are entitled to fair treatment by your publisher.

Second, talk about the situation openly. Don’t be intimidated by those who would shame you into keeping your place by reading you variations on The Lecture. Counteract it, point by point, heatedly, if necessary. Direct your anger at its proper target, the system that extols art while exploiting and denigrating those who produce it. This should help you keep the two spheres—the creation of your books, and their subsequent fate—separate, allowing you to keep writing regardless of the uncertainty of their reception.

This is not enough, I know. I’m not qualified to give advice on actions you can take to improve the lot of writers in the world. I invite MJ and other experts on publishing and marketing to contribute their comments and suggestions.

Susan O’Doherty, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A well-published author herself, she specializes in issues affecting writers. Send your questions to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

Comments

[katharine weber]

What do we do with the anger? It's hard, and it is always potentially there, at every level of success.

One thing that I find enormously helpful is to read biographies. In every field of the arts, from painting to architecture to writing to music to the performing arts, those whose work has endured over time, those whose artistic contributions we value and are inspired by, have struggled against rejection and denial.

It won't get your book the reviews or sales it deserves. It may not help the anger about the latest unfairness. But reading the lives of those who have gone before does offer a broader perspective.

[Dr.Sue]

Katharine, that is a very wise suggestion, thank you.

[Ann D]

I find it helpful to talk to other writers -- both beginner writers (so that they will be able to make the best possible choices at every step of their career) and other authors who are at the same stage of their career as I am (so that we can be a source of both information and support to one another). I also have a personal policy of being honest about what it's like to be an author -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. See this recent post on my blog and you'll understand what I'm getting at:
http://anndouglas.blogspot.com/2005/12/so-when-do-you-find-time-to-write.html

[MSchannon]

Dr. Sue, great advice, as always. However, I think one of the most most important comments you made was that we write to express some inner need or drive. The fame, adulation, ticker-tape parades, homes on the Riviera...those'd be nice too, but through years of rejection, a simple phrase has kept me sane--"writers write."

If we can get others to read and enjoy what we've written, that's a special joy, but the act of creation is outside our control, so enjoy it.

Now that I'm writing what I think is decent fiction & actually have a chance of seeing it in print, I have to warn myself not to get seduced by the "dark side." As my wife recently said to me, I'm happiest when I'm writing or thinking about weird new books to write.

Mark

[Dr.Sue]

Ann, I liked that post, especially your very apt likening of writers'isolation with that of new mothers, both resulting in felt pressure to paint a happy face over an intensely mixed experience. It's wonderful when mothers take that courageous leap and break the silence about postpartum blues, isolation, frustration, and panic. I'm glad you're doing that as a writer as well.

Mark, good to hear from you! So glad you're happy with your writing--as you said, that's the most important thing.