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Traditionally, most aspiring authors have thought of getting published as the end goal. Being a published author has been a proof of merit. To be a writer who’s published means “you’ve made it”, right? Heck, if you visit my author pages on Goodreads or Amazon, you’ll see me referring myself to having been published.

Well, we could talk for hours debating whether having “made it” has ever been the case (the word “traditionally”, which opened this article is the operative word here), but let’s instead focus on the present moment. The grand question is this:

Does being a published author mean your writing woes are over?

Not only is the answer “not by a mile”, but in many cases I’d argue against “being a published author”. In other words, I’d argue that getting a publishing contract with a publishing house won’t necessarily be what you’d like.

Being a Published Author: My Personal Story

My personal story in regard to being a published author is very much like others’, I assume. I’ve been writing for a long time, since I was a kid basically. I started pitching novels to publishers around my 18th birthday, and tasted rejection after rejection.

At some point, I wrote something slightly better than what I’d written up to that point (though still I cringe today thinking about it). And then, yes, surprisingly, one of the biggest publishing houses of my native Greece said they’d publish it.

This was back in 2003. I remember getting the phone call while I was waiting at the queue in a bank, and feeling a pervading sense of unreality. Naively, I imagined all my troubles ending there.

From the Pit to the Pinnacle (not really)

We signed a contract. We organized a book presentation at a central bookstore in Athens. Lots of celebrities important recognizable people attended, including actors, academics, and MPs. It felt like a dream. Well, to paraphrase George Carlin, if something feels like a dream, you have to be asleep to believe in it.

Sales began promisingly, but I then tasted the darker side of publishing. I know it’s frustrating for the reader of the present article, but I don’t want to give any specifics of what happened next. Not only is it unethical to reveal details (though here’s a question: is it unethical to disclose behavior that is confidential but unethical itself?) but I also don’t want to mull over times and places long gone.

I’ll only say this: I felt so disgusted, that once my 3-book contract expired, I didn’t write any fiction for about 10 years.

Being a Published Author Means Someone Buys You (and It Isn’t what You Think!)

To be a published writer means you sell more books, right? Well, it depends; maybe, maybe not. In any case, if money is what you’re thinking, forget it. With traditional publishing, there are many other fish higher in the food chain than you. First they have to feed, and then it’s your turn.

Being a published author means someone buys you alright, but not in the way you think. Being a published writer means you have sold the rights to your book. You have given authority (including creative authority) to someone else. You no longer decide what the design will look like, or what will be written on the back flap. As for marketing, forget it. You have no input, and very little leverage.

Unless you’re a really, really famous author, traditional publishing will change little if at all your writing career. You will still wonder why your books don’t sell. You will still wonder why people don’t read (here’s my opinion on the matter, and here’s another clue). And you will still feel puzzled by how quickly people forget about you (including people who shook your hand not three hours ago).

The Alternative: Let Go of Pleasing Others, and Please Yourself

Or, to put it this way, back to the basics: Why do you write? (Again, if you’d like some answers, take a look at this).

If you write dreaming of fortune and glory, just grow up. No, honestly. Wait until you hopefully grow up a bit and realize that you won’t become rich by writing.

For virtually all true writers, writing is not a choice but a compulsion. Go to the front page of Home for Fiction and read George Orwell’s quotation. If a writer doesn’t feel that way writing, something’s not right.

True works of art don’t try to please anyone except their own creator. True authors write only for themselves and nobody else. People enjoying their work is a byproduct, not the end goal.

So, where does traditional publishing fit in all that?

Simple. Personally, I take away every factor that interferes with my creative freedom. If there is an entity out there (in our case: a publisher) who won’t let me say things the way I want, present my text the way I want, or market my books the way I want (if at all) then this entity is entirely alien to my creative process.

You see – and this is the biggest secret about rewarding fiction writing – I simply don’t care how much my books will sell. If someone reads them and finds them interesting, great. If not, that’s again great.

But for one thing I’m certain: I will not relinquish control of my texts to anyone. I’ve been through a lot, and I’ve learned the industry in all its ugliness. Traditional publishing? No, thanks.