Saturday, November 23, 2013

Do Writers Accept Responsibility For Their Books?


Every day that I spend with my two kids I stumble upon clues of how I might have learned as a child. Some of what they do seems so familiar to me and other times I assume whatever they are doing is unique to their era or personality. Maybe I’ve just forgotten how I’ve come to know what I know. Truth is, learning is a lifelong process, and as writers we are the teachers -- even if we are learning along the way.

Do you recognize the responsibility you have as a writer? Too often, writers think about their ego -- they want their words published, consumed, and immortalized. They dream of wealth and becoming a best-selling author. They think of impacting society through their words. But do they accept that their writings can truly make a difference in the lives of others?

It doesn’t matter what you write about, or whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. Every book does something to the reader. It informs or enlightens or inspires or entertains -- or some combination of these things. Books, if they are well done, can open a reader to new ways of seeing themselves and viewing the world with fresh eyes. A great book can turn one on to reading and exploring.

Books can make a difference not only in the quality of our life, but whether we choose to live at all.

If you made a list of the most important people, you would probably first think of safety, such as police, firemen, doctors. You may think of celebrities and athletes, because you equate fame and entertainment with importance. Perhaps you think of clergy, charitable people, and volunteers as those who actively shape our communities. Maybe you think of government officials and the role they play in running our lives. But what about the writer, the loner who pieces words together in a way that can make everything seem possible, amazing, and awe-inspiring?

Writers may be jealous of movies. Films have an advantage over books. They not only have the power of moving visuals and sounds to convey a point, they also have words. Books, instead, appear flat by comparison. But books benefit from having to rely solely on words and descriptions to get an idea across. There’s a greater challenge to work with fewer resources or materials, and most writers relish the challenge.

Our writers deserve more compensation for their works and their efforts. But writers also deserve more pressure to appreciate their responsibility when it comes to what they write and how they say it.

Writers shape our lives. For some, their books are, the ER for our minds.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013

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