Why the Internet is Good for Writers and Writing

Though people blame the Internet, and the "blogosphere" in particular, for the amount of bad writing out there, the Internet is actually a positive thing for writers. It's a good thing for precisely the reason that critics say it's a bad thing - because that means anyone can publish anything they like. Freedom has never been a bad thing where creative pursuits are concerned.

There are those people, of course, who will say that any writing not supported by a major publishing house is invalid. This is a myth created by the publishing houses themselves. And who can blame them? It has been profitable for them to create an atmosphere in which writers and readers alike fall over themselves to support them. However, the fact remains that publishing houses are not pristine entities that have made it their mission to bestow polished writing upon the world. Their mission is to make money. In order to do this, they attempt to appeal to the widest range of people possible with each and every title published. As a result, it is very difficult for good works that may appeal to a portion of the population to get through.

Self-publishing via the Internet can remedy this. Of course, I operate under the assumption that it is better to let bad writing be seen than to keep good writing in the dark. And what is bad or good writing? I'm afraid it is up to the reader to decide.

The Internet is a tool that empowers writers, by giving them an alternative to the publishing industry. Of course, many writers scoff at that because they still crave the acceptance of the publishing industry. They think that this would somehow validate their work. It does offer a bit of prestige to say one is published by this or that publishing house, but it doesn't make the work any better. Likewise, lack of such acceptance doesn't make the writing any worse. And those who say writing is better off after passing over the desk of an editor should read some of the books that get past those editors nowadays.

This is not a writer's market. In the 1970s, when Stephen King received a $400,000 advance for his first novel, it was a different world. Since then, many of the publishing corporations which were competing with each other for the good writers merged. Now there are only a handful of highly respected publishing houses, and they are not paying high advances any more. They don't have to. They know that writers have nowhere else to go for publication.

Except the Internet. Except for print-on-demand houses.

These are good options. It's just like starting a business. Your success will be up to you. If you haven't written something people want to read, then it will fail. If you don't market it properly, then it will fail. However, if you do a good job of getting the word out and you have something worth reading, then you will have a chance to make a go of it. And nobody's going to yank your work off the shelves if you aren't an instant success. You will have time to nurture your work, and to adjust your approach over time. Isn't that much better than trying to win the great publication lottery?