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y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | isgh699 | ishbmli | 1,665,865,138 | 1,665,878,600 | 1 | 2 | It’s a mix of connections, luck, and quality. Finding an agent to rep you and your manuscript. Then finding a publisher to pick it up is its own hurdle, but that’s one your agent mostly works towards. With something like a collection of short stories, you might want to look into smaller and independent presses. Either way, don’t let difficulty deter you. There’s only one way to succeed. | A bookstore? Sure if you can find a locally owned one that will give you some space, you could even do a book signing. I know of a self published author that even got his local Costco to sell his book, with the additional promise that if he sold a certain volume they would sell the book at more stores. His book, perhaps not a coincidence, was called “giving candy to strangers” and was about the power of just building relationships to make sales. He went on local social networks like NextDoor to promote the Costco book sales. Idk how it worked out. | 0 | 13,462 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ish55of | ishbmli | 1,665,875,627 | 1,665,878,600 | 1 | 2 | It's going to depend upon a couple of factors, two of these are covered in other comments which is **Talent** and **Luck**, but there's also another factor that is very highly sought after by traditional book publishers and that's **Marketability**. How likely is your book going to sell, is this the right time for the book, have you already established an audience, how great is your following on social media, are you yourself an interesting enough character to push books? Having good marketability and a name for yourself will push you up the list. Unfortunately, there are thousands of talented and marketable authors lining up at the gates with great products, which is where luck comes in (or knowing someone in the biz to push for you). What gets even more depressing though is that, even if you did publish with a reputable publishing house, the chances of you making a living off your book are slim to none. It's like winning the lottery twice. | A bookstore? Sure if you can find a locally owned one that will give you some space, you could even do a book signing. I know of a self published author that even got his local Costco to sell his book, with the additional promise that if he sold a certain volume they would sell the book at more stores. His book, perhaps not a coincidence, was called “giving candy to strangers” and was about the power of just building relationships to make sales. He went on local social networks like NextDoor to promote the Costco book sales. Idk how it worked out. | 0 | 2,973 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ishhe0g | ishibyr | 1,665,881,324 | 1,665,881,766 | 1 | 2 | Well, are you any good? | Being published traditionally is luck and hard work. Most writers have talent. Even the ones we think are bad. You can self-publish and get yourself into bookstores if you are rejected. I know authors who use Ingram spark, but the returns can be expensive. | 0 | 442 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ishibyr | isgh699 | 1,665,881,766 | 1,665,865,138 | 2 | 1 | Being published traditionally is luck and hard work. Most writers have talent. Even the ones we think are bad. You can self-publish and get yourself into bookstores if you are rejected. I know authors who use Ingram spark, but the returns can be expensive. | It’s a mix of connections, luck, and quality. Finding an agent to rep you and your manuscript. Then finding a publisher to pick it up is its own hurdle, but that’s one your agent mostly works towards. With something like a collection of short stories, you might want to look into smaller and independent presses. Either way, don’t let difficulty deter you. There’s only one way to succeed. | 1 | 16,628 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ishibyr | ish55of | 1,665,881,766 | 1,665,875,627 | 2 | 1 | Being published traditionally is luck and hard work. Most writers have talent. Even the ones we think are bad. You can self-publish and get yourself into bookstores if you are rejected. I know authors who use Ingram spark, but the returns can be expensive. | It's going to depend upon a couple of factors, two of these are covered in other comments which is **Talent** and **Luck**, but there's also another factor that is very highly sought after by traditional book publishers and that's **Marketability**. How likely is your book going to sell, is this the right time for the book, have you already established an audience, how great is your following on social media, are you yourself an interesting enough character to push books? Having good marketability and a name for yourself will push you up the list. Unfortunately, there are thousands of talented and marketable authors lining up at the gates with great products, which is where luck comes in (or knowing someone in the biz to push for you). What gets even more depressing though is that, even if you did publish with a reputable publishing house, the chances of you making a living off your book are slim to none. It's like winning the lottery twice. | 1 | 6,139 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ishhe0g | ismdxpj | 1,665,881,324 | 1,665,970,741 | 1 | 2 | Well, are you any good? | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | 0 | 89,417 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isgh699 | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,865,138 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | It’s a mix of connections, luck, and quality. Finding an agent to rep you and your manuscript. Then finding a publisher to pick it up is its own hurdle, but that’s one your agent mostly works towards. With something like a collection of short stories, you might want to look into smaller and independent presses. Either way, don’t let difficulty deter you. There’s only one way to succeed. | 1 | 105,603 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ish55of | ismdxpj | 1,665,875,627 | 1,665,970,741 | 1 | 2 | It's going to depend upon a couple of factors, two of these are covered in other comments which is **Talent** and **Luck**, but there's also another factor that is very highly sought after by traditional book publishers and that's **Marketability**. How likely is your book going to sell, is this the right time for the book, have you already established an audience, how great is your following on social media, are you yourself an interesting enough character to push books? Having good marketability and a name for yourself will push you up the list. Unfortunately, there are thousands of talented and marketable authors lining up at the gates with great products, which is where luck comes in (or knowing someone in the biz to push for you). What gets even more depressing though is that, even if you did publish with a reputable publishing house, the chances of you making a living off your book are slim to none. It's like winning the lottery twice. | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | 0 | 95,114 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ishmwos | ismdxpj | 1,665,883,958 | 1,665,970,741 | 1 | 2 | Collection of stories are a hard sell from people who aren't known | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | 0 | 86,783 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isi20jx | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,891,322 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | Funny how everyone here is saying it’s sooo hard to get published and that’s all I ever hear yet thousands of books are published each day. Why try if it’s sooooooooooo ridiculously hard? Why even try | 1 | 79,419 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isi83bs | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,894,776 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | Your like me I first draft lots of novels like lost count on how many I have :) | 1 | 75,965 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | isiwcuw | ismdxpj | 1,665,913,148 | 1,665,970,741 | 1 | 2 | If you want to be appreciated by strangers, it’s probably a lot easier to share your writing online in a community. Even if all the luck and talent in the world was in your favor, and your book made it to shelves, it doesn’t mean you’ll get to see or know what people think of your book, or that they’ll like it. By all means do try publishing and advocating for your own writing, but it’s probably a better step to try making a coherent first draft and sharing it to online strangers or family and friends before looking for someone to throw money behind you. | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | 0 | 57,593 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isiwqru | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,913,480 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | I don't know about your chances, but keep in mind that publishing a book is a lot harder than people think, and it is very expensive to do so. | 1 | 57,261 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isjrlpi | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,932,085 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | If your goal is to be published, you can do that on any number of e-publishing platforms. If your goal is to eventually get a contract with a print publisher, e-publishing is the way to start these days. An existing track record for sales is what attracts their attention. In the old days you’d build that up via selling pieces to magazines or newspapers. Now you do it via electronic self-publishing (or there may be publishing cooperatives within your genre that you can work with. Check websites you read on ir look up the publishers of authors you purchase ebooks of). | 1 | 38,656 | 2 | ||
y4xims | writing_train | 0.79 | What is the likelihood of actually getting published and released in bookstores? I've been writing as a hobby for about 10 years now, never getting past the first draft of anything. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it and it is my favorite creative outlet, but at the same time I would love for my work to be appreciated by strangers at some point. I don't want it to be my job and I don't need to even make money off of it really. I think my best bet for getting something published would be this collection of short horror stories I've been working on. If I can get it to the point of being quality work, better than other run of the mill books being published, what are the chances of seeing it in a bookstore one day? Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? Thanks. | ismdxpj | isjyeuu | 1,665,970,741 | 1,665,934,857 | 2 | 1 | I'm a traditionally published author through a big press and my book wasn't in actual bookstores except the ones which I asked and/or had a book reading at. It's the reality these days. My book is in most libraries and many schools though. | It's impossible to give you any clear idea of "the odds" because so many different factors converge to determine which books get published and which don't. But I will tell you this: your odds are 0 if you don't try. Also, I've been doing this for a zillion years, more or less, and I can tell you that the more often you make the attempt, the better your odds get. So even if your first book doesn't get picked up, maybe your next one will. (And then you've got TWO books you can work with!) It takes a long time to get established in publishing. That's something you should expect going in. And also, brick-and-mortar bookstores become less important every year. The majority of book sales take place online now, so your odds of seeing your book in a store might decrease even while you're getting your books published. That's just due to changes in our technology and the ways we interact with the retail environment--another thing that's out of your control. But you can still sell plenty of books even if they aren't in bookstores. Edited to add: >Does it depend on who you know or a portfolio of some kind or the quality of work I submit or possibly just luck? As for what gets you there, I'd say these are the most important things, in this order: 1. belief in yourself and the will to keep trying even when you run into setbacks (and you will run into setbacks. A lot of them.) 2. Ability to tell a good story. 3. Luck--your submission has to hit the right person in the right way at the right time. That all comes down to luck; you can't control timing. But the more often you try, the greater your chances to hit a lucky streak. | 1 | 35,884 | 2 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhaktc | hwh8xeb | 1,644,566,141 | 1,644,564,898 | 10 | 1 | I've seen this before, though usually from the other side - laments about Serious Writer Voice and how truly vibrant voices have become more rare in an era of over-workshopping. It's a very good thing to see and I *deeply* appreciate how much you've been sharing your experiences and knowledge. The craft can be learned/taught, but each of us have our own voice, and it's up to us how we hone it, I guess? | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | 1 | 1,243 | 10 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwh8xeb | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,564,898 | 10 | 1 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | 1 | 41,315 | 10 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhgwux | hwh8xeb | 1,644,571,198 | 1,644,564,898 | 4 | 1 | Makes sense from a writer and a publisher perspective. As a reader, I'm quite annoyed that more filtering isn't done on the idea level. | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | 1 | 6,300 | 4 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhcu41 | hwh8xeb | 1,644,567,881 | 1,644,564,898 | 3 | 1 | Off topic (Sorry OP) But I don't think I have ever seen this many deleted/removed posts in R/writing wtf happened? EDIT: Thanks, u/crowqueen ! | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | 1 | 2,983 | 3 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhjsem | hwh8xeb | 1,644,573,574 | 1,644,564,898 | 3 | 1 | That’s encouraging. | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | 1 | 8,676 | 3 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwh8xeb | hwhygq3 | 1,644,564,898 | 1,644,584,009 | 1 | 3 | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | My high school creative writing teacher (love her and that class to this day) told us this lesson that links to this point: Every story has already been told. What matters is how you put a unique spin on it. | 0 | 19,111 | 3 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwh8xeb | hwhpw7y | 1,644,564,898 | 1,644,578,472 | 1 | 2 | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | I'm actually curious after this. How do you know your voice is unique and stylistic before giving it to a publisher? | 0 | 13,574 | 2 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwh8xeb | hwhu0co | 1,644,564,898 | 1,644,581,356 | 1 | 2 | Folks, if your post begins with the attitude 'how did this crap get published', please stop, reconsider your attitude and find another thread that you can contribute more constructively to. We're not here to debate whether X genre is ruining society or that you didn't enjoy Y book so why did it get published. We're here to discuss what's in the OP and how it applies to your work. | Profit. | 0 | 16,458 | 2 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwfz09b | hwg4yb4 | 1,644,540,944 | 1,644,543,636 | 34 | 103 | One of my friends is a senior citizen. He is frightened that he cannot get published because he doesn't have as many years left as a young person to write books. Is this a thing? | You know, the one time I got a book published, the publisher's acceptance letter literally started with, "I like your style." So yeah, that checks! | 0 | 2,692 | 3.029412 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg3u71 | hwg4yb4 | 1,644,543,138 | 1,644,543,636 | 27 | 103 | Yep, this and more this. And the only way to find your voice is to keep writing. Don't be afraid to copy other voices because in failing to do so you will find your own. Don't be afraid of the style you develop, even if it isn't the style you thought you wanted to. Embrace how you write. As long as it is clear and consistent, it is great. | You know, the one time I got a book published, the publisher's acceptance letter literally started with, "I like your style." So yeah, that checks! | 0 | 498 | 3.814815 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg3ok5 | hwg4yb4 | 1,644,543,068 | 1,644,543,636 | 12 | 103 | Never thought of what publishers wanted when it came to that, love this advice and point of view! | You know, the one time I got a book published, the publisher's acceptance letter literally started with, "I like your style." So yeah, that checks! | 0 | 568 | 8.583333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg3u71 | hwgo1a1 | 1,644,543,138 | 1,644,552,357 | 27 | 32 | Yep, this and more this. And the only way to find your voice is to keep writing. Don't be afraid to copy other voices because in failing to do so you will find your own. Don't be afraid of the style you develop, even if it isn't the style you thought you wanted to. Embrace how you write. As long as it is clear and consistent, it is great. | Great post. I once listened to Neil Gaiman talk about fountain pens and notebooks for twenty minutes and thought, "I know what makes this man a great writer." I could probably listen to him talk about paint dry--or write about it. I'd use the words compelling and charismatic. I think it's an "it" factor of sorts. If you can figure out how to translate that sort of thing into writing, I think you're golden. | 0 | 9,219 | 1.185185 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgo1a1 | hwg3ok5 | 1,644,552,357 | 1,644,543,068 | 32 | 12 | Great post. I once listened to Neil Gaiman talk about fountain pens and notebooks for twenty minutes and thought, "I know what makes this man a great writer." I could probably listen to him talk about paint dry--or write about it. I'd use the words compelling and charismatic. I think it's an "it" factor of sorts. If you can figure out how to translate that sort of thing into writing, I think you're golden. | Never thought of what publishers wanted when it came to that, love this advice and point of view! | 1 | 9,289 | 2.666667 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgo1a1 | hwg8tdl | 1,644,552,357 | 1,644,545,399 | 32 | 3 | Great post. I once listened to Neil Gaiman talk about fountain pens and notebooks for twenty minutes and thought, "I know what makes this man a great writer." I could probably listen to him talk about paint dry--or write about it. I'd use the words compelling and charismatic. I think it's an "it" factor of sorts. If you can figure out how to translate that sort of thing into writing, I think you're golden. | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | 1 | 6,958 | 10.666667 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgbyir | hwgo1a1 | 1,644,546,810 | 1,644,552,357 | 4 | 32 | Really wish I can give an award | Great post. I once listened to Neil Gaiman talk about fountain pens and notebooks for twenty minutes and thought, "I know what makes this man a great writer." I could probably listen to him talk about paint dry--or write about it. I'd use the words compelling and charismatic. I think it's an "it" factor of sorts. If you can figure out how to translate that sort of thing into writing, I think you're golden. | 0 | 5,547 | 8 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg3u71 | hwg3ok5 | 1,644,543,138 | 1,644,543,068 | 27 | 12 | Yep, this and more this. And the only way to find your voice is to keep writing. Don't be afraid to copy other voices because in failing to do so you will find your own. Don't be afraid of the style you develop, even if it isn't the style you thought you wanted to. Embrace how you write. As long as it is clear and consistent, it is great. | Never thought of what publishers wanted when it came to that, love this advice and point of view! | 1 | 70 | 2.25 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgvhua | hwg3ok5 | 1,644,556,231 | 1,644,543,068 | 17 | 12 | Ultimately, they want something they believe they'll be able to sell. | Never thought of what publishers wanted when it came to that, love this advice and point of view! | 1 | 13,163 | 1.416667 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgvhua | hwg8tdl | 1,644,556,231 | 1,644,545,399 | 17 | 3 | Ultimately, they want something they believe they'll be able to sell. | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | 1 | 10,832 | 5.666667 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgbyir | hwgvhua | 1,644,546,810 | 1,644,556,231 | 4 | 17 | Really wish I can give an award | Ultimately, they want something they believe they'll be able to sell. | 0 | 9,421 | 4.25 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhaktc | hwg8tdl | 1,644,566,141 | 1,644,545,399 | 10 | 3 | I've seen this before, though usually from the other side - laments about Serious Writer Voice and how truly vibrant voices have become more rare in an era of over-workshopping. It's a very good thing to see and I *deeply* appreciate how much you've been sharing your experiences and knowledge. The craft can be learned/taught, but each of us have our own voice, and it's up to us how we hone it, I guess? | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | 1 | 20,742 | 3.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwgbyir | hwhaktc | 1,644,546,810 | 1,644,566,141 | 4 | 10 | Really wish I can give an award | I've seen this before, though usually from the other side - laments about Serious Writer Voice and how truly vibrant voices have become more rare in an era of over-workshopping. It's a very good thing to see and I *deeply* appreciate how much you've been sharing your experiences and knowledge. The craft can be learned/taught, but each of us have our own voice, and it's up to us how we hone it, I guess? | 0 | 19,331 | 2.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwh60po | hwhaktc | 1,644,562,822 | 1,644,566,141 | 2 | 10 | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | I've seen this before, though usually from the other side - laments about Serious Writer Voice and how truly vibrant voices have become more rare in an era of over-workshopping. It's a very good thing to see and I *deeply* appreciate how much you've been sharing your experiences and knowledge. The craft can be learned/taught, but each of us have our own voice, and it's up to us how we hone it, I guess? | 0 | 3,319 | 5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwg8tdl | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,545,399 | 10 | 3 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | 1 | 60,814 | 3.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwgbyir | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,546,810 | 10 | 4 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | Really wish I can give an award | 1 | 59,403 | 2.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhgwux | hwjhzux | 1,644,571,198 | 1,644,606,213 | 4 | 10 | Makes sense from a writer and a publisher perspective. As a reader, I'm quite annoyed that more filtering isn't done on the idea level. | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | 0 | 35,015 | 2.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhcu41 | hwjhzux | 1,644,567,881 | 1,644,606,213 | 3 | 10 | Off topic (Sorry OP) But I don't think I have ever seen this many deleted/removed posts in R/writing wtf happened? EDIT: Thanks, u/crowqueen ! | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | 0 | 38,332 | 3.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwhjsem | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,573,574 | 10 | 3 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | That’s encouraging. | 1 | 32,639 | 3.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhygq3 | hwjhzux | 1,644,584,009 | 1,644,606,213 | 3 | 10 | My high school creative writing teacher (love her and that class to this day) told us this lesson that links to this point: Every story has already been told. What matters is how you put a unique spin on it. | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | 0 | 22,204 | 3.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwh60po | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,562,822 | 10 | 2 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | 1 | 43,391 | 5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhpw7y | hwjhzux | 1,644,578,472 | 1,644,606,213 | 2 | 10 | I'm actually curious after this. How do you know your voice is unique and stylistic before giving it to a publisher? | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | 0 | 27,741 | 5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwjhzux | hwhu0co | 1,644,606,213 | 1,644,581,356 | 10 | 2 | As someone who has worked in publishing, voice is only a small part of what publishers are looking for. There's a little thing called a profit and loss statement (P&L), and your book will live or die based on this document. Editors (and agents, but I'm not talking about them right now) are under immense pressure to procure books that perform financially. Publishing is a business, and just like every other business, it's **100% driven by profit**. Books are expensive to develop, edit, print, and ship, and publishers need to make that money back. They can't know if a certain book will break out or not, but they can make educated guesses based on the sales of similar books in similar genres, overall sales trends, cultural movements, and a host of other fuzzy factors. If your book is well-written, hits some emerging cultural themes, and shares some elements with other bestselling books without being a clone, you've probably got a leg up when it comes time for your editor at Pengin/HarperCollins/Whatever to do a P&L. Essentially, this is a very long-winded way of saying that **your book must be salable in today's business environment**. That's the the biggest thing a publisher will look for. Here are some factors that make a book stand out as profitable. * Does the work touch on themes people are talking about right now? * Is the work share elements with **recent** bestselling books or in a genre that sells well? * Does the author have a platform with a ready-made audience? * Is the author or their agent requesting a large advance (cuts into revenue and increases risk)? * Is this story's premise easy to understand? Can a reader look at the back of the book and instantly "get it?" * Are the elements of mechanical quality present (tone, voice, pace, structure, writing, etc.)? Now, I'm going to contradict myself. My advice to you is this: **write the book you want to write**. Don't try to jump on the cultural zeitgeist, particularly with fiction. You'll miss, because your book isn't going to sit on a bookstore shelf for at least another 1-2 years after it's accepted. But keep salability in mind as you create. Don't let it control your artistic choices, but rather let it **inform** them. Take a look at books similar to yours that have performed well, and check out what people didn't like about them on Goodreads or in other reviews. Do those things well. Think about what's going on in the world around you. Be aware. Incorporate your worldview into your work's themes. Let the world seep into your work, and salability will happen. Ride the line between artistry and business. That's how you write the book you want to write while still being able to get it past the gatekeepers and in front of readers. | Profit. | 1 | 24,857 | 5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg8tdl | hwgbyir | 1,644,545,399 | 1,644,546,810 | 3 | 4 | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | Really wish I can give an award | 0 | 1,411 | 1.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwg8tdl | hwhgwux | 1,644,545,399 | 1,644,571,198 | 3 | 4 | Yeah. I heard it expressed this way. No one cares what you say, but how you say it. Like how you could listen to [insert person] read the phone book. Like that but in words. | Makes sense from a writer and a publisher perspective. As a reader, I'm quite annoyed that more filtering isn't done on the idea level. | 0 | 25,799 | 1.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhcu41 | hwhgwux | 1,644,567,881 | 1,644,571,198 | 3 | 4 | Off topic (Sorry OP) But I don't think I have ever seen this many deleted/removed posts in R/writing wtf happened? EDIT: Thanks, u/crowqueen ! | Makes sense from a writer and a publisher perspective. As a reader, I'm quite annoyed that more filtering isn't done on the idea level. | 0 | 3,317 | 1.333333 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhgwux | hwh60po | 1,644,571,198 | 1,644,562,822 | 4 | 2 | Makes sense from a writer and a publisher perspective. As a reader, I'm quite annoyed that more filtering isn't done on the idea level. | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | 1 | 8,376 | 2 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhcu41 | hwh60po | 1,644,567,881 | 1,644,562,822 | 3 | 2 | Off topic (Sorry OP) But I don't think I have ever seen this many deleted/removed posts in R/writing wtf happened? EDIT: Thanks, u/crowqueen ! | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | 1 | 5,059 | 1.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwh60po | hwhjsem | 1,644,562,822 | 1,644,573,574 | 2 | 3 | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | That’s encouraging. | 0 | 10,752 | 1.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhygq3 | hwh60po | 1,644,584,009 | 1,644,562,822 | 3 | 2 | My high school creative writing teacher (love her and that class to this day) told us this lesson that links to this point: Every story has already been told. What matters is how you put a unique spin on it. | Thank you, I needed to hear this <3 | 1 | 21,187 | 1.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhpw7y | hwhygq3 | 1,644,578,472 | 1,644,584,009 | 2 | 3 | I'm actually curious after this. How do you know your voice is unique and stylistic before giving it to a publisher? | My high school creative writing teacher (love her and that class to this day) told us this lesson that links to this point: Every story has already been told. What matters is how you put a unique spin on it. | 0 | 5,537 | 1.5 | ||
splpfo | writing_train | 0.95 | What are publishers looking for in a book? I have some experience, i am trad published and nearly all my friends are also writers (and artists). There are some misconceptions about what a publisher is generally looking for (there are exceptions but those are rare) so I thought I would clear that up. They don't want an idea, ideas are a dime a dozen, every one of you has a great idea. They don't want popularity, not really, I know authors who are trad published best sellers and STILL don't have twitter or instagram accounts. They want an interesting 'voice'. They want a writer who has a great style. It's not what you write, it's how you write it that gets the attention of a publisher. I don't mean if you can write conventionally; look at DBC Pierre for example, his voice is wild. What they want is a compelling style they haven't seen before, something unique they can nurture. Why? Because they can't be sure you will have another great idea but they can be sure you can reproduce your voice again; if your voice is popular with readers they nurture your career and try to keep you happy, knowing your fans will buy EVERYTHING you write. Good, unique, compelling writers get "completeist" fans who buy everything, every anthology, book or magazine they are in. Find your voice. | hwhu0co | hwhygq3 | 1,644,581,356 | 1,644,584,009 | 2 | 3 | Profit. | My high school creative writing teacher (love her and that class to this day) told us this lesson that links to this point: Every story has already been told. What matters is how you put a unique spin on it. | 0 | 2,653 | 1.5 | ||
udlns9 | writing_train | 0.88 | What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? I've always written in first pov but the novel I am currently working has a vast/omnipresent perspective. Unfortunately, my third pov sounds very action-y, staccato, and lacks characters - and all the interesting things happened only through dialogues. What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? | i6huaoa | i6hpp6p | 1,651,119,664 | 1,651,117,209 | 9 | 5 | Something I have to keep in mind when writing third person limited (or "close third person"), is to not to use any words or phrases in my prose that my chosen character wouldn't know or use, based on their personality, demographic, and the story's setting. Even though you're not writing in first person, the prose should still be written with your character's voice and experiences in mind. If your prose is coming off as stiff and lacking in character, try to think of your chosen character's emotion in any given scene. If they're angry, sad, nervous, or so happy they could burst into tears, let your prose and word choice reflect that. Narration, even third person narration, should be used to immerse your reader in your character's emotional state. | I hardly write 1st, so that would be foreign to me. 😆 I personally recommend third limited, that way you still get to be almost intimately close to a character and get into their head. From what I’ve heard, Third Omni is harder to feel close to and feels more like watching rather than being a part of it, or more action-y. Some people pull it off well. Me, not so much. Does your story need to be in Omni? | 1 | 2,455 | 1.8 | ||
udlns9 | writing_train | 0.88 | What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? I've always written in first pov but the novel I am currently working has a vast/omnipresent perspective. Unfortunately, my third pov sounds very action-y, staccato, and lacks characters - and all the interesting things happened only through dialogues. What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? | i6kn3ca | i6i4gp3 | 1,651,174,731 | 1,651,126,408 | 2 | -1 | Algo que hara destacar en la nobela sera que si usas el tercer punto de vista puedes usar un tono mas personal que deje claro que la historia que cuenta el personaje no es lo que paso sino lo que el cree que paso o lo que siente que hacian las personas. Esto se ve muy bien en como conoci a tu madre la serie por ejemplo en un punto de la serie el que cuenta la historia no se acuerda de el nombre de una exnovia y la llama blabla y lo que dice como tampoco es importante aparece que dice literalmente blabla https://youtu.be/YAJD71i-8JM | What should mostly be in your mind is he, she and it. | 1 | 48,323 | -2 | ||
udlns9 | writing_train | 0.88 | What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? I've always written in first pov but the novel I am currently working has a vast/omnipresent perspective. Unfortunately, my third pov sounds very action-y, staccato, and lacks characters - and all the interesting things happened only through dialogues. What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? | i6lezol | i6i4gp3 | 1,651,186,240 | 1,651,126,408 | 1 | -1 | Try to imagine your 3rd person limited as almost as the character is narrating what happened to them, in the 3rd person, after the fact. The voice of the narrator can then reflect the scene in a way that reflects how the character might see it, while still keeping that over-the shoulder information handy to use for the reader. This also helps in chapters with another character as the POV character. It can help keep things from sounding monotonous or repetitive. This is why I prefer using this style of writing. It also helps keep things interesting for me as a writer. | What should mostly be in your mind is he, she and it. | 1 | 59,832 | -1 | ||
udlns9 | writing_train | 0.88 | What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? I've always written in first pov but the novel I am currently working has a vast/omnipresent perspective. Unfortunately, my third pov sounds very action-y, staccato, and lacks characters - and all the interesting things happened only through dialogues. What are some things to keep in mind while writing 3rd pov? | i6i4gp3 | i6n9wgo | 1,651,126,408 | 1,651,224,957 | -1 | 1 | What should mostly be in your mind is he, she and it. | Think of a scene in a movie. There’s always gonna be some moments when the camera just zooms in and stays close to the character’s face, showing their expression with some slow music playing in the background. When you see a scene like that in a movie, you‘ll naturally try to guess what’a going on in the character’s head. But in books, you can just go into the character’s head and explore their thoughts directly. So, just use that to your advantage. | 0 | 98,549 | -1 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip5j31r | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,645,460 | 2 | 64 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | Alternatively, you can take classes online through StoryStudio Chicago, Writing Workshops, the Loft, Writers Digest. You have to pay but it’s cheaper than college. | 0 | 119 | 32 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip5uusy | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,653,447 | 36 | 14 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | College classes > YouTubers who pretend to have the know how of actual traditionally published & well received professors self study can = college classes, it might even be better, but only if you’re actually using source material that’s reliable. YouTubers are not. | 1 | 23,569 | 2.571429 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5nho7 | ip6phzm | 1,663,648,209 | 1,663,677,016 | 14 | 36 | One thing I learned in college and grad school that I don’t see much of on YouTube is how to properly analyze works. I personally think perfecting that skill set will help improve writing. Reading like a writer is different from reading as a casual reader. As a writer, you’re not just looking at whatever glossy finish the publisher has used to make a book shiny and interesting, you’re looking at the nuts and bolts used to hold the whole thing together (or, in the case of many books, doing a bad job of holding things together). Analyzing other classmates writings was also very helpful, so don’t let underestimate the value of having a built-in writing community at college. I personally enjoyed college writing class and I got to explore several forms of writing forms and be part of a community that I’m still a part of to this day. Networking is key in this industry (really any industry, but especially one where it’s hard to quantify quality). Of course, you don’t need college to gather these skills and form a community, but it’s just harder to find good, solid info out there. Thankfully, writers and creators are becoming more transparent in their process so can be a good source of information. What I would definitely avoid doing is going to college, OR investing a lot of money and time outside of college, on anything with the idea that you’re going to get a specific promised result or a particular RoI. No class or video that promises to “increase writing productivity by 300%!!!” or “guaranteed to get publishers’ attention!!!”. It sounds crazy, but false promises like these were plentiful when I was in undergrad. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 28,807 | 2.571429 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5v7iz | ip6phzm | 1,663,653,718 | 1,663,677,016 | 10 | 36 | I just finished my degree in English and creative writing, and some days I don't think it was worth it. But like someone else said, college teaches you how to tease apart the layers of other people's writing as you read, and that can make you a better writer. I know for sure I am a better writer than I was four years ago, even though I used to write more before I went back to college than I do now. Depending on where you go, a lot of the creative writing programs are all workshops, and your workshops are only as good as your classmates. In four semesters of workshops I might have received one or two pieces of feedback from classmates that were actually helpful. You will also read a ton of really bad writing, and you'll write things you hate and things you love that you never would have written on your own. I got some great advice in college, and had a few professors that completely changed how I approach my writing process and even the way I think about telling stories, and that's why I ultimately think it was worth it for me. You gotta go with your gut even if you're not entirely convinced, because no one knows what you need or want like you do. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 23,298 | 3.6 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip5khfs | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,646,306 | 36 | 7 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | College is for chumps. Source: I have an MFA | 1 | 30,710 | 5.142857 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5nm0u | ip6phzm | 1,663,648,291 | 1,663,677,016 | 5 | 36 | There is some really good advice here; YouTube is good, but also don't discount online writers courses, like those found at Writer's Digest, Writers Write, Writers Den, Writers-Online, The Write Practice, The Write Life, etc. There are so many to choose from other than what's available on YouTube, and they are taught by very qualified instructors. I'm not at your level, but I have taken many of these courses, and I've had college courses too. I really favor these online courses, And... these courses are "lifetime" ownership which means updates in the future are free to all students who purchase the course. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 28,725 | 7.2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip617rg | ip6phzm | 1,663,658,587 | 1,663,677,016 | 3 | 36 | If you're aiming for networking, yes. If you're only aiming to learn craft, debatable. College will not replace the part where you have to write A LOT. That's where you get the most of experience. Write and read. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 18,429 | 12 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip62at9 | ip6phzm | 1,663,659,541 | 1,663,677,016 | 3 | 36 | College courses would be much more beneficial. Aside from the reasons you listed yourself, the most important thing you get in a [good] class is workshopping. You write something, everyone else does as well, and you read each others' work and critique it. You learn technique along the way and how to give and receive criticism, but most importantly you learn how to critique writing: how to spot problems and how to fix them. You're seeing technique applied in context to a specific piece of writing, and that's what you need. Because writing advice is only helpful when applied specifically to the piece in question (not being able to do this in tis sub incidentally is why this sub is almost useless for improving one's writing; i.e. the rule 2 controversy). Of course, you don't have to be in a university class to workshop. You could form or join a writer's group or workshopping group or whatever people call them and do it that way. But compared to videos, which is tantamount to attending a lecture, college courses win out every time because of the interactive nature of them. You need to actually be writing and applying what you're learning to that writing. And learning to critique the work of others helps you learn to critique your own writing as well. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 17,475 | 12 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip6phzm | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,677,016 | 2 | 36 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 31,675 | 18 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip6e66c | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,669,991 | 36 | 2 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | 1 | 7,025 | 18 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip6phzm | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,677,016 | 2 | 36 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 6,149 | 18 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip6phzm | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,677,016 | 1 | 36 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 28,994 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip6fwmv | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,671,253 | 36 | 1 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | 1 | 5,763 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6klq1 | ip6phzm | 1,663,674,282 | 1,663,677,016 | 1 | 36 | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 2,734 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip6phzm | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,677,016 | 0 | 36 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 21,119 | 36,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip63diz | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,660,511 | 36 | 0 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | 1 | 16,505 | 36,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6cpvz | ip6phzm | 1,663,668,837 | 1,663,677,016 | 1 | 36 | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 8,179 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6es7c | ip6phzm | 1,663,670,446 | 1,663,677,016 | 1 | 36 | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | 0 | 6,570 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6phzm | ip6niii | 1,663,677,016 | 1,663,675,943 | 36 | 1 | "I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26." Oh you sweet summer child... | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | 1 | 1,073 | 36 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5khfs | ip5uusy | 1,663,646,306 | 1,663,653,447 | 7 | 14 | College is for chumps. Source: I have an MFA | College classes > YouTubers who pretend to have the know how of actual traditionally published & well received professors self study can = college classes, it might even be better, but only if you’re actually using source material that’s reliable. YouTubers are not. | 0 | 7,141 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5uusy | ip5nm0u | 1,663,653,447 | 1,663,648,291 | 14 | 5 | College classes > YouTubers who pretend to have the know how of actual traditionally published & well received professors self study can = college classes, it might even be better, but only if you’re actually using source material that’s reliable. YouTubers are not. | There is some really good advice here; YouTube is good, but also don't discount online writers courses, like those found at Writer's Digest, Writers Write, Writers Den, Writers-Online, The Write Practice, The Write Life, etc. There are so many to choose from other than what's available on YouTube, and they are taught by very qualified instructors. I'm not at your level, but I have taken many of these courses, and I've had college courses too. I really favor these online courses, And... these courses are "lifetime" ownership which means updates in the future are free to all students who purchase the course. | 1 | 5,156 | 2.8 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5uusy | ip5ivsj | 1,663,653,447 | 1,663,645,341 | 14 | 2 | College classes > YouTubers who pretend to have the know how of actual traditionally published & well received professors self study can = college classes, it might even be better, but only if you’re actually using source material that’s reliable. YouTubers are not. | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | 1 | 8,106 | 7 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip5uusy | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,653,447 | 1 | 14 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | College classes > YouTubers who pretend to have the know how of actual traditionally published & well received professors self study can = college classes, it might even be better, but only if you’re actually using source material that’s reliable. YouTubers are not. | 0 | 5,425 | 14 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5khfs | ip5nho7 | 1,663,646,306 | 1,663,648,209 | 7 | 14 | College is for chumps. Source: I have an MFA | One thing I learned in college and grad school that I don’t see much of on YouTube is how to properly analyze works. I personally think perfecting that skill set will help improve writing. Reading like a writer is different from reading as a casual reader. As a writer, you’re not just looking at whatever glossy finish the publisher has used to make a book shiny and interesting, you’re looking at the nuts and bolts used to hold the whole thing together (or, in the case of many books, doing a bad job of holding things together). Analyzing other classmates writings was also very helpful, so don’t let underestimate the value of having a built-in writing community at college. I personally enjoyed college writing class and I got to explore several forms of writing forms and be part of a community that I’m still a part of to this day. Networking is key in this industry (really any industry, but especially one where it’s hard to quantify quality). Of course, you don’t need college to gather these skills and form a community, but it’s just harder to find good, solid info out there. Thankfully, writers and creators are becoming more transparent in their process so can be a good source of information. What I would definitely avoid doing is going to college, OR investing a lot of money and time outside of college, on anything with the idea that you’re going to get a specific promised result or a particular RoI. No class or video that promises to “increase writing productivity by 300%!!!” or “guaranteed to get publishers’ attention!!!”. It sounds crazy, but false promises like these were plentiful when I was in undergrad. | 0 | 1,903 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip5nho7 | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,648,209 | 2 | 14 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | One thing I learned in college and grad school that I don’t see much of on YouTube is how to properly analyze works. I personally think perfecting that skill set will help improve writing. Reading like a writer is different from reading as a casual reader. As a writer, you’re not just looking at whatever glossy finish the publisher has used to make a book shiny and interesting, you’re looking at the nuts and bolts used to hold the whole thing together (or, in the case of many books, doing a bad job of holding things together). Analyzing other classmates writings was also very helpful, so don’t let underestimate the value of having a built-in writing community at college. I personally enjoyed college writing class and I got to explore several forms of writing forms and be part of a community that I’m still a part of to this day. Networking is key in this industry (really any industry, but especially one where it’s hard to quantify quality). Of course, you don’t need college to gather these skills and form a community, but it’s just harder to find good, solid info out there. Thankfully, writers and creators are becoming more transparent in their process so can be a good source of information. What I would definitely avoid doing is going to college, OR investing a lot of money and time outside of college, on anything with the idea that you’re going to get a specific promised result or a particular RoI. No class or video that promises to “increase writing productivity by 300%!!!” or “guaranteed to get publishers’ attention!!!”. It sounds crazy, but false promises like these were plentiful when I was in undergrad. | 0 | 2,868 | 7 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip5nho7 | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,648,209 | 1 | 14 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | One thing I learned in college and grad school that I don’t see much of on YouTube is how to properly analyze works. I personally think perfecting that skill set will help improve writing. Reading like a writer is different from reading as a casual reader. As a writer, you’re not just looking at whatever glossy finish the publisher has used to make a book shiny and interesting, you’re looking at the nuts and bolts used to hold the whole thing together (or, in the case of many books, doing a bad job of holding things together). Analyzing other classmates writings was also very helpful, so don’t let underestimate the value of having a built-in writing community at college. I personally enjoyed college writing class and I got to explore several forms of writing forms and be part of a community that I’m still a part of to this day. Networking is key in this industry (really any industry, but especially one where it’s hard to quantify quality). Of course, you don’t need college to gather these skills and form a community, but it’s just harder to find good, solid info out there. Thankfully, writers and creators are becoming more transparent in their process so can be a good source of information. What I would definitely avoid doing is going to college, OR investing a lot of money and time outside of college, on anything with the idea that you’re going to get a specific promised result or a particular RoI. No class or video that promises to “increase writing productivity by 300%!!!” or “guaranteed to get publishers’ attention!!!”. It sounds crazy, but false promises like these were plentiful when I was in undergrad. | 0 | 187 | 14 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5khfs | ip5v7iz | 1,663,646,306 | 1,663,653,718 | 7 | 10 | College is for chumps. Source: I have an MFA | I just finished my degree in English and creative writing, and some days I don't think it was worth it. But like someone else said, college teaches you how to tease apart the layers of other people's writing as you read, and that can make you a better writer. I know for sure I am a better writer than I was four years ago, even though I used to write more before I went back to college than I do now. Depending on where you go, a lot of the creative writing programs are all workshops, and your workshops are only as good as your classmates. In four semesters of workshops I might have received one or two pieces of feedback from classmates that were actually helpful. You will also read a ton of really bad writing, and you'll write things you hate and things you love that you never would have written on your own. I got some great advice in college, and had a few professors that completely changed how I approach my writing process and even the way I think about telling stories, and that's why I ultimately think it was worth it for me. You gotta go with your gut even if you're not entirely convinced, because no one knows what you need or want like you do. | 0 | 7,412 | 1.428571 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5nm0u | ip5v7iz | 1,663,648,291 | 1,663,653,718 | 5 | 10 | There is some really good advice here; YouTube is good, but also don't discount online writers courses, like those found at Writer's Digest, Writers Write, Writers Den, Writers-Online, The Write Practice, The Write Life, etc. There are so many to choose from other than what's available on YouTube, and they are taught by very qualified instructors. I'm not at your level, but I have taken many of these courses, and I've had college courses too. I really favor these online courses, And... these courses are "lifetime" ownership which means updates in the future are free to all students who purchase the course. | I just finished my degree in English and creative writing, and some days I don't think it was worth it. But like someone else said, college teaches you how to tease apart the layers of other people's writing as you read, and that can make you a better writer. I know for sure I am a better writer than I was four years ago, even though I used to write more before I went back to college than I do now. Depending on where you go, a lot of the creative writing programs are all workshops, and your workshops are only as good as your classmates. In four semesters of workshops I might have received one or two pieces of feedback from classmates that were actually helpful. You will also read a ton of really bad writing, and you'll write things you hate and things you love that you never would have written on your own. I got some great advice in college, and had a few professors that completely changed how I approach my writing process and even the way I think about telling stories, and that's why I ultimately think it was worth it for me. You gotta go with your gut even if you're not entirely convinced, because no one knows what you need or want like you do. | 0 | 5,427 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip5v7iz | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,653,718 | 2 | 10 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | I just finished my degree in English and creative writing, and some days I don't think it was worth it. But like someone else said, college teaches you how to tease apart the layers of other people's writing as you read, and that can make you a better writer. I know for sure I am a better writer than I was four years ago, even though I used to write more before I went back to college than I do now. Depending on where you go, a lot of the creative writing programs are all workshops, and your workshops are only as good as your classmates. In four semesters of workshops I might have received one or two pieces of feedback from classmates that were actually helpful. You will also read a ton of really bad writing, and you'll write things you hate and things you love that you never would have written on your own. I got some great advice in college, and had a few professors that completely changed how I approach my writing process and even the way I think about telling stories, and that's why I ultimately think it was worth it for me. You gotta go with your gut even if you're not entirely convinced, because no one knows what you need or want like you do. | 0 | 8,377 | 5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5v7iz | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,653,718 | 1,663,648,022 | 10 | 1 | I just finished my degree in English and creative writing, and some days I don't think it was worth it. But like someone else said, college teaches you how to tease apart the layers of other people's writing as you read, and that can make you a better writer. I know for sure I am a better writer than I was four years ago, even though I used to write more before I went back to college than I do now. Depending on where you go, a lot of the creative writing programs are all workshops, and your workshops are only as good as your classmates. In four semesters of workshops I might have received one or two pieces of feedback from classmates that were actually helpful. You will also read a ton of really bad writing, and you'll write things you hate and things you love that you never would have written on your own. I got some great advice in college, and had a few professors that completely changed how I approach my writing process and even the way I think about telling stories, and that's why I ultimately think it was worth it for me. You gotta go with your gut even if you're not entirely convinced, because no one knows what you need or want like you do. | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 5,696 | 10 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip5khfs | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,646,306 | 2 | 7 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | College is for chumps. Source: I have an MFA | 0 | 965 | 3.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip5nm0u | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,648,291 | 2 | 5 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | There is some really good advice here; YouTube is good, but also don't discount online writers courses, like those found at Writer's Digest, Writers Write, Writers Den, Writers-Online, The Write Practice, The Write Life, etc. There are so many to choose from other than what's available on YouTube, and they are taught by very qualified instructors. I'm not at your level, but I have taken many of these courses, and I've had college courses too. I really favor these online courses, And... these courses are "lifetime" ownership which means updates in the future are free to all students who purchase the course. | 0 | 2,950 | 2.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip5nm0u | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,648,291 | 1 | 5 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | There is some really good advice here; YouTube is good, but also don't discount online writers courses, like those found at Writer's Digest, Writers Write, Writers Den, Writers-Online, The Write Practice, The Write Life, etc. There are so many to choose from other than what's available on YouTube, and they are taught by very qualified instructors. I'm not at your level, but I have taken many of these courses, and I've had college courses too. I really favor these online courses, And... these courses are "lifetime" ownership which means updates in the future are free to all students who purchase the course. | 0 | 269 | 5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip617rg | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,658,587 | 4 | 3 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | If you're aiming for networking, yes. If you're only aiming to learn craft, debatable. College will not replace the part where you have to write A LOT. That's where you get the most of experience. Write and read. | 1 | 31,065 | 1.333333 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip617rg | ip5ivsj | 1,663,658,587 | 1,663,645,341 | 3 | 2 | If you're aiming for networking, yes. If you're only aiming to learn craft, debatable. College will not replace the part where you have to write A LOT. That's where you get the most of experience. Write and read. | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | 1 | 13,246 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip617rg | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,658,587 | 1 | 3 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | If you're aiming for networking, yes. If you're only aiming to learn craft, debatable. College will not replace the part where you have to write A LOT. That's where you get the most of experience. Write and read. | 0 | 10,565 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip617rg | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,658,587 | 0 | 3 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | If you're aiming for networking, yes. If you're only aiming to learn craft, debatable. College will not replace the part where you have to write A LOT. That's where you get the most of experience. Write and read. | 0 | 2,690 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip62at9 | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,659,541 | 4 | 3 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | College courses would be much more beneficial. Aside from the reasons you listed yourself, the most important thing you get in a [good] class is workshopping. You write something, everyone else does as well, and you read each others' work and critique it. You learn technique along the way and how to give and receive criticism, but most importantly you learn how to critique writing: how to spot problems and how to fix them. You're seeing technique applied in context to a specific piece of writing, and that's what you need. Because writing advice is only helpful when applied specifically to the piece in question (not being able to do this in tis sub incidentally is why this sub is almost useless for improving one's writing; i.e. the rule 2 controversy). Of course, you don't have to be in a university class to workshop. You could form or join a writer's group or workshopping group or whatever people call them and do it that way. But compared to videos, which is tantamount to attending a lecture, college courses win out every time because of the interactive nature of them. You need to actually be writing and applying what you're learning to that writing. And learning to critique the work of others helps you learn to critique your own writing as well. | 1 | 30,111 | 1.333333 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip7jdgx | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,689,652 | 3 | 4 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 516 | 1.333333 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip7jdgx | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,689,652 | 2 | 4 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 44,311 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6e66c | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,669,991 | 4 | 2 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | 1 | 19,661 | 2 |
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