Pushing Past the Subjectivity

Dude, this business is SO subjective. If you didn't know that yet, I hope I'm not revealing anything too heart-breaking. Because this publishing thing? It has the power to rip your heart out and trample on it.

And it's because of the subjectivity of the art. Writing is art. Books are art. I know intellectually that not everyone will "connect" with the art I produce. But emotionally, this is a much harder fact to internalize. Because, if the writing is good, and the plotting is smart, and the characters are well-developed (all compliments I've gotten), why exactly isn't this book for you?

Subjective tastes.

And that's hard to stomach, because I don't know how to revise to fix that. It's impossible. We can't revise our books for every reader who comes along, be them agents, editors, or fans. Maybe if you're writing a Choose Your Own Adventure (remember those?).

But seriously, the subjectivity of this industry is demoralizing. It makes you question your ability, and allows your mind to wander into Forbidden Territory: Doubt.

At the same time, this subjectivity is what's so great about publishing. There literally is a place for everyone, all stories, all types.

So each time I get a rejection that doesn't resonate with me, or with the reasons I wrote the story I did, or the vision I have for my story, I have to push past the subjectivity of it. Sometimes it's hard -- oh, so many times. But in the end, I have to create the art I love and believe in.

How do you push past the subjectivity?

Newsflash: Publishing is Subjective

If you've ever been rejected you know this. At least your brain does. The message is much harder to implement, at least in my experience.

But I've been lurking around the Interwebz these past few days, checking out lots of book blogs and/or book review blogs. See, The Story Siren launched her annual debut author challenge, and so my Google alerts have finally become more interesting than what I tweeted last week.

So I've been thinking a lot about what kind of reviews my book might receive--in six months. It seems almost ridiculous to think about this right now, but hey, whoever said I was reasonable?

As this band of tension started to snake its way around my chest, I had a major newsflash.

Publishing is subjective. In fact, anything creative is subjective. You might like a painting I just don't get. You might love a song/artist I think is just noise. You might not even know what Survivor is...well, let's not go there.

But the same goes for books. I love with all my heart and liver The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Maybe you don't.

And that's okay. We can still be friends. It's not personal.

Until it's your book. Or mine.

Which seems totally ghetto, right? We can talk books until we go blue in the face, we can disagree about what we like/don't like, we can go home and think, "We just like different things."

Until it's your book. Or mine.

Which is totally made of lamesauce.

In my head, I know there are going to be people who don't like my book. Who will give it "bad" reviews. In my head, I've told myself that everything will be okay. That publishing is subjective.

That it's not personal.

And so, today, I'm standing up for the non-lamesauceness of the world. Which, I think, would be awesomesauce. And I'm just going to keep repeating: publishing is subjective. (And I hope you like my book. But it's okay if you don't.)

What do you think? Is this harder to live than to believe?