A little question here as I write this, melting from the heat and just waiting for the baby to wake up. This one is for all you writers out there. Why do you want to be published?
My answer has a few parts. One reason I want to be published, for sure, is the money. I know most writers don’t get rich from writing, but I can dream. Also, even if I don’t get rich, a little supplemental income couldn’t hurt. So, yeah, honestly, the financial part is a bit draw for me.
Another reason I’d like to be a published author is the “bookstore moment”. You know, to be able to walk into a bookstore and see my name on the spine of one of the books. That would be sweet. Then I could harass everybody in the store into buying a copy. Double sweet.
Finally, I just really like to entertain people and make them laugh. My types of stories, I hope entertain first and are good second. If I’m published, more people will read my work, and I’ll have entertained more of them. Pretty simple.
So, those are my answers. The real question is which one is the main reason. That changes, pretty much, from day to day.
What makes you want to be published?
The Struggling Writer 
I’m not going to lie; the money plays a part. But more so than that, it’s just feeling of accomplishment that would come with being published. If you work so hard on something, it would be nice to have some recognition fo it.
I hear that Susan. Thanks for the comment 🙂
The bookstore moment… like when Homer Simpsons starts drooling over donuts. Mmmmm bookstorelicous…
That and the satisfaction of seeing the work payoff.
And you are living the dream, Mr. Kent, aren’t you? Congrats!
I don’t really know, to be honest. Because why you want to be published is a very different question from why you want to write. For me, I figure that once I finish the novel, the next step is to send it out for publication. I don’t have to, but it just feels like the next logical step. If I knew ahead of time that publication were not an option, would I still write? Absolutely. So, I find if I keep that in mind, I’ll keep trucking along with the writing and I’ll eventually be able to handle all the rejections that are sure to come. Publication is just sprinkles. You can’t live on the sprinkles alone, but they sure are nice to have (for all the reasons you’ve listed). And if you’re gonna have ice cream, you might as well have sprinkles.
“And if you’re gonna have ice cream, you might as well have sprinkles.” I love this Michelle. Great comment!
I’m definitely after the bookstore moment. I practically live at the bookstore, and I want to be a bigger part of that.
Also, like you, I want to entertain. I want to distract people from the realities of life. I want to help readers drift into fantansy, help them believe in magic, maybe give them a reason to look forward to the long subway commute.
“help them believe in magic” My thoughts exactly UL. Excellent comment too!
Bookstore moment. Seriously that’s about it. I don’t want to be a full-time writer. I want to write a story that I can love and others will love and see it picked up by someone I don’t even know. 🙂 Totally with ya on that one! 🙂
I think being published for me is validation. It means that I’m good at something and that people actually want to buy what I’ve written. I think that part, if it every happens, will be amazing.
Honestly? Just to have my words read, and have people understand the twisted mine that is mine and only mine.
Er… mind. Pardon.