Ian! What I like about you is that you force me to look in the mirror and admit I am not doing nearly enough to make this dream a reality. Thank you for everything that you do!
Beautifully written, thank you. I read something along these lines some time ago, and I’d like to underline a few ideas.
I’m convinced there’s a category of truly talented writers who will never make it. I’ve seen some of them falling inexorably. Unfortunately, there are several obstacles that I can’t fully unpack here in a comment.
The problem for writers is that our art isn’t "instantaneous" or fast-food style. With music, you make a track, publish it on social platforms, and it takes less than ten seconds for a listener to decide whether they like it or not. The same goes for painters, photographers, and other visual arts — they’re easier for the mind to register quickly.
But what do you do when you’ve written 400 pages? How do you convince a reader that your work is worth their time?
A reader’s attention span is extremely short. It’s easier to rely on trends, because they’re accepted formats — familiar, ready-made, easy to follow. But imagine being an unknown writer who has written a masterpiece. You’re trapped.
To put it briefly, I’m here on Substack to begin what you call a Renaissance-like revolution — and I’ve been doing this for a few years now, so I’m with you.
The problem is that people are now clinging to the gurus of How To and AI.
Maybe the real revolution is simply going back to bookshops and talking to people. Maybe... we should stop feeding the algorithm and play a different game this time. I'm wrong?
That simply is not true. That implies meritocracy works every single time. What about the talented artists who write and perform purely for themselves? Those strange birds who don't want acclaim or validation? How about the people who simply have bad luck? I know phenomenal musicians who can't be bothered to do shows or tour because that's not where they derive joy.
Truly talented anything is going to succeed is naive and simply not realistic thinking. On the flip side, that's like writers blaming their lack of success on nepotism and industry plants. Sure, such things exist, but that's not a one-size-fits-all explanation.
You can invalidate any statement by introducing inapplicable subsets. This is actually a fallacy of reasoning called ignoratio elenchi. Now I don't know Latin real well, but something tells me the word ignoratio ain't good
On the flip side, you can also realize you said something empty because you thought it sounded like a nice, fluffy platitude, when in reality it was just vapid. You can qualify your statement any which way you’d like; you still said it.
Unfortunately, the world isn’t always about English-speaking countries alone — it’s made up of nations and many different kinds of realities. Still, I want to believe you completely. So yes, you’re right: true talent always finds a way.
Of course in this case blanket statements should be avoided. I'm not backpedaling, but I should have said the truly talented will find *some* level of success. Becoming huge is quite another thing, and cannot be predicted or even justified.
The interesting thing is that what you're looking for IS happening, but in the writing industries of OTHER languages. I've been lucky enough to be able to read Hindi, plus I read a lot of Chinese and Japanese literature through translations. These spaces have everything you're looking for. English literature should start using their channels. The infrastructure is already there, and the English writers just need to migrate
What is so beautiful about this movement is we always aim to be transformative, and golly gee there will always be a need for that. Maybe one poem or short story won't move the needle, but if we keep going we'll each have a catalogue of work we can be proud of, enough to turn the tide.
Ian, please know I’m doing what I can with what I have to do my part in making the Literary Renaissance a reality. I can always do more. Baby steps…baby steps…
speaking fire! love everything you do. i’m gonna be on the front lines, literary infantry. fighting with the rest of my literary comrades until we see the sun!
Here’s the thing: most of us have been going it alone. The one and only thing the academy offered was community and mentorship. We need to be around other people who are “switched on” by this endeavor.
I had a previous career in investment banking specializing in the media industry. In the 90s publishers, decided to raise the prices of books by calculating how many hours of entertainment a book provided and compared this to the price of movies. This is when there was rapid consolidation of imprints in book publishing. It was always that fourth about how high the price could go. What would the market bear. Should a book today cost $30 or $40? Yes, if you are maximizing short term profit. But turns out , they slowly killed a beautiful business run by passionate publishers.
I couldn’t help but notice how so many of the practitioners of the academic creative writing industrial complex literally write stories about themselves. Creative writing professors writing stories about creative writing professors. It’s very bizarre. Part of the infection of the idea that you can only write about your own social identity.
Ian! What I like about you is that you force me to look in the mirror and admit I am not doing nearly enough to make this dream a reality. Thank you for everything that you do!
Beautifully written, thank you. I read something along these lines some time ago, and I’d like to underline a few ideas.
I’m convinced there’s a category of truly talented writers who will never make it. I’ve seen some of them falling inexorably. Unfortunately, there are several obstacles that I can’t fully unpack here in a comment.
The problem for writers is that our art isn’t "instantaneous" or fast-food style. With music, you make a track, publish it on social platforms, and it takes less than ten seconds for a listener to decide whether they like it or not. The same goes for painters, photographers, and other visual arts — they’re easier for the mind to register quickly.
But what do you do when you’ve written 400 pages? How do you convince a reader that your work is worth their time?
A reader’s attention span is extremely short. It’s easier to rely on trends, because they’re accepted formats — familiar, ready-made, easy to follow. But imagine being an unknown writer who has written a masterpiece. You’re trapped.
To put it briefly, I’m here on Substack to begin what you call a Renaissance-like revolution — and I’ve been doing this for a few years now, so I’m with you.
The problem is that people are now clinging to the gurus of How To and AI.
Maybe the real revolution is simply going back to bookshops and talking to people. Maybe... we should stop feeding the algorithm and play a different game this time. I'm wrong?
"there’s a category of truly talented writers who will never make it" With all respect, this is a myth. Truly talented anything is going to succeed.
That simply is not true. That implies meritocracy works every single time. What about the talented artists who write and perform purely for themselves? Those strange birds who don't want acclaim or validation? How about the people who simply have bad luck? I know phenomenal musicians who can't be bothered to do shows or tour because that's not where they derive joy.
Truly talented anything is going to succeed is naive and simply not realistic thinking. On the flip side, that's like writers blaming their lack of success on nepotism and industry plants. Sure, such things exist, but that's not a one-size-fits-all explanation.
Artists who perform for themselves, or bad luck is NOT what we're talking about.
You said "Truly talented anything is going to succeed". Fundamentally flawed statement.
You can invalidate any statement by introducing inapplicable subsets. This is actually a fallacy of reasoning called ignoratio elenchi. Now I don't know Latin real well, but something tells me the word ignoratio ain't good
On the flip side, you can also realize you said something empty because you thought it sounded like a nice, fluffy platitude, when in reality it was just vapid. You can qualify your statement any which way you’d like; you still said it.
Unfortunately, the world isn’t always about English-speaking countries alone — it’s made up of nations and many different kinds of realities. Still, I want to believe you completely. So yes, you’re right: true talent always finds a way.
Of course in this case blanket statements should be avoided. I'm not backpedaling, but I should have said the truly talented will find *some* level of success. Becoming huge is quite another thing, and cannot be predicted or even justified.
The interesting thing is that what you're looking for IS happening, but in the writing industries of OTHER languages. I've been lucky enough to be able to read Hindi, plus I read a lot of Chinese and Japanese literature through translations. These spaces have everything you're looking for. English literature should start using their channels. The infrastructure is already there, and the English writers just need to migrate
Fr!!
I stopped buying books from anyone with MFA in their bio…. those books feel too safe and formulaic.
Getting an MFA isn't a bad thing, but if you're putting it in your bio, it's like, why? You aren't a surgeon, lol.
So true !
The problem is reaching readers who want to be challenged.
Who want to be transformed
I write such books, but getting reach is almost impossible
What is so beautiful about this movement is we always aim to be transformative, and golly gee there will always be a need for that. Maybe one poem or short story won't move the needle, but if we keep going we'll each have a catalogue of work we can be proud of, enough to turn the tide.
Ian, please know I’m doing what I can with what I have to do my part in making the Literary Renaissance a reality. I can always do more. Baby steps…baby steps…
"Difficult writing will never be able to replace writing that touches the soul."
Great line. The soul is what we are about! It is what excellent writing has always been about!
speaking fire! love everything you do. i’m gonna be on the front lines, literary infantry. fighting with the rest of my literary comrades until we see the sun!
Here’s the thing: most of us have been going it alone. The one and only thing the academy offered was community and mentorship. We need to be around other people who are “switched on” by this endeavor.
I believe in this but am unsure of how to reach and engage such people… where do we start?
There are plenty of other 21st century authors internationally doing new things
I had a previous career in investment banking specializing in the media industry. In the 90s publishers, decided to raise the prices of books by calculating how many hours of entertainment a book provided and compared this to the price of movies. This is when there was rapid consolidation of imprints in book publishing. It was always that fourth about how high the price could go. What would the market bear. Should a book today cost $30 or $40? Yes, if you are maximizing short term profit. But turns out , they slowly killed a beautiful business run by passionate publishers.
Every era has had lousy writing. And a handful of greats. What's changed?
I couldn’t help but notice how so many of the practitioners of the academic creative writing industrial complex literally write stories about themselves. Creative writing professors writing stories about creative writing professors. It’s very bizarre. Part of the infection of the idea that you can only write about your own social identity.
Selling out to the machine because I need to succeed under Capitalism to survive just like you.