What is Free E-Day, you ask? In the words of Dan Holloway, author and event organizer extraordinaire:Free-e-day 2009 is the biggest ever cultural electronic giveaway & celebration of the independent creative spirit.
Click on the logo for his complete introductory post on the official web site. Basically, it's an electronic carnival for artists of all mediums to give their work away to the world for free in the spirit of sharing our talents with others. This is not just a day for writers, but for musicians, filmmakers, graphic artists, and whoever else has something they want to share with the world.
I'll be the first to admit - I often consider self-publishing my books, not as any rebellious "statement" against the traditional publishing industry, but because it would be something I did myself, independent of outside influences. For me, it's much the same as making tangible crafts and selling them at shows - I had a huge sense of pride whenever someone would compliment my dishcloths or homemade soaps. I could see myself standing at a craft show behind a table of my books, flattered beyond belief whenever someone purchased one for a nominal fee. Even just posting my serial novels, or flash fiction for free makes the work feel more like "art" than a job. I love that feeling, and I'm convinced that no matter what happens to me in the traditional publishing industry, I'll always self-publish some of my work as well. It makes me happy, and fulfills me in a way that the business side of writing probably never will.
While there's that part of me that wants to make writing more about the art of storytelling than the money, I also freely admit that someday I want to turn what I love into a living wage. I want to be published by a traditional house, vetted by editors and deemed "worthy" enough for someone else to spend time and money and paper on. I want to see my books on the shelves of a big box store, available for anyone strolling by to pick up, read the back cover and add to their grocery or movie rental pile. For a lot of people, this desire can't coexist with the more independent spirit, but I've made peace with the fact that both of these methods of getting my work out there are simply two faucets of my nature, and that I *can* in fact, indulge in them both.
As a matter of fact, I think it would be healthier if more people embraced both methods of sharing their work (whatever it is), rather than limiting themselves to one or the other. Balance is key for most things in life.
In order to be successful in traditional publishing (in the US, at least), one has to pay attention not only to quality, but quantity. Getting and keeping one's name out there is the key to making any money at all as an author, and sticking to deadlines and working well in a collaboration with editors is of utmost importance to continued contracts. It's a job...and while creativity is an important part, an author who expects to make a living at it needs to focus on the business aspects as well. I'm very close to flinging myself full-tilt into this business, and trying to make a go of it. This doesn't mean I don't still love the process of creating a story to submit, but I do feel compelled to restrict my writing to stories with the potential to make money, since the ultimate goal is to be able to make a living writing full-time.
That's where things like Free E-Day come in for me. The stories I create for free don't need to conform to any standards aside from my own. I'm not limited in genre or scope, and rather than focusing on how many people will pay for my work (and how much), I can simply make it available and if people like it, they are free to enjoy it. The very act of creating it fulfills my own desires for it. I need nothing more from it, though if others get enjoyment from it, that only enhances the value to me. Once the pressure to create a salable product is off, writing becomes just a hobby again, an enjoyable past time that reminds me why I want to make a living at it, if that makes any sense.
Free E-Day is December 1st, 2009. I hope you'll join me, if not in giving something to the world, then in the enjoyment of what's being offered. I'll be posting a collection of flash stories for free entitled "Holiday Lights" that I hope you'll all enjoy.
Do you give any of your work away for free? Would you? Would you ever consider self-publishing, or are you strictly on the traditional path? If you were never able to sell your work, would you still write?
