What does writing a book mean to you? I’m curious to know. Do you picture sitting there at a desk for hours on end, crying over your manuscript? Maybe you feel a spark of excitement at the thought of getting your ideas down. Perhaps there’s even fear.

If you’re an author, I hope you at least feel a little thrill deep down when you think of penning your draft—even if that thrill is hidden by fear and tears sometimes. That is what makes you a writer, and it’s what makes your story so special.

What would it be like to write a book without that thrill, that spark of connection, that beautiful excitement that comes from sharing your ideas with the world through a story? What kind of story do you think it would be?

Believe it or not, that kind of story is the kind populating our bookstores today.

Is Creativity an “Industry”?

What do you think creativity means? What’s the point of it? I’d love to hear your point of view, because I don’t think there’s a single right answer—though I do think there are wrong ones.

I think that types of creativity are endless. Everyone has a story to tell, and whether they tell it through writing, art, music, dancing, baking, cooking, woodworking, crafting, or anything else, it’s creativity. The beauty of creativity is it isn’t defined by a single expression. In its simplest form, it’s telling a story in a way we enjoy and connect with. It’s putting a piece of ourselves into something and, sometimes, sharing it with the world.

Have you ever read a book that felt soulless? There’s no other way to describe it, but you can tell the story is just words on a page. It didn’t resonate with the author, and it doesn’t resonate with you.

There could be many reasons for this soulless story, but one of the biggest I see today is authors are going to extremes writing for the market.

One huge issue with putting the words “creative” and “industry” beside each other is that they’re almost complete opposites. The point of creativity is to create, and nothing more. The point of an industry is to make a profit. So once you’re creating solely to make a profit, is it really creativity anymore?

What vs. Why

Writing for the market is destroying the book industry—and perhaps even the creative industry as a whole—day by day.

Do you know that agents and publishers often have a list of specific genres and tropes they’re looking for in a book? If your manuscript falls into another category, you can try to submit it anyway, or look elsewhere. But too often nowadays, only books that fit a certain type are accepted and published.

You all are smart—I know you can figure out what happens next. You see it every time you walk through a Barnes & Noble.

Creativity has become more about the what than the why.

Decline of the Book Industry

How did we get here, shelves and tables full of books that are essentially the same, with no heartbeat to distinguish them? All throughout history, authors have written for the love of writing, to share their story with the world. Some made decent income from their works, but most of them didn’t. They kept writing anyway. Why do you think we have so many classics that are universally loved?

Now, reading has become commercialized. Many say that reading is an escape, and I agree, to a point. But if we tread too far into that other world, that fictional life beyond our reach, we lose the author’s very intent. Stories give us wisdom to take along with us throughout day-to-day life, but if we stay in the “escape” forever, how can we learn? How can we know where we need to change? How can we help to change the real world around us?

At some point, we as readers became too invested in the outer wrapping of the story and stopped listening to its heart—the reason the author wrote it in the first place. And when readers stopped caring, so did authors. Hence, romance novel after romance novel that has no true value for us to internalize but still gets 5-star reviews on Amazon.

The book industry has become just that: a money-making machine. Publishers care more about chasing trends to make their millions. Readers are desperate for a brief escape from life rather than a valuable lifelong truth. And authors see writing as a “get rich quick” scheme rather than a labor of love.

What Do We Do?

As readers, we must demand better. We must not be content with books that fulfill a wish but never penetrate the heart. We must support books that truly mean something and add value to the world.

Have you ever thought about reading indie novels? Maybe you already have a favorite (and please share, because I’m always looking for new books to read!). One of the great things about self-publishing and independent presses is varied voices that take a different path than what’s popular. These authors often write just because they have a story to tell. They sacrifice a piece of themselves to create a story that not only provides escape but aims to make this world, our world, a better place by teaching us.

We need that. We need to listen to voices other than the big money-makers. We need to not just absorb a book, but think, reason, and reflect.

As authors, we must stay true to our “why”. If we are solely writing to make money, something has gone wrong. We need to recenter ourselves and remember our reason for writing. What first inspired you to tell a story? What do you want the world to know?

It’s not wrong to earn money from your books, but once that’s the only goal, your stories lose that piece of you that’s so essential to showing the world what needs to change. When we stop believing in the words we write, they lose their power and simply become ink on paper.

The good news is there’s always a way back. I don’t know if the publishing industry as a whole will ever heal from what it has become, but you can do your part. Be willing to learn. Read good books. Show your love to authors and publishers who prioritize creativity over profitability.

Always stay true to your “why”.

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To be totally honest, I have no idea where this post came from. I started out writing something completely different, and this just poofed into existence instead.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about. And now I want to know: what’s the most meaningful book you’ve ever read? A lesson from a book you’ll never forget? I want to hear your story.

Happy reading and writing with purpose!
—E.J.

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