It seems the first part of your writing career is simply believing that you can write. That the way you put words and sentences together, are cohesive and able to be comprehended by the masses. Do you understand the elements of storytelling? Do you have the ability to create compelling characters that lift up off the page? Are you able to capture and articulate themes that aren’t always obvious but can be read between the lines and in the margins?
This is a step that can’t be skipped. We have to arrive at command of craft first, before we can start to think outside the box. But what seems to become important rather quickly, is learning how to take risks to up the ante on books’ staying power and establishing yourself as a true player in the publishing landscape.
It doesn’t always have to be outlandish. Risk can assert itself in a variety of ways. It seems that especially in a time when more books are being published than ever, what will differentiate your work is your approach.
In reading, I came across a passage exploring Toni Morrison’s work with a deceased author named Henry Dumas, in her time as an editor at Random House.
“While Morrison never wanted to be viewed as a hero who saved Dumas from relative obscurity, her willingness to push Random House to publish not one but four books posthumously affirmed her commitment to publishing Black literature that took artistic risks, not simply Black literature that would sell.” Toni at Random, Dana A. Williams
