November 20, 2005
I was running an ego search in google. It's not really an ego search so much as finding out if any of my work has been reprinted without permission--yes, it's happened--or if I foolishly sold rights to something that then was reprinted at some prestigious publication for which I receive zero income--yes, it's happened.

Anyway, I ran into somebody's response to one of my posts here, and I was reading the other comments (including my own) and here was part of what Eric Mayer had to say:

"It is more fun to “get published” because of the larger audience and the fact that whatever money you make helps subsidize the effort. Publishing is too screwed up to *fail* at. Who knows how much is skill and how much luck? Nobody. What feels like failure might just be bad luck. Success may be only good luck. You can’t fail at the lottery."

And I was thinking how brilliant that was. I absolutely love the idea that "Publishing is too screwed up to fail at" it. Even when you're succeeding at it, which I suppose I am, I'm not sure it's talent or skill or sometimes even luck, but the equivalent of wearing down rock by dripping water on it for a million years.

Good thought though, Eric. You da man.

Best,
Mark Terry