A World with No Books
So recently two events happened. My family got crushing news about our health insurance (short version, I am uninsurable . . . and I am self-employed) . . . and I got irritated with my agent.
The latter will be resolved. It's a difference of opinion on a proposal. One of three things will happen. I will do a different proposal. He will send out the current proposal. I will quit. (I am nothing if not pragmatic.) The former? Not so easy to resolve. My Significant Other must find a new job pronto. Or I have to. It's pretty much that simple. Oh, but there's that economy thing.
Nonetheless, the very concept of working in a office usually makes me want to throw up. But having had a day yesterday when I really thought . . . maybe I just don't want to write anymore. Ever. I pondered writing itself.
As a career, writing has been a really good gig for me. It's supported a family of six. But ask any fiction writer/freelance writer/freelance book editor what's happened over the last two years, and they will likely tell you that the proliferation of online writing has made freelance a tougher gig than ever before. Add in the whole "e-books are coming, e-books are coming" and the sort of death knell constantly tolling for the book biz . . . and what if books, the way I think about them as a writer, ceased. If book advances shrank to where I couldn't earn a living. If books just . . . stopped being what they are and became something else entirely, something where you could not earn a living.
Which got me thinking. What would I do? I have a new character (rather a new spin on an existing character). He is a comic book writer. My mind literally exploded this morning with visions of how he communicates with the world. If there were no books, would I do that?
Would I have this blog? A different blog? No blog?
Would I go back to bartending and just forget communicating with the written word?
Would I take up multi-media collages (a long-held dream) and communicate that way? Would I write poetry in a secret book? Would I write in a journal again? Do I even communicate at all? Is this blog really about journaling in conversation with others? Would I care if it posted to nowhere but my own computer (well, I would miss all of you)?
Would I take up photography again? Finally make my documentary film?
Would I catalogue my father's jazz record collection and make mixes and live my communication through jazz?
What would you do in a world without books?
44 comments:
For me it would probably be music.
In a related note, I'm going to be posting about writing, money, the economy, and what the hell I've supposedly learned this summer. Ugh.
Erica--I'm sorry for your sucky day. I say, reject it! And what a great imaginative question. If I weren't able to write books, I wouldn't do anything similar. I would work with troubled teens. It's what I did before and what I still might do later.
Two hundred years ago books were written by a collection of writers who were paid to sit and put out a stream of words. They were paid sometimes less than factory workers and their names were never put on the books. That's how the name hack writers came into being.
I hope you don't drop the blog. I enjoy it. I've heard of people taking jobs not because they like the work but because they need the insurance. JRW was trying to work something out where they pooled the resources of their writers and got group insurance. I guess they couldn't since they're a non-profit? I'll ask around.
I've heard there are more NFL players than there are people earning a living from writing fiction. There's just something wrong about that.
I hate to admit it, but in a world without books, I'd watch a lot of TV and movies (more than I do now).
I am a story addict, which means if I couldn't read them or write them, I'd have to just watch them.
We have had multiple, horrendous health insurance issues in my family as well - my fingers are crossed that you can resolve this issue quickly.
My, I'm not quite sure if I could survive in a world without books.
I guess I'd have to say I'd get into music. Maybe be a songwriter, or get into the indie scene. I'd be the next Stevie Nicks...
...good thing there are books, otherwise the world might be subject to the horror that is my sense of rythem.
I've put a lot of thought into this, because I make a living writing and I've seen things change dramatically in the last fifteen years -- but not ALL for the worse. For one thing, it's easier than ever to get "out there." Remember when it was all about query letters and SASEs? For me, the whole face of the business was literally my mailbox.
I know change is coming. Content of all varieties is cheaper than ever before, and lots of times, it's free. You can already get free ebooks from all over the Internet, and I myself run a website where I give away page after page of high-quality, professional content. At one time, someone would have had to buy a book for this content.
But I do think there's hope. In some ways, in my own career, I've seen it move toward a "contract" model, rather than a unit sales model. So I'm paid by companies to provide a stream of content in various outlets (Web, print) and manage an overall editorial position.
I don't know how the book industry will cope with the coming upheaval. But I believe in the power of an audience. I believe that people like good stories, and good writers will attract an audience, and there will always be some way to turn that audience into a living.
And p.s., that sucks about your health insurance. Go health care reform!
I'd probably vegetate in front of the TV until I went crazy. Books are my refuge. Reading brings me peace when a whole lot of other things don't.
My reaction to the insurance thing--Holy crap! I am so angry that even productive people can't get affordable health insurance.
Someone I love has Lupus and has struggled with insurance problems all her life. It is time for things to change.
IN a world without books, I'd become a storyteller. I'd combine my love of music with the stories that demand being told. I might also get serious about photography and tell my stories through that media.
You don't have to sit in an office to get medical benefits. Go to work for Starbucks - make coffee, meet interesting people (who all contribute to your characters), and all Starbucks employees get benefits (even working part time). And, like Richmond Writer said, there are lots of groups around who have come together to get medical insurance at a group rate, just like if you were employed. You'll have to ferret them out, but they are out there.
I hope today is better for you. I would seriously miss your blog, your thoughts, and YOU if you decided to drop the blog, but of course I'd understand.
Mark:
I am sure your insights are similar to mine. I will definitely check out your post.
E
Heather:
I did that too! I mentored at-risk unwed teen moms for a couple of years.
:-)
E
Richmond:
Belive me, I doubt it would come to me working in an office. But the question is posed nonetheless.
And in my family's case, my medical issues complicate things very much.
E
Jude:
I can "barely" earn a living with it. So I have always supplmented as a ghostwriter and a book editor and made what I think is a very nice living. But I see changes.
E
Amy:
My fingers are crossed too. My Significant Other works for a small company and they basically changed the insurance with no warning and it is SO expensive it isn't even worth the gas to drive there.
E
JT:
Well, I am trying to learn the guitar. Perhaps I might form a rock band with Demon Baby and you.
;-)
E
Lurker:
I had, as you know, a retainer gig for nine years with that model. Of course corporate upheaval meant that disappaeared. But I hear you on that . . . when I did do that monthly content thing, I very much liked it.
E
Joe and Lurker:
I am one of millions of Americans waiting for reform. The difference is I have been waiting for 16 years (the year I got my diagnosis finally after years of being very sick). Even 16 years ago, I had such massive insurance issues with what they would not pay for. And I have literally . . . and I mean this without artifice . . . risked my life because I was just too afraid of the co-insurance costs of an ER trip. Instead, I would try to treat myself at home . . . I had a kind-hearted doctor who called in tons of meds, I would drink gallons of Gatorade (virtually the same as what is in IV fluids) and he and I had a "contract" between ourselves of what to do if it took a turn this way or that . . .
E
Beth:
I hear you. In fact, I have BEEN on Starbucks insurance from my Significant Other over ten years ago. The part-time insurance is always cut-rate . . . and with four kids and well-child care, for example, it becomes basically a catostrophic plan. Out of pocked is hideous. BUT . . . I know, as you say, there are always options of a sort. The other thing is paying thousands and thousands in COBRA until things kick in.
And not lying . . . I HAVE insurance. For the last four years, my out of pocket expenses? $20,000 a YEAR. Not a misprint. That is WITH insurance. If everyone could contemplate what this is on their income . . .
All my skills involve self-employment, LOL, and without a hubby who has a job that provides or even offers/coordinates health insurance through the company, all health insurance is in the $600-900 range per person. Neither of us will get health insurance without the other, and coughing up $18,000 a year for health insurance, well... I just don't see us bringing in an "extra" $18,000 a year. I can't even make it a goal, you know? It doesn't even make the list.
I've just downsized drastically so I have more freedom to do what I love. The price for "things" was just too high to deal with sacrificing my ideals and not doing what was best for the children just to make my ends meet.
If I had to give up books, I'd do what I could to go back to school and get an accompanying degree, or at least go back long enough to make new contacts, get my skills back up, and get in the game again. Still... that's self-employment. Same problem with health insurance.
20K a year on TOP of health insurance? Good gracious. No, I can't even contemplate that.
I also am uninsurable. (Which my computer tells me is not a word. Tell it to the insurance companies, computer!) Fortunately here in CO we have Cover Colorado which makes sure EVERYONE is insured. It's not cheap, you understand. I paid twice for mine what the whole rest of the family pays. But at least I can be insured. You might check the laws in your state.
I'd recommend (and my husband knows more about this than me) going to an insurance broker for advice. Also, for everyone else out there, if you ever suspect that you aren't insurable, DON'T allow yourself to get denied. It's a blight on your record that you'll never overcome (at least under current laws.)
Also, we're currently on COBRA. The government is picking up a significant portion of it (we're down to about 500 a month I think. Last time we were on cobra it was at least 4 times that.) There are government plans in place to help, though it might involve layoffs or something. But worth checking into! We found out by accident (small print) when my husband lost his job.
Good luck!!!! Hope today is lots better. Maybe you need to go hang out with DB for awhile, live in his world, eh?
And no books? BITE YOUR TONGUE!! :)
Natasha:
Yeah . . . it's ludicrous. But I agree about downsizing on "stuff." I love second-hand furniture (new new dining room table was a gift from a friend who got married and didn't need it in her new home!). Stuff isn't super important to me. Gadgets (computers, netbook) let me earn my living. But the other stuff is not terribly meaningful to me.
E
Starbucks:
We have to see what is going to shake out in the next two weeks on his job front. But we just can't afford it and then . . . the joys of COBRA.
My Significant Other has a dear friend who is the top insurance broker in the city. Yeah . . . we can't qualify so it will have to be through SOME sort of program, or some sort of new job.
E
Erica,
I'm so sorry you're having such a bad few days, and I'm crossing my fingers and toes, and lighting a candle for you. You already know my viewpoint on #$%&*#@ insurance companies... but I hope you find a livable solution that works for you and your family.
As far as the No Books thing - I have to say, media has become inundated with alot of terrible writing. I mean, it blows my mind how many reputable sites and publications put out things that aren't even grammar checked, let alone spell checked. I have a friend who's an editor with one of the trade publishers and she swears it's because in the age of instant gratification, they send it out to be first without checking anything or polishing it the way that was once professional standard.
There are also a lot of freelancers out there willing to take a very very very low pay (what amounts to well below minimum wage), which makes it harder for writers to find reasonable pay... but, I kind of feel like it will turn around. You get what you pay for and a lot of the people who were looking for deals at first are now looking for writers who can deliver, instead.
Book publishing is another story altogether. I'm not sure where it's going - I think we all know that the business model will be changing. I'm not sure what that means for us. I think there will always be writers. There will always be a need for stories. I'm just not entirely confident that most writers will be able to make a livable wage at fiction... but then, most writers can't do that now.
I'm a diabetic. I am totally not insurable. But, there are things you can do to gain insurance.
Have you thought of joining the National writers Association? They offer insurance. I don't know anything about them, but it might be worth a shot.
No books? Storytelling still goes on. They just have to listen to my big, fat mouth.
Although I think the new health plan is not what we need, we do need health reform in this country. I have a friend whose serve our country for twenty years as a firefighter and medic. When he came down with ALS, the family lost their insurance. She has Crohns and their daughter has some medical issues that make her not insurable.
How can we, as a nation, not see that keeping our people healthy is cheaper than letting our families go bankrupt? We aren't bankrupt from war, business, or poor decisions. We are broke because we fail to provide for the general welfare where health care is concerned.
Ok, can someone help me put the soapbox back on my truck... sorry for ranking here. Just paid the insurance bill myself. I'll put myself in the corner. Can I take a book with me?
Wow, that's a scary thought.
Erica, I really hope you can get the insurance figured out. I worry about what we'll do in the future because since living here I've developed what will be considered a pre-existing condition and I've heard of others not being insured because of it.
Merry:
Yes, the rates freelancers are willing to take hurts, as does people whose writing skills are very subpar hanging their shingle out and saying "I'm an editor" and charging pitiful rates.
E
Allen:
Again . . . I'm not saying no insurance is likely . . . just that pathetic insurance with four children might, in a lot of ways, be the same as no insurance. Not the same, but its financial impact has the ability to wipe you out.
In general, when writer associations try to pull together a plan, what they offer is the barest minimum . . . .
E
Melanie:
We've ridden this particular wave a half-dozen times in my fifteen years as a f/t writer.
E
Move to France. I am self-employed and I have health insurance that costs me about $2000/year and I'm covered for 100% of my expenses, minus a $1.50 co-pay when I go to the doctor and $0.50 on every box of medicine.
FF
I'm so sorry! Hugs! Side note: In Hawaii, they have to insure everyone (i.e. no one is denied coverage). We have a few friends who live here for that exact reason because they are uninsurable on the mainland. Might I suggest a move to the islands?
As for a world with no books, I couldn't help but think of Fahrenheit 451.
If I couldn't write and books didn't exist, I would be a chef or a baker, although a part of me would be missing.
FF:
Plus I love cheese.
;-)
E
Nadine:
Having seen the cakes on your blog . . . good choice!
I really think if there were no books, I would get into a visual media. Telling stories in a different way.
E
GOv't plan, as is, might not solve your problems. The Baucus plan, according to CNN this morning, for a family making $90,000/year, (4 people) would expect to pay $16G+ for health insurance, and the plan compensates them for $5,000 or so. $800-$1000 a month for health insurance is still a lot of money, particularly if you're making $90G before taxes. Periodically pundits say, "Well, it's like having to pay car insurance if you own a car." Well, yeah, if the car you own happens to be a Ferarri. Otherwise the economies of scale have no comparison.
I'll say this. I have come as close as any point in my life of living without books this year and I haven't liked it one bit.
I have read a few books and written some but not nearly enough of either to truly be happy but sadly life has made this a hell of a year and one I hope to never repeat. I have learned lots of things about myself these past nine months and one of them is that I have a new found appreciation of life's little pleasures.
Mark:
The economies of scale are insane. What irks me, of course, is the people in Washington don't have the worries of me and my family.
E
Travis:
I, too, have embraced the little pleasures this year because it's been a grueling one.
E
My insurance through my employer is almost $300 a month for myself and one dependent, and it's only 80/20 unless we use the hospital where I work. An 80/20 plan can still bankrupt you pretty quick if you're in the hospital for any length of time. I'm all for reform, and I think there needs to be an affordable public option.
Oh, Erica, I'm so sorry. I strongly support health care reform. Stories like this make me nuts. I treat many people for free for these sorts of reasons. Or, I ask them what they can afford. I hate this whole thing. Maybe I'll move to France.
If I ever get sick of child psychiatry, I'll go back and train in GI. Kay?
Erica, have you thought of moving to another country? I have, largely because of insurance and medical costs.
Jude:
80/20 can be a real bear. I know . . . . Originally, when I had Demon Baby, my out-of-pocket was going to be about $500. The company where his father worked switched insurers. Demon Baby spent 10 days in the NICU . . . and the switch had been to 80/20. I cost thousands!!!
E
Robin:
I would laugh too hard if you were my doctor. ;-)
E
Edie:
I researched moving to Ireland about three years ago . . . I think my parents being here kind of ties me.
E
Canada would still be close to your folks -- and you'd still be able to avoid airplanes to go to NYC!
I'm not going to get on my soapbox about reform. Esp since I'd be preaching to the choir here.
No books? My house would finally get clean. I'd go crazy, but hey! The house would look good. :)
Penn
Post a Comment