Nobody Cares

That’s a cheerful title…but it’s something I’ve been thinking about over the past year or two. I talked to a friend recently, and congratulated him on an article the local newspaper published about three books he’s written and self-published. The proceeds from the sales of his books go to a charitable organization. 
He posted a link to the article on his social media, and received numerous “likes” and congratulations. And yet for all of that, the sales that resulted amounted to ONE book. He laughed it off, but seemed genuinely surprised. 

I wasn’t. 

I’ve self-published three books (one was written for a friend), and have released four albums of my own music (see my web site for details on all of the above!). Here’s the takeaway from my experiences: No one cares. Okay, not NO ONE, but a tiny handful of people (mostly related to me) care. 

Why? The main reason, from my observations, is that people are busy with their own lives, and don’t have time to buy and read/listen to my work. Also, modern technology has made it possible for average people to publish their own books and record their own music, which is wonderful, but it also means that every Tom, Dick, and Harry has his own book/album/etc. And now with artificial intelligence, there’s even more, as people are actually putting out music and books written by AI. 

So why WOULD I want to read someone’s book or listen to their new song? It isn’t just that I’m busy. What about quality? Is it any good? The average self-published book probably isn’t a literary masterpiece, nor is that DIY music likely to rival Mozart. In fact, odds are that it’s mediocre at best. So again, why spend my precious time and money on something that probably isn’t very good?

It’s a fair question, and to be honest, I don’t buy most of the books, or listen to most of the music that ordinary people I know put out. I do try to give attention to as much as I can because I’m in the same boat. If I don’t give them a try, why should they give me one?

Why should you even read this blog? 

I can’t answer that. But here’s my advice for those aspiring writers, musicians, and artists: don’t do what you do to sell units or “make an impact.” I hate to say it, but chances are that your creation won’t have much of an impact. Do it because you have to. Do it because you feel God leading you to (that’s the best reason). Do it just because it’s fun! 

When I wrote my first book, I harbored dreams of doing that for a living. That dream died an ugly death, but by the time I got around to writing and recording music, I didn’t care. My reasons were a combination of the three listed in the previous paragraph. This is who God made me to be, so in a sense, doing these things is an act of worship. A few people have enjoyed my work, and that’s a bonus, but that’s not my motivation. 

So by all means, write that book; record that song…but also put those dreams of grandeur to rest.