Okay, time to let the authors do the work…today I’ve got a guest post from Rudy Mazzocchi, entrepreneur and author of Storytelling: The Indispensable Art of Entrepreneurism
Who Cares?
By Rudy A. Mazzocchi
It’s not my nature to be cynical, but does it really matter that I published two novels and a non-fiction business book? I mean… really? Does the world need a couple more thrillers and yet another book about being an entrepreneur? Am I any better off having spent the last three years of my life researching, writing, editing, pushing and promoting these three books? Is the world a better place now that I’ve told my stories to the couple of thousand readers who picked up these books? I don’t think so. So why do we do it?
It’s actually amazing how the human brain continually needs to consume data. Data for the sake of knowledge, for entertainment, and even for self-gratification. The overweight husband sitting on the couch might feed that need by watching Monday Night Football… fascinated by not only the action, but by the flurry of statistics flashed on the screen that helps supplement the story of the game. Meanwhile, his wife might be off on an adjacent lounge chair, absorbing the massive amount of insignificant data provided by her People Magazine. We all have that innate need for mental stimulation.
Now let’s apply this to writers and readers. As a published author, I satisfy my needs by obtaining and processing new data and constructing it such a way as to create a unique set of characters and stories that may be appealing to someone seeking data to stimulate their own mind. It’s a way for us both (the writer and the reader) to detach from the reality of our daily lives. It’s not only a biological need, but one that applies the basic elements of economics. I produce a product, and someone buys it. This has been the essence of our human society since the beginning of time.
However, am I really making an impact in anyone’s life by writing a book? I suppose some folks out there might take away something of value from my stories, but let’s face it… once they’re finished, they’ll simply find another compelling book to read… one that may have a different impact on them that eradicates any morsel of data that may have been temporarily attained from my writings. So… who really cares?
Oh sure, once in a while a book comes along that everyone believes they need to read. Books ranging from Harry Potter to Fifty Shades of Grey will always somehow be picked up by the press and marketed aggressively, regardless of the quality of their content, while other spectacular literary works go undetected by the masses. So who cares how much heart, sweat and anguish might go into getting your novel published? Is it really worth it?
Well, for this author, it is worth every single stroke of the key board. Yes, it not only satisfies my needs to obtain, process and construct, but it provides great gratification of accomplishing a task. That couch-potato may obtain short-term gratification of watching his team play on Monday night, but what did he accomplish? Burning up another lost evening? The consumption of another thousand calories he really didn’t need? How about the reader who just finished another reading the trilogy of Fifty Shades of Grey? Well, as much as I hate to admit it, those readers have also accomplished a task. Completing the journey that any book or story provides is a true accomplishment.
Although my novels have won a few literary awards, and several readers have sent me their copies for signature, the only one who truly cares about this published accomplishment is me! Writers need to write for themselves, just as readers need to read a particular genre of personal interest. I can only hope that promotional efforts result in a greater awareness, and some sort of brand recognition, sufficiently to reach as many readers as possible so this writer, and you as the reader, can accomplish a shared journey together.
Rudy and his books:
You can learn more about both my fiction and non-fiction books here on my website: http://www.rudymazzocchi.com and my blog site:http://rudymazzocchi.
In addition, I periodically post on my Author Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/
And finally, for all the business folks out there, I’m also constantly expanding my network on LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/