Writers, writing and going the "traditional" route..........

Here is my reply to a post talking about the "traditional" route of a writer getting their work published.

I'd have to agree with the reply posted.

The original post talked about traditional publishing and that in itself will tell you a lot.  We are seeing more and more real life examples of non-traditional publishing - especially with the whole Internet thing.

Coincidently I have a copy of The Writer's Legal Guide in front of me and there are so many sections devoted to non traditional forms of support for writers which includes subjects such as grants and fellowships and non traditional sources such as literary magazines, colleges that fund writers in residence, and programs that relate to writing for the arts. 

There is also a growing discontent for the tradional process as writers are getting fed up with the small payments offered to them and the fact that they have to give up their rights in order to be published.  I used to have a news feed from someone who had a blog about such examples of the small amounts that publishers were offering writers (mental note to myself to find that feed again!), examples of writers getting together and trying to stop (and in some cases suing) unfair contracts.

I will say this though.  There are writers and people out there that want to write and the only way they know of getting published or getting an income from their writing is to go the traditional route because it is the only way that they know.  I have seen the question asked over and over again "I have completed a manuscript now how do I get it published".  And some people want their worked published so badly that they will pay to have it vanity published - which I'm not 100% knocking - but you don't have to go the traditional route.  In fact the most ultimate desire would be to have the publishers start a bidding war over the writer's work - surely not the "traditional" publishing route but a more desirable publishing route.