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Friday, May 11, 2012

OMG, Look Who's Indie Publishing, Plus an Awesome Quote from Novelist Cynthia Ozick

Jackie Collins is the queen of the sexy and sleazy potboiler. She has sold over 400 million books, many of which have been made into films and TV series. Examples of her splashy titles are Dangerous Kisses and Hollywood Kids. Her famous older sister, Joan Collins, played the diva Alexis, on the eighties hit, Dynasty.

So why in the world would Jackie Collins want to self publish? In her own words, "Because everyone is doing it, and I want to see what it's like!" Read more about her decision here. Oh, and the title of this novel? The Bi*ch. Oh-kay...

On the flip side, someone recently posted this quote from novelist Cynthia Ozick on Facebook. It's about how, in writing, you need to block out all of the noise, but not just from the outside. You need to block out your own noise about how your writing will be seen in the world---at least while you're actually hard at work writing. It has stuck with me all week:

“One must avoid ambition in order to write. Otherwise something else is the goal: some kind of power beyond the power of language. And the power of language, it seems to me, is the only kind of power a writer is entitled to.”

22 comments:

  1. Excellent quote. This can help keep an aspiring author's head on straight and focused.

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  2. That's very interesting! I'm curious to see how she does self-publishing.
    And hey... I posted that quote last week on my blog. Did someone else post it too? Great minds...

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  3. Tracey, no, I must've gotten it from you! Thanks for reminding me, I couldn't recall. Shows what a great mind you have!

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  4. Great quote! Needed it. Ah time to write ;)

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  5. This was an interesting post on both counts.

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  6. Awesome quote! I think I needed to see that.

    And I never knew Joan and Jackie Collins were sisters. Go figure.

    Erin

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  7. Fantastic quote indeed! It is kinda heart warming to see her going Indie - it validates to so many Indie authors I would think 'Hey! this is mainstream now, the public sees it as so, and there really can be no difference between self-pub and the Big 6.' I like it~! Also sure she will sell a ton of books as usual- perhaps even more so. People will want to see if there is a difference between this book and her others.

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  8. Really interesting. And I'll echo the others about that quote.

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  9. You never know what will happen in this crazy world. :)

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  10. Great quote from Cynthia Ozick. I'll have to put it somewhere so I can read it whenever I'm overwhelmed by the voices.

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  11. Love the quote. Will take it to heart.

    I think it's great to have a famous author of any type taking self-publishing seriously, even if it's not quite the same ball game as it is for those of us who are not yet famous!

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  12. Great quote! It's definitely something to think about, and I think it's cool that Jackie Collins wants to try self-publishing. That is what's awesome about being a writer nowadays. There are so many options.

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  13. wow i am surprised--love that quote and so agree!

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  14. In my secret life, I am Jackie Collins. I love her books!

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  15. Self publishing...everybody's doing it. I think it's hard, sometimes, to not dream about ambitions greater than simply writing well. Agreed, though, that dreams of money, fame, or whatever will not get you very far.

    By the way, I nominated you for the Kreativ Blogger Award. You can collect it here.

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  16. Aww, Elizabeth, that's nice.... and Adrianne, you crack me up. I was away last weekend at a family wedding, and this Saturday, at another. My head is spinning with images of teary moms and swooning couples. Ack! Back to the blog and the writing desk.

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  17. From the ridiculous to the sublime. I love it! Why does Jackie Collins look like she's about to take a bite out of someone?

    & thank you, Cynthia Ozik. All that other crap leads to dyspepsia. Writing is pure.

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  18. Well, now that Jackie has joined the self-published ranks, I can't see how anyone can look down their noses at the others: Ben Franklin, Aristotle, Ezra Pound, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Paine, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexandre Duma, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

    Loved learned about her new adventure!

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  19. Great quote by Cynthia Ozick.
    Here’s another by Cyril Connolly

    Better to write for yourself and have no public,than to write for the public and have no self.

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  20. Good point, C Lee! So many luminaries.

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