Thursday, April 3, 2025

Publish or Perish?

Date:

Share post:

By Ananya S Guha

Writing is a perilous art, you can get somewhere in it after years of hard work and persistence. It is grit and tenacity which is some of the hall marks of successful writing.

There are enough posers. The FB page is used to tag, and when you’re tagged it could be unwelcome. You are somewhat compelled to comment, and you make a courteous one! That is why I do not tag others, if they find it worth liking and commenting, let them do so! But at the same time your Notes page which is a blog enables you to experiment and at least put up the first draft.

You need to read, to write. Reading ignites the urge to write. But I would not agree that all writing is trashy, even on Facebook. Some people share their best work, some are clever they don’t share bad stuff. If someone is sharing he or she must have the guts to share good, middling or indifferent stuff. Some of course take the safest way out, they announce the publication and give the link!

But Facebook is e-learning in the best sense, as you can learn from good writing, and network with academics, professionals, writers, researchers and students. There can be good and lasting connections, journals and magazines are announced, and one can be opportunistic enough to write for them. There is also the means to help younger people, comment on their work and help them. So, all does not go in vain.

That informal e-teaching! I personally have gained a lot from social networking sites as Facebook. True there are indifferent writers desperately seeking the proverbial pat on the back, which must have eluded them for years. But let us be a little more empathetic, everyone has aspirations. Can we deny them that right?

Yes, one thing is certainly intriguing. Everyone seems to be writing fiction in English today, in our country. One hears of professional editors and brokers facilitating publication. And in the newspaper world there is the phenomenon of Advertorials, that is; paying for writing and publishing. When writing becomes a transaction and you pay to be published, you perish.

Related articles

Trump unveils tariffs

Washington, April 2: President Donald Trump announced plans for sweeping tariffs Wednesday, saying "our country has been looted,...

SC quashes HC order against The Shillong Times

NEW DELHI, April 2: The Supreme Court of India has quashed a contempt proceeding against The Shillong Times...

Kharlukhi raps Biren for remarks on PA Sangma

SHILLONG, April 2: Former NPP state president and Rajya Sabha MP WR Kharlukhi on Wednesday criticised former Manipur...

New snakehead species of fish found in Chokpot

SHILLONG, March 2: Meghalaya has once again gained recognition in the scientific community with the discovery of a...