Publishing — like music, film, business, or sports — is not a solo act. Therefore, climbing the ladder of success always involves some sort of compromise, some sort of give and take. Of course, WHAT one is willing to give and take along the way is the cause of much heartbreak.
Writers typically frame their dilemma this way:
“Do I compromise what I really want to write in order to make a living or get my foot in the door?” or “Do I write the story of my heart and let the chips fall where they may?”
There is a certain nobility (sometimes feigned) by artists who rage against the machine. You know some of these people, right? They refuse to adapt their style to the market. They rail against the money-grubbing gatekeepers. They scoff at “the rules.” They chafe against industry decorum. They denounce the status quo. They disparage what is commonly accepted as popular art. They would rather die anonymous than be a patented sellout.
They are [insert angelic choirs] principled.
Sometimes being “principled” is a cop-out. No, I’m not suggesting being a sell-out isn’t. I’m suggesting that we sometimes use the term “principled” as a smokescreen.
Sometimes being “principled” is really just
- Pigheadedness
- Inflexibility
- Disdain
- Institutional prejudice
- Lack of professional savvy
Of course, there’s many artists who have resisted conformity and we are better off for it. But is “resisting conformity” the golden rule? Truth is, the “starving artist” is often one who holds the ticket to her next meal. Your “hunger strike” could be avoided by simply seeing your talent as a tool rather than the Holy Grail.
Nevertheless, knowing when to compromise and when to hold your ground is the gist of creative enterprise. Just don’t be fooled into thinking that all compromise is selling out.
- Compromise is “selling out” when you become a puppet of the institution; your talents exist only to oil the machine, your originality and vision is replaced by groupthink, the ties that bind are actually nooses, you are an organizational prop.
- Compromise is “selling out” when your integrity, morality, and highest principles are sacrificed in the process; you lose yourself for the sake of success / power / fame / advancement / personal gain, “high ground” is vacated for “safe ground,” your birthright is squandered for three square meals a day.
- Compromise is “selling out” when your unique voice and vision is squelched; you no longer have any real creative freedom or input, you are coerced into complicity, you cannot air opinions lest you bite the hand that feeds you, someone else holds the deed to your creative license.
No matter how unique your vision, you probably can’t go it alone. You will need to compromise, involve others, solicit others, confide in others, team up, and make concessions along the way. This is definitely true in publishing. I know, I know — the publishing world is changing, you say. The self-published author can do it “their way” (which is code for remaining [cue angelic choirs] principled).
But while the solo artist might maintain creative freedom, they often lose something in the process, namely collaboration. It is precisely the thing that they most fear (other eyes), that they can most benefit from.The self-published author may not have sold their soul to the devil, but the chances of them selling their book is equally remote.
Compromise can be painful. But if it makes my product better and gives me the opportunity to make more of it, then it’s the smart thing to do. Or as Benny G said, “You’ve got to give a little, take a little, let your poor heart break a little.”
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Question: Do you agree that being “principled” can sometimes be a cop-out? Do you think it’s better to compromise what you really want to write in order to make a living or get your foot in the door? Or is it better to write the story of your heart and let the chips fall where they may?
. Which can be difficult for people who are often sought for their opinions.
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