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In Praise of Non-Professional Writers
Why you should believe in yourself and not stop writing
I have read a lot of laments recently from people who call themselves “professional writers.” Many of these people complain that writing platforms are being infiltrated by people who are either not very good at writing, or who are using these platforms just to promote their business.
I don’t disagree with that assessment at all. Sadly, I too have read a number of pieces on different platforms that weren’t very good, either due to mechanical issues, substandard vocabulary, or a general lack of writing ability. There are some people who publish pieces that probably shouldn’t, and there are publication editors who rubber stamp pieces just to get more content out there.
In this era of self-publishing, this is to be expected. Gone are the days when the only people who got published were those who made it past the gatekeepers of the literary world at publishing companies. This is a new landscape, and being showcased at Barnes and Noble or having your own syndicated column in major newspapers are not the only ways to be successful anymore.
That is a good thing.
