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The IndieBound Community
I confess that I often feel guilty for shopping for books at Amazon.com or The Book Depository. I kind of feel like a sellout, like I’m supporting Wal-Mart or something just as horrible. In my defense, Amazon rocks. There is no denying it. But it shouldn’t be a one-stop shop.
Why? Because of awesome sites like IndieBound.org, which hosts a network of independently owned bookstores and other fun book stuff. Check it out; support the economy on local levels and encourage small-business owners rather than adding your money to the stockpiled ching labeled CORPORATE.
Related articles
- Amazon.com Moves Closer to Acquiring a Major British Rival (bits.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Borders & The Future of Bookselling (homebetweenpages.com)
When Not to Hire a Writer
Image by boellstiftung via Flickr
As a writer, there’s no doubt that I’m a fan of those who hire writers. And there are tons of reasons to do so, especially for companies and organizations that want to appear credible in print. There are, however, a few instances where I believe hiring a writer- for services beyond coaching and suggestions for revision- actually damages your credibility.
Lyrics
If you are a singer, you should sing your own words. Otherwise you cannot call yourself an artist; you are just a voice. And while you may have talent as a voice, it would be much more impressive if you expressed yourself as an artist as well.
Singers who are not songwriters seem fraudulent. Superficial. Unimportant.
Speeches
For the same reason, public speakers should have confidence in what they’re saying. What better way to demonstrate confidence than by writing your own speech? There’s no crime in having it fine-tuned, but the bulk of what you say to the public should be your own original thoughts. Otherwise… why are we listening to you?
Hire a writer for feedback. Or for ways to better articulate your thoughts. Collaborate, but be there- be present in the process. Everyone should have some knowledge of writing, just like everyone should have some knowledge of the spoken language. As part of a society, every person should be able to communicate effectively on multiple levels. There is no need for specialization (that’s when professional writers are handy) but we should all be able to dabble in simple, good writing.
In fact, we should all dabble in a lot of things that we, as a collective, probably don’t.
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
That said, I admit I am not a singer, but I love writing lyrics. And I abhor public speaking and will never do it, but I love writing speeches. 
