Writers and other delusional people: There is no more gullible, self-delusional, fog-headed being on the planet than an aspiring writer.

This is a highly erudite and enjoyable rant from the official blog of J. Steven York pictured right a US based best-selling novelist and genre-writer.

The quotes I love are 'an entire industry of crooks, con-men and scam artists exists to exploit them (writers),' and 'It's like the entire herd of antelope crowding around the lion shouting, "Eat me! No, eat me!"'

Found by Margareta ....

I heard yet another story the other day of a writer being scammed by a so-called agent. What was most horrifying about the story was not that they were paying the agent to rewrite their stuff, but the sheer glee and delight with which the writer was submitting to the process.

Rule #1 in this business is: Money always flows towards the writer. If it doesn't, something is seriously wrong. If you fail to recognize this, or worse, mistake it for success, you are playing the fool.

There is no more gullible, self-delusional, fog-headed being on the planet than an aspiring writer. So predictable and common are their delusions that an entire industry of crooks, con-men and scam artists exists to exploit them, and such a sweet deal it is for them, too. Not only are most of their scams perfectly legal, their marks are actually grateful to be scammed! It doesn't get much better for a predator than that. It's like the entire herd of antelope crowding around the lion shouting, "Eat me! No, eat me!"

Wait. No. Keep reading. You may resemble this remark. Fact is, most of us do at one time or another. And if it does describe you, take comfort that you have plenty of company. I hear from these people all the time. Some of them I've had extended correspondence with, and I've learned some things.

Most of the writers getting scammed aren't dumb. They're nice, intelligent people who sincerely want to be writers, and have simply lost their way. Most of them are so invested in whatever flavor of Kool-aid they've swallowed that they not only can't see the truth, they don't want to. Yet most of them are aware, on some level, that something is wrong. That's usually why they write me. They have concerns. They have questions. Just not enough to wake up and look around.

Read on

Related links:

J. Steven York's Multiplex of the Mind: Writers and other delusional people
J. Steven York's weblogYorkwriters.com, the official web page for Steve and Chris York