We must let the clamp do what the clamp does best

I’ve recently found myself in a conversation among other creatives on a writing forum about creative burnout and disillusionment, and it’s no shock considering the state of the world, although most prominently, the state of the US. Most of my time in publishing has been spent in the realm of indie publishing, which feels like the only place someone can make a living in publishing outside of becoming a charmed select few.

There are a ton of talented, skilled, and interesting writers out in the world right now. Most of which, even those with stories printed in major publications, and have been up for major awards (hell, even won them) who are on the constant hamster wheel of trying to find that next publication while fielding endless form rejections. The truth of the matter is, markets open for submissions are shrinking, there are more people writing after COVID, and there are simply less people reading now.

People read still, don’t get me wrong, but it’s on their phones, and largely bullshit we all doom scroll. Not fiction. It’s similar to how all art is faring in the age of the algorithm. I haven’t even started talking about AI slop yet. Sheesh.

Trying to remain positive in the face of this sucks. Most of us go into this with the understanding that making a career out of writing is incredibly difficult. An uphill battle if there ever was one. The problem is, that was maybe ten years ago. The reality now is much, much worse.

The publishing industry has always been fickle, but the enshittification (I’m tired of this word, but it’s impossible to ignore how much sense it makes) over the last twenty years by tunneling itself into modern “line goes up” business practices has made it so book sales have been a flat line, although I’d argue the readers being served are a much smaller audience they’re bleeding dry with special editions and cookie cutter novels (if you’re into it, cool, no shade).

For someone like me, who made as close to a living as I could imagine as an indie author, the shift away from writing overly commercial, easily consumable fiction has been a difficult transition. The world of ‘traditional publishing,’ which I was always able to say ‘is in trouble,’ has stepped fully into that role. It’s a mess. As my work has veered away from what I previously released and I’ve embraced more difficult and strange material, I’ve found that markets that once existed, or avenues of publication that seemed reliable, have dried up.

I’ve gotten really into the band Black Country, New Road of late. I first heard them a few years ago when I was working in the yard and some algorithm on some streaming platform suggested the song Sunglasses to me. It reminded me of the kind of music I listened to in college a lot, which was prog rock with indie leanings. Stuff like Dredg, Isis, Pelican, and whatever else was on Neurot Records that I devoured.

Since my hobby of tinkering with computers has gotten exponentially more expensive this year, I’ve given it a break and gotten more into audio gear, which can still be blisteringly expensive, but has gotten more affordable and accessible through the deluge of Chinese manufacturers using their years of experience and fancy equipment to produce this stuff to make it for themselves, and do it while actually tuning gear to sound good. A $20 pair of inner ear monitors (IEMs) right now can blow you away. A few weeks back I got a set of Kinera Celest Padamon 2.0’s for $9 on sale, for example, and they sound incredible with some EQ on them. Needless to say, music like BC,NR has been great to listen to through some decent gear.

When their second album came out, the announcement their singer and lead songwriter, Isaac Wood, had left due to mental health reasons, made me not want to get overly invested in a band that wasn’t going to be able to live up to whatever these albums were. I went back, and I’m so glad, as Ants from Up There is absolutely incredible. It’s also interesting because Wood made a decision, at the height of the band’s popularity, and just days from releasing what is an absolute masterpiece, to call it quits. Instead of pushing on, feeling miserable and anxious, he chose to step away from all of that. It’s unfathomable, really.

The other day I happened upon an interview featuring Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Ed O’Neil from Radiohead, and Wood and Tyler Hyde from BC,NR, and one part really stood out to me. It was when Ed O’Neil is describing how important and integral Radiohead was to his life since the age of 16, and how they had just released OK Computer and he still felt so miserable and unsure of himself.

It’s wild. OK Computer is one of the best albums imaginable, and Radiohead had cemented themselves at that point. But what Ed was talking about was that struggle artists have with the art they create and the discomfort of living as an artist that’s always insecure. Watching him talk about this while Isaac Wood sat across from him, stiff, anxious, hands folded neatly in his lap, and knowing he was going through that, was really something to behold. Especially when Isaac’s next move was quitting the band and living a private life where he works in a bakery instead.

This is just… how it is for most of us. It doesn’t matter how many books you sell, or how many reviews you get, or how many stories you get published, it never feels like enough. Trying to find that balance can be incredibly difficult.

Radiohead are a known entity, but BC,NR are really… something. Incredibly complicated, interesting music, that comes from a personal place and isn’t afraid to sound “cringe” or whatever. In an irony soaked world filled with algorithms and companies controlling everything we indulge in, seeing honest artists still exist in the world, have their clashes and frustrations, and knowing everyone is in it together helps.

Because who could imagine giving up? This is what I love. I don’t care if the industry sucks. I love making stuff and communicating with the world.

Be good to each other.

We must let the clamp do what the clamp does best.