Publish or Perish
Anyone in academe quakes at the little phrase: “Publish or perish.” For many, this means toiling over abstruse ideas and flogging them to various presses in the vain hope of publication to tenure, the academic equivalent of the good life. As a recovering academic, this wee phrase holds a new intrigue. It encapsulates my raison d’etre.
I am a self confessed writer. I want to share these stories my fevered and short-circuiting brain birthed. Without sharing, my stories seem like toddlers – cute but not mature. Publishing them allows the stories to proceed through the rites of passage where at the end of the tunnel they can stand on their own in the glorious world of the readers.
What happens when a book won’t be published? I answer with a loud “YET!” It means I must rework, edit, review, and labour to make my story walk through the tunnel. Sometimes the story must rest whilst I work on another. But they will be published – eventually.
Some days I feel as though I’ll die if these stories don’t see the light of day. But that fever gives me energy to keep writing, editing, networking, and learning so I won’t perish. At least not yet – I have a few more stories to tell.
Stephanie Jarkins
twitter: skjarkins
