Who's Your Daddy?

A common question heard by writers is:  "Who's your publisher?"  But for many writers--myself included--this is a difficult question to answer.

In recent weeks one of "my" publishers was purchased by another publisher, a massive multi-imprint, international publisher . . . so I am now a writer who has written for the largest publisher in history.  On the side of the scale I have also written for regional publishers. I also work with specialty publishers and small houses.

So . . . who's my publisher? 

Being a mid-list writer, a guy who has never had a best-seller (or even a book that has had a whiff of bestsellerdom), I have to write for the sake of writing; I write to produce more writing; I write for whomever will say "yes" to my vision, my projects, my voice.

Many writers, especially novelists, stick with one publisher their entire careers.  Name any major or well-known novelist and chances are I can tell you who his or her publisher is.  I might even be able to tell you the name of his/her editor. 

But as for me and my house . . . I have to write like a man whose hair is on fire.  There's always the hope--often distant and blurred--that somebody out there will say "yes" to another book proposal.  Perhaps one of my publishers.  Or another. Or another. 

But I am grateful to everyone in my publishing family.  The publishers.  The editors.  The line-editors.  The artists.  The publicists.  The book sellers. 

Thanks.  All.