Topic: We Write to be Read
We write for many reasons. Regardless of why we do it, one thing remains the same. We write to be read. If no one reads us, we have wasted our time, effort and talent. It is not enough to hope to be "discovered" after we are gone. Life doesn't normally work that way. Today is all about explosion and controlling that explosion (for example, population explosion). Online words get purged. Hardcopy work gets shredded, buried, burned, and who knows what else.
Let's face it, there's not a whole lot we can do about how the world is. Only a handful of people can be credited with affecting major changes. Our best hope is to be able to reach a portion of the world and to make a difference to that portion. In most cases, change starts out small. Who does the commercial that says something like "changing the world, one smal step at a time?" This may be all we can do.
If I can make a difference in one person's life, I suppose that, by some measure, I have been successful as a writer. Mind you, I'd never be a rich writer. It may be that we need to examine the issues of who we are writing for and how we are writing. Maybe it would only take one instance of recognition before others will join the band. I don't know. Maybe it is only a matter of promotion.
The more people we can get to read our work, the better our chances of affecting the reader. The more we affect the reader, the more readers we will have. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool.