Can we get back to the Good Old Days?

This week I’ve been editing some memoirs for a woman who grew up in 1960s Auckland. It’s an interesting view into how society worked back then, and the most telling difference is the job-hunting scene. When she was 20 years old, with few qualifications, she was able to walk into whatever job she applied for. Not just that, but the application process was as simple as finding an ad in the Sits Vac, phoning for an appointment (usually the next day), and attending one quick interview where she was offered work starting the following day. So easy!

These were also simpler times for writers, when any reasonably well-written book would be welcomed by a publisher and more than likely published.

It made me wonder what has changed?

Population numbers have grown – but doesn’t that make more jobs? And more readers for all the books out there? Why is it these days we have to jump through extraordinary hoops to seek employment and it can take months to fill a position? Why is there such a bottleneck between writers producing books and readers who want to buy them?

And one final question – is there anything we can do to remedy this situation?

Write your answer in 25 words or less on the back of a self-addressed envelope…no, in the comments box below this post. This is the 21^st century after all, like it or not.

 

Bev Robitai