In my 2011 Writer’s Digest’s Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market article (whew, that’s a mouthful), “Which Arc Are We On?” I compared the composer of music to the writer:
“And like the composer of music, who drafts the right notes, phrases, and movements for an orchestra, the writer creates the words, scenes and arcs to be played in the readers’ mind. There are many arcs in play, at any time in a novel…and they must all work together in harmony.”
In this case, writers are both the composers and the conductors. Writers, like composers, determine what parts are played by which “instruments,” by which elements of fiction–characters, setting, dialogue, opening, theme. Both music and fiction are made to elicit emotions, and have a beginning, middle and end, themes, movements…
However, the conductor, once those elements are arranged, determines how those phrases, how that composition is interpreted for the audience–as does the writer. The writer, or conductor, determines how the composition unfolds, how it flows, & to some extent, what its voice will be–how dynamic, how loud, soft, passionate, exciting…for the audience. The conductor brings all the elements together for the final “interpretation,” to be played for the audience, making certain that everything works together for the right effect.
But it is the audience who determines if that composer/conductor has “perfect pitch”–or in this case, the writer. And I see this being played out more and more now with epublishing. It is the readers who determine whether they will buy or read our books, who let us know how “on pitch”–or off key–we are, or if our works / words have that interest, beauty, excitement, passion that draws an audience.
As best-selling author and epublishing expert Bob Mayer has said on his blog, Write It Forward, it is really the writer who determines who will be in their audience, by the quality of their books, and thus, it is the writer who is the ultimate gatekeeper. The writer must first create a quality product, must learn to compose and create that harmony, learn to master those elements and achieve that perfect pitch, so that readers will want to be in their audience.
And then we have to promote our books, but that is another story… and another kind of “pitch.” 
If you would like to add anything to this, please feel free to comment.
Tags: creativity, epublishing, Fiction, publishing, Writing, writing life
I agree, it is the reader who determines the fate of a writer now more than the publisher. Loved the post!