I got a pretty depressing email yesterday, from a guy who is a terrific writer (names not mentioned, for courtesy’s sake), the gist of which ranneth thusly: “I have pretty much decided to treat fiction writing the way I did before I started making a living at it (appropriate, since I no longer am), which is to just do it for my own amusement, if it gets published and I get a little check once in a while so much the better.”Which followed hard on the heels of a very similar email from another terrific writer, who’s pretty down in the dumps about his latest book, which is marvellous, but which he reckons might well be his last, because he’s a grown man with real responsibilities and who the hell can waste time writing brilliant novels when there’s kids to be fed and roofs to be kept over little heads …?
Meanwhile, the publishing world is agog with rumours that there’s record printings of Dan Brown’s latest waste of a rain forest.
There’s something not quite right, folks. Either the general reading public are morons, which I very much doubt, being one of said public, or the people running the industry are the morons.
But I have to say, while writing novels ‘just for my own amusement’ is the best reason in the world to do it, writing novels for fun because no one wants to buy them, while the likes of Dan Brown, that plank Grisham and Waistoid Patterson sell by the barrow-load … Actually, hold on – scratch the paragraph above. The general reading public are morons.
This blog will self-destruct in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 …
Some readers are morons. (Not me obviously. I'm lovely. And intelligent.) But at least they are reading morons.
ReplyDeleteIt's the decision takers at the publishers who are m***ns. Far too many really good books aren't published, which is never OK. But it could almost be acceptable if there weren't so many really bad books published.
Please keep writing! Please... If you give up now, then there will be no writers available when publishers see the light.
It's unreasonable to think that one group alone is responsible for this situation. In reality, it's a combination.
ReplyDeleteAre financial pressures driving publishers to look for sure things that pay off quickly? Yes, that's a factor.
But not every style, every genre or subgenre, or story is commercial. Quality of writing has to, on some level, be separated from public interest, and it doesn't mean readers are morons if they're more interested in escapist fiction about mason conspiracies to rule the world than, say, reading about criminals. More people are going to watch CSI than The Shield just by nature of content, and that doesn't make them lazy, stupid or inferior, and that principle extends to books.
The reality is, with all the pressures on people these days, it's harder and harder to find time to read. People therefore often want to know what to expect when they sit down with a book, and people know what they're getting when they buy a Dan Brown or James Patterson book. It's easier for them to lose themselves in it. I'm not going to say it isn't a bit disheartening, but I understand that takes a lot less brain power for me to sit down and watch an episode of CSI, and even The Shield, than it does to watch The Wire. I'll always hail The Wire as the superior product, by miles, but there are times after a long day with the kids that I'd rather watch Survivor.
There will always be popular crap, because it'll appeal to the lowest intelligence and the broadest audience. So let's just take that as a given, shall we?
ReplyDeleteMoving on:
"There’s something not quite right, folks."
Then it hasn't been right for at least 100 years. This idea of making a living from books is, I think, a relatively new one, and the reason why agents and editors still tell new authors to hang onto their day jobs for dear life.
Honestly, what's the worst that'll happen? They go back to a day job and have to find time to write? So they'll be in the same circumstances they were when they started, only much more able to write a marketable sentence. Or perhaps they're of an age that finding a day job is difficult - well, then they can join the rest of us working stiffs who've suffered redundancy over the last two years. And while I'm aware that the "it ain't digging ditches" argument isn't very comforting, perhaps us authors should face up to the fact that we're not quite the beautiful and unique snowflakes our egos tell us we are.
I would much rather be as I am - writing what I want and have the security of a day job. What's sad about the whole thing is that there will be authors out there writing shite for what they think is the market, simply because they want to hang on to their "career", when in fact they're probably damaging it.
Thank you Dec - that's the nicest thing you've ever called me :o) As a moron who buys a sh*tload (technical term)of books it distresses me when authors whose books I love, who are excellent writer, who deserve to be far better known, and who write books that do my soul good are struggling - to get published, to earn a decent crust from their writing, and to juggle a day job and family as well as the writing.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I would write just to please myself, but pleasing others is a wonderful feeling. I know that I'm never going to make money writing - I love doing it and it's a wonderful diversion from my day job. When I get my royalty check for £45 for 6 months' book sales, I think "Wow, look at that, isn't that brilliant - people are actually PAYING to read it? If they'd let me know I would have given them a copy."
But what I want for the rest of you, who've given me so much pleasure through your words, is that you can have the freedom to write more of them. Lots of them. and that includes you, Dec.
I'm not sure that it hasn't always been a little like this though - it's always been a few big name writers whose books get pushed and advertised. I think we just hear the stories from those who struggle a lot more now, what with the internet and stuff :o) There will always be readers who want to read the biography of a Big Brother z-lister, just as there will always be people who want to watch Big Brother. I'm happy that I can switch Big Brother off and read a new to me writer whose books have been recommended here, or Eurocrime, or 4MA.
Publishers seem to be looking for the Next Big Thing...or, probably more likely the Last Big Thing Because We Hope The Bandwagon's Going To Continue Rolling. It's easier, and cheaper, and there's a ready made audience clamouring for them.
Ummm...what was the question again? Oh yes - am I a moron? Guilty as charged :o)
It comes down to the old chestnut: give people only hamburgers and they'll eat only hamburgers; give people only steak and they'll eat only steak.
ReplyDeleteCrap books are 'popular' because people like to be told what to read, watch, listen to, think. The argument being that their lives and jobs are too hectic to scratch the surface for quality (a reason I think is tosh).
I think the recession could be the perfect opportunity for every publisher, movie producer, music mogul, tv executive to clear the decks.
No one is buying anything anyway, so it's a perfect opportunity to weed out the shit and flood the market with quality when the economy starts to turn around.
Boy, do I know the feeling. It's discouraging, but I'm an Old Guy, and I had a good run. I can't complain.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sandra: it's both. I'm harder on the publishers than I am on the readers, though. People read for entertainment. It's not their life's work, or their passion, or their calling, as those in publishing like to say about themselves when they're pontificating on the state of theindustry and why they can't do any editing or marketing AND pay the author an exorbitant 15%. What really frosts me is when the self-proclaimed "experts" go on at such length, then admit no one really knows what will sell, and what won't. 90% of the experts are either tossing coins, or playing Follow the Leader with the latest best seller.
ReplyDeleteI knew it wasn't about you! I was addressing your unknown correspondents, and everybody else out there who has doubts.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you re: the proliferation of authors like Patterson and Grisham. I spend over 3 hours a day commuting by train to Dublin 3 days a week and I see people reading the same crap day-in and day-out.
ReplyDeleteI find Patterson to be particularly troublesome. He "co-authors" a lot of his books and is a one-man publishing industry. I read "Kiss the Girls" many years ago and thought it was awful.
John Connolly seems to be fairly popular amongst my fellow travellers (and deservedly so). However, the majority of the people who seem to be reading novels are women and the majority of them are reading the latest Celia Ahern or Cathy Kelly.