I probably missed the point entirely, but when I read this, my brain zeroed in on this little bit: “editors and publishers, and some agents, don’t respect us and, I didn’t want to tell her, but I would add readers to that list,” followed a bit later by this one: “To some readers we’re only as good as our last book. Disappoint them once, and they’ll never buy you again.”
I confess, I’m confused. Extrapolating: is it disrespectful to the maker of a product that doesn’t meet your expectations to stop buying his products?
And yes, I do understand that writing is not just a job but an avocation, an art, a calling—I get that part, but I don’t get how does one get from writing being more than a job, to it being disrespectful if we readers don’t buy a writer whose work doesn’t resonate with us.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure I missed the point.
Sparky
September 26
4:36 pm
I think it depends on how much benefit of the doubt you express to a repeat author. I’m terrible at this. There are some authors I have clung to time and again as they churn out the most pointless tripe over and over – but I keep buying because they USED to be so good.
In a way I can see it as, well, maybe not “disrespectful” but certainly not ideal to chuck a liked author after one trainwreck if they’ve got good past record – but that requires a past record of prime steak that allows us to look past the current tripe. If the first thing we pick up is tripe, I hardly feel we’re being “disrespectful” or somehow not being fair by not reaching for another helping
Ultimately, I don’t have infinite money for books. And if I did, I don’t have infinite time to read them. If an author disappoints me then I’m going to look at other options
JulieLeto
September 26
5:12 pm
With all respect to Dara, I think she was having a bad day.
For every reader who writes off an author after one book that didn’t work for her, there are probably ten who will give an author a second chance.
And if a reader doesn’t like one of my books, I don’t take it as the end of my career nor do I think that I must be the worst writer in universe. Writing and reading are both subjective.
I myself have picked up books, read 50 pages, hated it and put it down…then fast forward a year to when I’m in a different mood and I pick up the very same book and find it brilliant. For every great review there is out there on a book, there will be an equally scathing review somewhere else. Why is one reviewer right and the other wrong? I don’t think they are…they are just different readers.
For me, I’m just happy when readers GIVE ME a chance. As a “mid list” author (who has no problem with that term) that’s hard enough!
AztecLady
September 26
5:17 pm
Julie, I think you are right–and Dara’s bad day coincided with my bad day.
JulieLeto
September 26
5:48 pm
Well I hope today is better for both of you!