Oy. Ill just rant it out, because Ive seen the post six times now, and I figure it needs to be said. Its fun for a few minutes to joke about how shitty it is when an author of One Direction fan fiction gets a six figure book deal, but when you think about it, its kind of ridiculous as a writer to get upset over stuff like this. Unless you ALSO happen to write fan fiction, her book deal doesnt affect you in any other way that isnt positive. Why? Because some writers are steady, critically successful draws that dont bring in very much money, and some writers are just pure cash cows. Not everyone can be a cash cow. Sorry to break it to you. Now, a publisher is typically astute enough to know what a cash cow looks like. Often, it looks like someone who writes stuff that might not be the most culturally elite, but it sells because cheap, thrilling novelties sell. Just like pop music might not be the most musically complex and lyrically meaningful stuff out there, but it has a catchy hook and you can tap your foot to it while youre in the grocery store or doctors office, and that kind of shit will always make money. Thats just the way the world works, and getting pissed at that truth is like screaming at a cloud. It aint gonna change a damn thing. When a publisher makes money hand over fist at the behest of their cash cows, it means they have the money to pay the new authors and the midlisters and the niche-hipsters that fill out the rest of their offerings and create a diverse catalog for everyone to enjoy. Does it chap your hide the likelihood that people E.L. James and Snooki make it possible most of us to exist in this market? I guess, but I just try not to see it that way. After all, I have my own market and audience to focus on. While lovers of One Direction fan fiction will be devouring those books, Ill be writing stuff for people who like to be disturbed and grossed out. Thats the beauty of a world filled with all kinds of tastes. Now, focus on your work and on your audience, and when the latest piece of cheap flotsam rises to the surface of the tumultuous soup known as the entertainment industry, allow the tide that rolls in with it to raise your tiny little ship as well.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 19:37:49 +0000
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