♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦
Topic #210
Would you like to be a bestseller or have a
smaller, more manageable following?
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This question is sort of hard to answer. It conjures a lot of different ideas and images in one’s head. Where would a writer begin, when considering the trajectory of their career? It’s all well and good to fantasize, and we are exceptionally good at fictionalizing, but how do you take those ideas and bring them into reality, not just on paper?
That’s the process of publishing and being successful at it. And the answer isn’t the same for everyone. Beyond that, though, is where this question lies. I fear, many authors don’t even consider the aftermath of successfully publishing and growing their writing business. It’s a bit hard to do that when your head is in the thick of writing, or puzzling over marketing options that prove viable. I don’t think we spend too much time on the matter of what will come of it all.
Mainly the focus is just on getting our books out to the public. There’s no point to struggling through all of this except to be read. How successful we are at that is measured differently by each author. They may or may not seek a large following. When I think of being successful, I see myself having several thousand followers on social media, and people asking when will the next book be arriving. Pretty much, I am already there, but I would love to have more interaction with readers.
Having more interaction with readers can be a double-edged sword. In more recent years, bullying by fans has reached new heights. People can’t wait to compete for the title of the world’s worst. In addition, our social media pages don’t just attract those who like us. In competing for the title of worst, people follow pages where they think they can do the most damage, or have some kind of fixation on the person.
Bullying comes with the territory in the real world as well. Writers will snipe at other writers. I’ve mentioned how the gatekeepers of traditional publishing leverage their position to mistreat authors. Loved ones will not always understand where we are coming from. Although they may not intend to, they can hurt us.
There is so much to consider when embarking on this path, but all I knew at the start was that I wanted to write. It excited me like nothing else. Having my work read by others used to be disconcerting. Once you get a few rejections under your belt and get your writing polished, you worry a lot less over what people will think.
At this stage, I am very aware that people will love my work while others absolutely hate it, and everything in between. I’ve been through a lot already. I am not certain, however, that I can anticipate all that could come of my perseverance in writing. That is the unknown that often leaves us vulnerable to hurt. With people actively seeking to emotionally harm others as if it’s sport, the once dreamy idealism of being a successful writer hold much less charm.
That said, I’m also a screenwriter. Having both of these artforms in my pocket may inevitably land me in the soup. After all, it really is not up to us as much as it is up to the audiences and how the chips fall.
My best hope would be to live comfortably off the proceeds of my writing, and that requires a large following. A single mom and her kid have to eat, and it’s part of the job to deal with the public, good or bad. I just hope that this love affair with the written word is something that I can live with no matter how far I get.
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I suppose I’m lucky in that I haven’t yet been the victim of bullying; just a couple of trolls on Goodreads about 3 years ago, but nothing since. I suppose the more followers we get, the more chance there is that some of them just want to cause as much grief as possible.
It’s when you have an opinion about something that you generally run into conflict. People, for some reason, cannot just allow you to think as you do, regardless of the reasons–they feel it necessary to ‘reform’ you. Usually it’s men, but in more recent years, I have conflicted with women on important issues. All I can say is that it surprises me they feel as they do. My experiences/knowledge just can’t allow for me to feel the same as them. And, too often, I feel I have to stick up for someone over all sorts of things. I’m not good at looking the other way–too aware of how certain ideas can grow into dangerous things. With my books, I haven’t met controversy, but I really expect it from my trilogy due to the subject matter. I have to say, though, those confrontations have made me exam myself more deeply, and better articulate my understanding, and learn new things where I am lacking. So it’s not always bad.
I can’t wrap my head around the idea of a fan bullying a writer. But I can’t wrap my head around the entire concept of bullying in the first place. I’d much rather build someone up than put someone down.
Exactly! It’s so much better to build people up.
It’s just stunning that someone out there wants to spend their life like that. If I don’t particularly care for something I’ve read or watched, I don’t spend my time embarrassing myself with a terrible review of their work. Why would I?
Trolls and bullies have stopped me marketing my work to any great extent. I simply can’t put up with it for what was only meant to be a hobby. So I don’t.
I hate to hear this. You’re right. it shouldn’t go on. It’s such foolishness (on their part not yours).
Your comments here are interesting. Bullying has grown hugely since the introduction of social media and there are large numbers of people who which to crush other peoples dreams, especially if they show signs of being good at what they are doing. We seem to be growing these bullies in the schools. When I was younger, being good at sport or academics brought you acclaim, not it can bring you misery as you become a victim of other kids envy. We are encouraging a culture of mediocracy where people are afraid to shine.
The heart of it: envy. You got right to it. Sad but true. I am afraid of that mediocrity, myself. It won’t be good for any of us. 🙁