What Happened to the Authors?

If you want to discuss a disappearing RAMmer phenomenon, why not the fact
that a bunch of authors used to participate, and don't now? KS stopped
posting almost immediately when she was published. Dusty has about vanished.
Tess Gerritsen, Sparkle Hayter, Katie Munger, Mark Billingham....the list
goes on.

I'll be brutally frank. I think that some--and please note, I am saying
SOME--of them are afraid to post in an open forum because they are afraid
that if they disagree with anyone about anything it might hurt their sales.
I recall one male British writer becoming hysterical with spite when
someone--Greg, IIRC--said he wouldn't buy an author's books if he thought it
was funding political activities he abhorred.

One of the things I admire about Jane is that she says what she thinks, and
sales be damned. She is a person of honor.

Others made it clear that nothing other than favorable critiques were ever
acceptable to them. A critic who writes for the NYT was dismissed as every
kind of idiot and poseur when she had the temerity to dislike some things
one of the pet author's books. The idea that one might POSSIBLY learn
something that would improve one's writing from a thoughtful critique that
pointed out some weaknesses was roundly dismissed. I have every sympathy for
those who put their work out there in public, but if all you will hear is
praise, you will not grow.

Of course, one advantage to this is that one can hypothetically be honest
about one's opinion of their books ...


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: What Happened to the Authors?
    ... SOME--of them are afraid to post in an open forum because they are afraid ... that if they disagree with anyone about anything it might hurt their sales. ... Others made it clear that nothing other than favorable critiques were ever ... about one's opinion of their books ... ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)
  • Re: What Happened to the Authors?
    ... I think that some--and please note, I am saying SOME--of them are afraid to post in an open forum because they are afraid that if they disagree with anyone about anything it might hurt their sales. ... I recall one male British writer becoming hysterical with spite when someone--Greg, IIRC--said he wouldn't buy an author's books if he thought it was funding political activities he abhorred. ... Others made it clear that nothing other than favorable critiques were ever acceptable to them. ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)
  • Re: What Happened to the Authors?
    ... Dusty has about vanished. ... SOME--of them are afraid to post in an open forum because they are afraid that if they disagree with anyone about anything it might hurt their sales. ... A critic who writes for the NYT was dismissed as every kind of idiot and poseur when she had the temerity to dislike some things one of the pet author's books. ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)
  • Re: What Happened to the Authors?
    ... KS is on the NYT bestseller list, at #17 with Triptych... ... Her books are doing very welll internationally. ... |> sales be damned. ... |> Others made it clear that nothing other than favorable critiques were ...
    (rec.arts.mystery)
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