Rich authors, Part Something-Million

[rolanni]

So, there's been a minor kerfuffle on teh intertubes regarding an author named Emily Griffin Giffin, who reallyreallyREALLY wanted to see her new book hit the Number One spot on the New York Times Bestseller List.  She tweeted her fans and urged them to buy her book and push her into the winner's circle.

Well, OK, fine.  We all want our books to hit the NYT list.  And apparently Emily had more reason than, say, I do, to think that her book had a shot.

Except...the book missed Number One.  It did, I'll note, hit the Number Two position.  But still, Emily was sad.  And very, very disappointed in her fans.

And she told them that.

You may imagine the uproar that ensued, or, if you have a hankering to view a train wreck, you can Google on Emily's name.  I'm not here to talk about bad author behavior, but I am going to talk about assumptions.

There was a meme going around a couple years ago, I guess.  It was apparently designed to make authors feel like inadequate slackers, because it made certain base assumptions and asked questions from there.  Questions like:  How old were you when you won the Campbell?  How old where you when you won your first Nebula?  How old were you when you won your first Hugo?  How many books had you written when you won your first Hugo?  How many of your books have been on the New York  Times Bestseller List?

. . .and so on.

The assumptions are clearly that All Writers Worth Reading have achieved these career milestones -- Campbell, Nebula(s), Hugo(s), bestsellerdom.  And that you can quantify artistic success by using the same measuring stick used for corporate success.

And that's a sad, and bad, set of assumptions.  Not that it isn't nice to win a prize.  Very few things are as heady as Feelin' the Love.  But winning a prize is...a privilege, not a right, and certainly not a career move.

The bestseller lists are a little different, and subject to manipulation, but for an author whose book hit Number Two to throw a hissy fit and scold her readers for not taking her to the top slot?  That writer needs to take a step back and look at what she's doing, why she's doing it, and what she hopes to achieve in her life.

I've said it many times, and here I am saying it again -- the writing business is brutal; if you do not love to write, if you don't have stories that you must tell; if you're in it purely for the fame and riches, for ghod's sake, get a day-job.  You'll have a far  better chance of making real money, achieving recognition in your field, and security for your old age, than you ever will as a writer -- even if you hit all of those "career milestones."

I'm happy that people buy my books.  And I'm very fortunate that I'm able to devote myself to full-time writing.  The vast majority of writers never, ever achieve that.  I still have stories I want to tell, and all I ever wanted to do with my life was to be a writer, so I'm living the dream.

How many people get that in their lives?

So, what I guess I'm saying here -- there's rich.  And there's rich.  And by the yardstick that matters, I am wealthy beyond belief.

Thank you all, so very much.

Comments

[readinggeek451]

Very wise.

One nitpicky point: It's Emily Giffin, without the 'r'.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Oops. To be perfectly truthful, I found her before starting to write by Googling "emily writer behave badly".

Living the dream

[jay peek (from livejournal.com)]

That is all that matters... I am a chef... am I on tv, or have multiple best selling cookbooks or 3 Michelin stars? No and neither do 99.999 percent of chefs out there.

At the end of a day though, I go home, happy that I made people food they enjoyed and that I was not in a cubicle all day like I used to be.

[gilraen2.livejournal.com]

Sharon, I'm happy that you and Steve write books for me to buy. I know that writing isn't the most lucrative or easy profession that either of you talented people could have chosen. I'm always happy to show my appreciation by buying your books - often by buying multiple copies in multiple formats. Please keep doing what you do, I know it's not easy, but it surely is appreciated.

[vanye.livejournal.com]

Its the IE *ghosti principle in action. We give to you so that you can continue to give to us....and it is well worth it. Thank you for many years of entertainment and wonders.

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

Thank you for writing - and feel the love from all of us.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

one thing I dislike about best seller lists is that they only count the books sold in one week to determine the *winners*, it doesnt take into consideration those books/writers whose books sell consistantly, but not the big bump. You could have a one hit wonder that made the top lists, or you could have a book that outsells them and stays in print for years.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

We <3 you too!

Rich authors

[sonyaotto.livejournal.com]

I feel the same about being a professional classical musician. Thank you for eloquently writing about "being wealthy beyond belief".

[drammar.livejournal.com]

The thanks go entirely in your direction, We are in your debt.

Ahyup! Loading the question(s) makes it easier to shoot your own foot

[bookmobiler.livejournal.com]

Loaded questions always annoy me in several ways.
It implies that the questioner has an agenda.
They also tend to think the people who are being asked are stupid.The answers are useless too.

Thank you and Steve for the splendor that is the Liaden Universe including the two newest entries, Landed Alien and Dragon Ship.

The mention of awards did remind me to ask if you've ever posted a picture of where you put the "Doc" Smith Lens? If you didn't, could you.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

She did WHAT?!?
Geez. What is she, three?
Her readers should respond by, well, *not* reading ... her.

I join in the thanks to the writer of this blog, her partner, and their feline supervisors!

Emily Giffin

[sjalford.livejournal.com]

You said it very eloquently. IMHO, Giffin is a spoiled brat.

I have followed the Liaden books since 1988 and one is never enough. I want MORE, now! You and Steve have created a raving addict. My 85 year-old father keeps asking me when the newest book is coming out. I loaned him Agent of Change in 1988 and he became addicted, as well. We will do our best to keep you and Steve comfy in your old age. And the cats, of course.

Shirley Alford

Re: Emily Giffin

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Cool dad you've got!

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you write what you write. I now have at least one of everything in all formats.

I remember picking up a used copy of a book with a couple and a large turtle on the cover and thinking I had to take it home. Keeping writing, please.

[the wol (from livejournal.com)]

J. K. Rowling is the exception that proves the rule.
There are very few authors whose books I will buy just because their name is on the cover. You two fall into that category.

[isabellag.livejournal.com]

What a brat. Doesn't deserve her fans, obviously. You guys, on the other hand, deserve many many more, and I will continue to buy whatever you write. Exhortations not withstanding.

Authors

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

As it says in the I Ching Persistence Furthers. Authors Lee and Miller persisted through years of not being all that well known to now, goodie...being well known for our benefit. Years of hard work now bearing fruit. An example to all writers.

[growlycub.livejournal.com]

Actually the story is much worse. The reason she was so disappointed was that 4 previous books only made it to number 2 as well. So, 5th time was supposed to be the charm that cracked that coveted no. 1 spot.

As if all that wasn't juvenile and idiotic enough, for an encore her husband called an Amazon reviewer who had given that self-same book of no. 2 list-shame a 1 star review a 'psycho'.

Next, Giffin who 'doesn't read Amazon reviews' decided it would just be a splendid idea to mention this on Twitter and Facebook and subsequently her raving fangirls left nasty comments on all unfavorable Amazon reviews.

Next, a reviewer who was a previously happy reader changed a 4 star review to a 1 star and explained why and then started getting threatening phone calls presumably from raving fangirls.

Giffin then went back to FB asking people to please stop talking about this, because it disturbed her beauty sleep and hey, how about discussing casting choices for the book (one of hers has been made into a movie).

When people called her on the fact that the reviewer was being harrassed, Giffin's answer was to accuse the reviewer of enjoying her fame and suggesting that she take down the offending review.

I don't know why I keep being surprised that people who have achieved things most of us can only dream of develop such a sense of entitlement. :(

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

I think that it is a good thing that I've never read any of Emily Giffin's books because her behavior would be enough to make me stop reading them.

I am thankful for authors like you who write good entertaining books instead of worrying about being #1 on the NYT bestseller list. I don't have any faith in NYT's lists anyway. There's too much manipulation of the results for them to feel like they mean anything.