Can a Writer Avoid Cynicism?
You have spent a great deal of time writing and revising a book. You do all the right things--set up an attractive website, get into social media, publicize online, etc. You have participated in at least one giveaway. Perhaps you have some paid adds at various online publicity sites.
You check Amazon regularly--and your author rank is down. Days go by without a sale. You ask people to review your book. Some promise to do so, but never keep the promise. You get a good review from one person, but then receive a review from a prick who is sarcastic condemnation of your book.
Hundreds of people add your book in "Wants to Read," however, none of them orders it. You re-read your book--it seems like a good story, tight plot, good characterization, better than your first novel--yet it sells fewer copies. You read samples of books online that have sold thousands of copies, and some are barely coherent. Are you cynical by this stage? I must admit I am.
This is not a good thing. Luckily it has not stopped me from writing. If you get to the stage that cynicism stops you from writing, I suggest that is not the way to handle the situation. You write for a reason, and that is not necessarily to make money--you write out of love of writing. Perhaps writing is a psychological necessity. Keep doing it--write what you enjoy writing, and if it is good writing then you can take pride in it. No work of literature is perfect, and you can learn from your mistakes. As far as American readers being poor judges of quality writing, note that first, there are exceptions, and second, you cannot do anything about other people's literary tastes (or lack thereof) and their reading skills. You can constantly strive to hone your craft. That may not get rid of cynicism, but it may help you bear it. Who knows? Perhaps you will have such success with one book that your cynicism will melt away. If not, do what you love, no matter what exterior success you have. Remember that few visual artists are commercially successful, either. They make works of art out of a deep need. Fulfill that need in yourself. If you must be cynicial, fine--I am still cynical--but I assure you that you will most likely be happier writing than not.
You check Amazon regularly--and your author rank is down. Days go by without a sale. You ask people to review your book. Some promise to do so, but never keep the promise. You get a good review from one person, but then receive a review from a prick who is sarcastic condemnation of your book.
Hundreds of people add your book in "Wants to Read," however, none of them orders it. You re-read your book--it seems like a good story, tight plot, good characterization, better than your first novel--yet it sells fewer copies. You read samples of books online that have sold thousands of copies, and some are barely coherent. Are you cynical by this stage? I must admit I am.
This is not a good thing. Luckily it has not stopped me from writing. If you get to the stage that cynicism stops you from writing, I suggest that is not the way to handle the situation. You write for a reason, and that is not necessarily to make money--you write out of love of writing. Perhaps writing is a psychological necessity. Keep doing it--write what you enjoy writing, and if it is good writing then you can take pride in it. No work of literature is perfect, and you can learn from your mistakes. As far as American readers being poor judges of quality writing, note that first, there are exceptions, and second, you cannot do anything about other people's literary tastes (or lack thereof) and their reading skills. You can constantly strive to hone your craft. That may not get rid of cynicism, but it may help you bear it. Who knows? Perhaps you will have such success with one book that your cynicism will melt away. If not, do what you love, no matter what exterior success you have. Remember that few visual artists are commercially successful, either. They make works of art out of a deep need. Fulfill that need in yourself. If you must be cynicial, fine--I am still cynical--but I assure you that you will most likely be happier writing than not.
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Dario, I think you're right. Giving up is not an option for me--I have to write; it's therapeutic among other things. I'm working on screenplays now that I plan to turn into novels, and even with the required academic writing this summer I should have time to do creative writing--it's a matter of divvying out the day--an hour or two for work in the garden, three hours for academic writing, three hours for creative writing. If I'm on a roll on a novel, I will focus on it exclusively. Thanks for your post and advice.
Bits and Pieces: Book Reviews and Articles on Writing, Horror Fiction, and Some Philosophy
The blog of Michael Potts, writer of Southern fiction, horror fiction, and poetry.
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For indies, persistence--above all things--pays. Persistence and production, by which I mean at least a novel a year, preferably two--you WILL build a following. The breakout for most of us happens around book IV or V.
The truth is there's a blizzard, a whiteout of books out there, and a billion distractions (most of them portable devices. Most of us are cynical, but fortunately we write despite that, because we love it, because we have to.
All else (like quality) being equal, the single distinguishing difference between the indie writer who makes it and the one who doesn't is that the latter gives up.
Best
Dario