John’s answer to “WHEN THIS BOOK WILL BE OUT ? I AM REALLY NERVOUS THAT WE'LL WAIT A FEW MORE YEARS LIKE THE PREVI…” > Likes and Comments
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Haha, yesss.
I rather feel like the Authors Bitch wehen he takes 5-7 years and 2 short sidestorys / Novellas before publishing the next book in a series. Or Buys a cinema, or blogs about everything he does, or or or. While I am clear that the Author is not my bitch I feel kind of stupid if I read more about an author or from an author's blog than in his books.
Also recommended for reading on the topic: Robin Hobbs rant: http://web.archive.org/web/2009010700...
That was actually a pretty good little rant :D
I think there's a good balance between the two (take Rothfuss for example - he blogs occasionally, and they're brief and to the point, and rarely excessively personal, but mostly dedicated toward things that interest his fans).
Martin could also stand to NOT go to every single Con on the face of the planet, but then he'd be disappointing fans who are going. People are going to be disappointed no matter what, simply because they want to be.
Sometimes I wish movie script writers would be as well considered as authors and the main selling point of a movie and earning them the big bucks. Not the actors. While ultimately that would lead to (script)writers also getting paid very well, I fear that we would suddenly have to wait 5 years between two movies of the same writer.
Ain't that the truth. I think it's the general curse of social media. Before popular creators felt like the HAD to be public, they probably had a lot more time to themselves to actually get things done.
I don't begrudge Rothfuss his time or novellas. I certainly wish that it was faster for him, but I understand that it is a process. He worked 11 years on Name of the Wind before it was published.
I would hate for it to get rushed and get something less than satisfactory.
I agree completely. Also, I for one really enjoyed Slow Regard.
Slow Regard was a piece of beauty. I cried several times.
John Jeppson you sound like a fanboy bitch. You actually cried several time during slow regard? Are you sure you're name isn't Jane? Man up bitch.
Man up? I feel completely secure in my masculinity.
Being able to feel and express emotion doesn't make you a bitch. It makes you human.
I feel real pity for people who think they have to be some way or another and because of that they hurt themselves bottling up their emotions.
This little Gaiman quote is perhaps the dumbest thing he ever said. I would never say the author is "my bitch", but to imply there is no responsibility owed on the side of the author is nonsensical. Fans and readers provide a living for the author, money for a life of relative leisure. In return, all they require is for the author to tell the whole f***ing story they started. If you paid for a movie ticket, how would you feel if it halted halfway through?
Artists, and authors are artists, owe their consumers nothing.
The money and support we give them is voluntary, and it is given for what has already been produced.
Now, if you're a publisher, and you've paid for a work, THEN and only then are you actually owed something.
To correct your Movie analogy (because the books all have their own arcs and minor completion points), have you ever gone to a movie that was first in a series?
Are you owed a free viewing of the second part in the series?
No, of course not. Books are not different. You paid for what you got, and the Author's obligation is done.
Now, as an artist, Patrick Rothfuss is working on the next one. He has finished his first draft and is working on his editing process.
As I've mentioned before here, he worked on his first book for over ten years before it was published. He felt rushed on the second day though and nearly stopped all work on it.
I'm willing to let him do his best work.
Youre just another fanboy who quotes Gaiman along with all youre other fanboys and girls. Try and come up with an original comment. The Authors are not your bitch quote is really getting quite sickening.
Sure, I am a fan of the books. But even if I weren't, authors aren't our slaves. They owe us nothing, and we owe them nothing. Their work is as it is. And if you enjoy it, enjoy it. If you don't, don't.
But for those that complain over and over that they feel owed more work from an author, guess what. That isn't how it works. Now, if the OP wanted to complain about the book itself, its style, or something else, that is entirely fair, and up to their opinion. But wanting something from someone and complaining that they're not giving you something that they don't have to give you is childish.
I want the next book. I can't wait. I'm excited. I wish it was out two years ago. But at the same time I know that the author is a human, who has his own shit to deal with, and it isn't up to me when it gets done.
As far as the quote, I think if you look up at when I wrote that... it was between one to two years ago.
Yes, sometimes memes get old and tired. And perhaps this phrase has lost its freshness in being repeated over and over again.
But it hasn't lost its truth. Authors are not your bitch.
I agree on all accounts but I'm still sick of the quote.
Could you please ask them to return my money then??
God, I hate this statement. I think it's recycled from something George R. R. Martin said. No, they aren't anybody's "bitch." They are, however, professionals. And unending delays of Martin's variety are unprofessional. I have no problems with Lynch or Jordan as apparently those are health and family related and life happens. But quoting the guy whose delays are literally just boiled down to "I don't wanna!" discredits the statement. No, he doesn't have to write anything, but refusing to do so does make him look unprofessional and capricious and there is no reason not to say so. I've long since resolved that I will not buy any more Martin books until ASoIF is finished.
I think Martin and Rothfuss take on too many side projects more than just not wanting to. I think that's doing them a bit of a disservice.
So they just really suck at time management and have no impulse control to resist taking on more projects than they can realistically finish? It's still unprofessional and capricious. And to be technical, postponing a given project again and again and again in favor of other projects has the practical effect of "I don't wanna." It is not an accident. It is a choice.
(Also for the record I can't speak to what Rothfuss does and don't really care as I don't read his books).
Can't argue with that. I agree that it's not professional. I think you should have your main job (your most popular series) and then take on projects as you have the spare time, or need to differentiate to keep your inspiration up. If your side projects are either taking up all your time and/or inspiration, you're clearly doing something wrong.
You are quite right. Authors are not my bitch. Nor is my wallet and interest theirs.
Authors may not be your bitch, but apparently it is still okay to regurgitate their quotes without giving them credit for a few likes on Goodreads.
With that being said, I will agree with Gaiman that authors are not my 'bitch'. However, in that same blog post he also says that authors don't 'work for you'. Don't agree with that.
The Lies of Locke Lamora has over 171,000 ratings just on goodreads. Should those nearly 200k people decide to not continue the series from losing interest over waiting ... well let's just say, if the publishers are comfortable missing out on that over 3million, I guess that is their decision.
I know I won't put another dime into Martin's work until more Ice and Fire is released. I would love to start the new series, but I'm not getting involved when I know there is a chance it will never be finished (Martin is 71!! Not 41!!)
I won't be starting this series or the Rothfuss series either until they are finished, as much as I hate it because I really want to get lost in those two worlds.
I absolutely respect the authors for wanting to get their works right before releasing them. And I absolutely understand that they are actual people with actual lives and not just book writing machines. But to blow off the people that are paying ( A LOT IN SOME CASES-- The new Martin audio is $60!!!!) by saying 'I'm not your bitch' will lose all that respect quickly.
Thanks to people like Lynch, Rothfuss and GRR Martin, I no longer start any series that is not finished. When the precedent of "not finishing and shut up everyone" is set by some of the most mainstream authors, then the purchase of any book in an unfinished series very soon turns out to be an un-worthwhile use of time or money for mere emotional dissatisfaction. I feel sorry for new up and coming authors who have the motivation and dedication.
It's one thing to not say a peep about possible release date and then release the book 12 years later (a la Diablo III).
It's another to say "it's coming in 2 months!" and then push it back for years.
Second one is called lying. Also, Lynch said a few years ago that the manuscript was in editing stage. It took 3 years to edit, and then a complete draft was turned in a few weeks ago? I smell a lie.
Scott Lynch has depression and until you’ve tried writing while depressed, I don’t think you can judge. Lynch has a health reason. The other two just struggle to focus on a project, and that’s frustrating for everyone.
Until you've tried asking people what their experiences with depression are, I don't think you can judge their ability to judge the progress of depressed writers.
Assume you go to a restaurant. You order appetizers and a main course. Ten minutes later your appetizer arrives and you are told that your main course is ready. An hour goes by, two hours, then three. Do you get to ask where your meal is? Is the Chef your bitch?
Have you already purchased this book? If not your metaphor isn’t very solid.
i regularly check the goodreads page on the Thorn of Emberlain (to see any update on the release date of course) and always a little tick off to see the rant and subsequently the respond to the rant on the first comment as both the rant and the comment are so strong and does not represent on personally what we should looking for on this page.
Is there any way to at least drop the rant to at least the 5th or 6th comment ranking list? If so, i hope whoever can do it, please do it.
Well authors, artists, owe it to their patrons to at-least complete their works within some defined time. When i bought into the series (and hence supported the "Artist") it is with understanding the artist will in due course satiate my desire to see the "art" in its entirety.
To make it easier for some "Authors not your bitch" commenters, if you placed order for a custom "novelty" device and manufacturer sends it to you in pieces over two decades and even if you have to pay for each piece received; two decade delivery is still a dick move.
He may not be my bitch, but he is a bitch.
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Mar 09, 2015 11:15AM
Haha, yesss.
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I rather feel like the Authors Bitch wehen he takes 5-7 years and 2 short sidestorys / Novellas before publishing the next book in a series. Or Buys a cinema, or blogs about everything he does, or or or. While I am clear that the Author is not my bitch I feel kind of stupid if I read more about an author or from an author's blog than in his books. Also recommended for reading on the topic: Robin Hobbs rant: http://web.archive.org/web/2009010700...
That was actually a pretty good little rant :DI think there's a good balance between the two (take Rothfuss for example - he blogs occasionally, and they're brief and to the point, and rarely excessively personal, but mostly dedicated toward things that interest his fans).
Martin could also stand to NOT go to every single Con on the face of the planet, but then he'd be disappointing fans who are going. People are going to be disappointed no matter what, simply because they want to be.
Sometimes I wish movie script writers would be as well considered as authors and the main selling point of a movie and earning them the big bucks. Not the actors. While ultimately that would lead to (script)writers also getting paid very well, I fear that we would suddenly have to wait 5 years between two movies of the same writer.
Ain't that the truth. I think it's the general curse of social media. Before popular creators felt like the HAD to be public, they probably had a lot more time to themselves to actually get things done.
I don't begrudge Rothfuss his time or novellas. I certainly wish that it was faster for him, but I understand that it is a process. He worked 11 years on Name of the Wind before it was published. I would hate for it to get rushed and get something less than satisfactory.
I agree completely. Also, I for one really enjoyed Slow Regard.
Slow Regard was a piece of beauty. I cried several times.
John Jeppson you sound like a fanboy bitch. You actually cried several time during slow regard? Are you sure you're name isn't Jane? Man up bitch.
Man up? I feel completely secure in my masculinity.Being able to feel and express emotion doesn't make you a bitch. It makes you human.
I feel real pity for people who think they have to be some way or another and because of that they hurt themselves bottling up their emotions.
This little Gaiman quote is perhaps the dumbest thing he ever said. I would never say the author is "my bitch", but to imply there is no responsibility owed on the side of the author is nonsensical. Fans and readers provide a living for the author, money for a life of relative leisure. In return, all they require is for the author to tell the whole f***ing story they started. If you paid for a movie ticket, how would you feel if it halted halfway through?
Artists, and authors are artists, owe their consumers nothing. The money and support we give them is voluntary, and it is given for what has already been produced.
Now, if you're a publisher, and you've paid for a work, THEN and only then are you actually owed something.
To correct your Movie analogy (because the books all have their own arcs and minor completion points), have you ever gone to a movie that was first in a series?
Are you owed a free viewing of the second part in the series?
No, of course not. Books are not different. You paid for what you got, and the Author's obligation is done.
Now, as an artist, Patrick Rothfuss is working on the next one. He has finished his first draft and is working on his editing process.
As I've mentioned before here, he worked on his first book for over ten years before it was published. He felt rushed on the second day though and nearly stopped all work on it.
I'm willing to let him do his best work.
Youre just another fanboy who quotes Gaiman along with all youre other fanboys and girls. Try and come up with an original comment. The Authors are not your bitch quote is really getting quite sickening.
Sure, I am a fan of the books. But even if I weren't, authors aren't our slaves. They owe us nothing, and we owe them nothing. Their work is as it is. And if you enjoy it, enjoy it. If you don't, don't. But for those that complain over and over that they feel owed more work from an author, guess what. That isn't how it works. Now, if the OP wanted to complain about the book itself, its style, or something else, that is entirely fair, and up to their opinion. But wanting something from someone and complaining that they're not giving you something that they don't have to give you is childish.
I want the next book. I can't wait. I'm excited. I wish it was out two years ago. But at the same time I know that the author is a human, who has his own shit to deal with, and it isn't up to me when it gets done.
As far as the quote, I think if you look up at when I wrote that... it was between one to two years ago.
Yes, sometimes memes get old and tired. And perhaps this phrase has lost its freshness in being repeated over and over again.
But it hasn't lost its truth. Authors are not your bitch.
I agree on all accounts but I'm still sick of the quote.
Could you please ask them to return my money then??
God, I hate this statement. I think it's recycled from something George R. R. Martin said. No, they aren't anybody's "bitch." They are, however, professionals. And unending delays of Martin's variety are unprofessional. I have no problems with Lynch or Jordan as apparently those are health and family related and life happens. But quoting the guy whose delays are literally just boiled down to "I don't wanna!" discredits the statement. No, he doesn't have to write anything, but refusing to do so does make him look unprofessional and capricious and there is no reason not to say so. I've long since resolved that I will not buy any more Martin books until ASoIF is finished.
I think Martin and Rothfuss take on too many side projects more than just not wanting to. I think that's doing them a bit of a disservice.
So they just really suck at time management and have no impulse control to resist taking on more projects than they can realistically finish? It's still unprofessional and capricious. And to be technical, postponing a given project again and again and again in favor of other projects has the practical effect of "I don't wanna." It is not an accident. It is a choice. (Also for the record I can't speak to what Rothfuss does and don't really care as I don't read his books).
Can't argue with that. I agree that it's not professional. I think you should have your main job (your most popular series) and then take on projects as you have the spare time, or need to differentiate to keep your inspiration up. If your side projects are either taking up all your time and/or inspiration, you're clearly doing something wrong.
You are quite right. Authors are not my bitch. Nor is my wallet and interest theirs.
Authors may not be your bitch, but apparently it is still okay to regurgitate their quotes without giving them credit for a few likes on Goodreads. With that being said, I will agree with Gaiman that authors are not my 'bitch'. However, in that same blog post he also says that authors don't 'work for you'. Don't agree with that.
The Lies of Locke Lamora has over 171,000 ratings just on goodreads. Should those nearly 200k people decide to not continue the series from losing interest over waiting ... well let's just say, if the publishers are comfortable missing out on that over 3million, I guess that is their decision.
I know I won't put another dime into Martin's work until more Ice and Fire is released. I would love to start the new series, but I'm not getting involved when I know there is a chance it will never be finished (Martin is 71!! Not 41!!)
I won't be starting this series or the Rothfuss series either until they are finished, as much as I hate it because I really want to get lost in those two worlds.
I absolutely respect the authors for wanting to get their works right before releasing them. And I absolutely understand that they are actual people with actual lives and not just book writing machines. But to blow off the people that are paying ( A LOT IN SOME CASES-- The new Martin audio is $60!!!!) by saying 'I'm not your bitch' will lose all that respect quickly.
Thanks to people like Lynch, Rothfuss and GRR Martin, I no longer start any series that is not finished. When the precedent of "not finishing and shut up everyone" is set by some of the most mainstream authors, then the purchase of any book in an unfinished series very soon turns out to be an un-worthwhile use of time or money for mere emotional dissatisfaction. I feel sorry for new up and coming authors who have the motivation and dedication.
It's one thing to not say a peep about possible release date and then release the book 12 years later (a la Diablo III). It's another to say "it's coming in 2 months!" and then push it back for years.
Second one is called lying. Also, Lynch said a few years ago that the manuscript was in editing stage. It took 3 years to edit, and then a complete draft was turned in a few weeks ago? I smell a lie.
Scott Lynch has depression and until you’ve tried writing while depressed, I don’t think you can judge. Lynch has a health reason. The other two just struggle to focus on a project, and that’s frustrating for everyone.
Until you've tried asking people what their experiences with depression are, I don't think you can judge their ability to judge the progress of depressed writers.
Assume you go to a restaurant. You order appetizers and a main course. Ten minutes later your appetizer arrives and you are told that your main course is ready. An hour goes by, two hours, then three. Do you get to ask where your meal is? Is the Chef your bitch?
Have you already purchased this book? If not your metaphor isn’t very solid.
i regularly check the goodreads page on the Thorn of Emberlain (to see any update on the release date of course) and always a little tick off to see the rant and subsequently the respond to the rant on the first comment as both the rant and the comment are so strong and does not represent on personally what we should looking for on this page.Is there any way to at least drop the rant to at least the 5th or 6th comment ranking list? If so, i hope whoever can do it, please do it.
Well authors, artists, owe it to their patrons to at-least complete their works within some defined time. When i bought into the series (and hence supported the "Artist") it is with understanding the artist will in due course satiate my desire to see the "art" in its entirety.To make it easier for some "Authors not your bitch" commenters, if you placed order for a custom "novelty" device and manufacturer sends it to you in pieces over two decades and even if you have to pay for each piece received; two decade delivery is still a dick move.
He may not be my bitch, but he is a bitch.
