Most of you know Rick R. Reed as the master of horror. He moved into the world of M/M romance to bring you his vision of romance. For those who don’t know Rick here’s a short bio:
In their October 2006 issue, Unzipped magazine said: “You could call him the Stephen King of gay horror.” And Dark Scribe magazine said: “Reed is an established brand – perhaps the most reliable contemporary author for thrillers that cross over between the gay fiction market and speculative fiction.” To date, Reed has fifteen books in print, and his short fiction has appeared in more than 20 anthologies. His novel, ORIENTATION, won the EPPIE Award for best LGBT novel of 2008. He lives in Seattle, WA. Visit him on the web at www.rickrreed.com
Here’s Rick’s Post
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This blog comes to you both from the perspective of a reader and a writer, so beware. The two beasts, when combined, are a potent force.
This blog also comes with a warning—it offers only questions, not answers.
So what I’m yammering about today, all alone in my padded cell, listening to violinist David Garret rock out on “Kashmir”, is the question: How does a writer remain in the reading public’s eye while avoiding being overexposed? Now, by overexposed I do not mean the nudity many of us write about when crafting an erotic scene, I mean the kind of overexposure that makes a reader gasp and say, “Jesus Christ! Does Mary G. Writer or Bill H. Author have another book out? Why, it was only yesterday that I got wind of a new release! And just last week, Mary (or Bill) had two new books out at Fictionwise!” Frustrated—or delighted, depending upon one’s viewpoint—readers may scratch their heads and wonder how one writer can be so prolific without elves chained up in a basement somewhere, hammering out yet another story about a gay detective/cowboy/robot/shapeshifter/vampire or what-have-you falling in love with a gorgeous, deliciously muscled criminal/ranch hand/priest/pumpkin or Monopoly board.
I know I wonder such things and the scenarios above are not so far from the truth, especially in the genre of m/m romantic fiction. I’m sure you’ve noticed it, too, some writers just seem to be putting out a new tale every other week. I admire their work ethic, I envy the number of zeroes I imagine on their royalty checks, and I wonder how the heck they do it.
Take the wonderfully prolific—and wonderful—J.M. Snyder, for example. Go to her complete list of books on her website and, if you’re like me, you’ll be astounded at how one writer alone could put out so much. Does she ever sleep? What about bathe? Does she chain-write, like a 1960s ad executive used to chain smoke, starting a new book as soon as the last one is finished, with nary a pause?
I don’t know. Perhaps JM will speak up in the comments section below, if she can drag herself away from her latest story.
My point here, and I do have one, is: as a writer (and I myself have been accused of being prolific), where does one draw the line at being overexposed and putting out just enough material to keep readers happy? I am not saying anyone writes too much or too little here, by the way, just raising questions.
As a writer, I want to keep my work before the reading public. I almost feel compelled to have at least an e-book publication come out every couple of months or so, just so they won’t forget me. There’s so much competition out there, if a writer leaves the scene for an extended period, will he or she be forgotten? That’s the kind of question that keeps me awake at night. Once upon a time, a writer could wait years before publishing a book. Now, in our digital age, it seems readers expect quicker and more frequent delivery.
Or do they? Please tell me! If you’re a reader, do you ever feel a writer is coming out with new stuff too frequently? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by someone’s output? Do you ever feel like saying to a favorite author, “Slow down, honey, I can’t keep up!” Or are you of a more sadistic bent and want authors to hurry up and write more, more, more?
I’m sure I’m not the only writer who wants to know.
And another question for readers: at what point do you forget all about a writer if he or she doesn’t come out with a new book? Six months? A year? Never, if he or she is really good?
I am acquainted with a very well-known and successful m/m romance writer who is not only good, but also very prolific. You know who she is. I asked her how she stayed so successful when I almost never, never see her promoting on social networks, Yahoo groups, or anything like that. You know what she said?
“I think the single best thing any author who wants to build a readership in a certain genre can do is keep regular releases coming out without letting too much time elapse between them. It’s true for all genres, but especially in the gay romance genre. The competition is fierce right now in m/m romance, with more and more pubs offering gay romance releases, and a jillion authors writing it. The secret, I think, is finding what readers are hot for and giving it to them as often as possible without compromising quality.”
Wise words indeed and if her success is any indication, she’s on the right track (and the key words above are “without compromising quality”). But yet, as a reader and a writer, I can’t help but wonder—am I giving them too much of a good thing?
I ask because I’m thinking about a writer I absolutely love on both a personal and literary level. But that writer, lately, has been like the author described above: almost every time I turn around he/she has a new release out. I used to auto buy everything from this writer, but lately, I haven’t been as enthusiastic, simply because I feel like I would have no time to read anything else if I had to keep up with his/her output.
And that makes me sad.
Will you speak up, writers and readers? Will you let me know when a writer has crossed the line into too much of a good thing?
Rick’s blog: http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/
Rick’s email: horrorauthor@gmail.com
Rick R. Reed’s most recent books are:
I assume to know the writer you are mentioning. She was auto buy to me too but lately I got a bit fed up because all her stories are more or less the same. And her stories do seriously lack in pages, I think none of her last years books were over 100 pages in pdf. And it does affect the quality imo, it lacks in dept and plot. They are fun, fluffy reads, not bad but could have been better.
As for will I remember a writer after a year, sure thing when the previous book was a good one and if they publish with same publisher.
Like Jane Seville, her first book was published april last year and I am waiting for the next one.
Others I know are slower writers and/or write the longer books like J.L. Langley and Tere Michaels. I know the wait will be worthwhile
Imo I rather have less books and more quality then more and shorter books. Which may be lacking in depth, plot and characterisation.
Thanks for your opinion, Ingrid. You make a lot of sense, which is why I quoted in my post the one author who said to publish frequently but not to “compromise quality.”
I gave up trying to keep up with some of our writers – and their promo. I’m almost embarrassed when I mention a release or a review, and it’s now a long time between releases for me (a variety of reasons, none of them anyone wants to hear). And, frankly, there are only a very few writers that I enjoy enough that I want to read a new book every month or so. All I can do to keep up with requests for blurbs, reviews, etc. And, much of what is published today in the M/M field is just not my cup of tea. Interestingly, with very rare exceptions, the writers I do like seem to take their time getting the next one done. Alan Chin, e.g., has just his 3rd book coming soon in, I think, as many years – but they are all wonderful and worth waiting for.
Rick
I echo what Ingrid said.
I prefer to wait for my favourite authors to come out with a new book, whether it’s a year or two later, rather than read releases of fluff by the “frequent flyers.” I understand that if a writer depends on the royalty cheques to make the mortgage or utility bill or put food on the table that they can’t afford a year’s wait between books. However I’m sick and tired of reading formulaic, mind numbing ‘stuff’ just because an author has to pay the bills. I buy a lot of print and electronic books and it pisses me off when I end up with something that I can’t finish because it’s so poorly written
When I first started reading this sub genre I had a list of authors who I could depend on to put out quality books. This is no longer the case – some of them have joined the rat race and are now releasing repetitive crap (sorry, there is no other way to describe it.) I now avoid them altogether. I mentioned one of them in an email to you. 🙁 Her royalty cheques may have a lot of zeroes but reading just one of her books was more than enough.
Quality frequently goes out the door when quantity becomes a priority. There are of course authors who can write more frequently and still provide a quality read such as yourself, M.L. Rhodes, Josh Lanyon, Ethan Day, Jordan C. Price, Clare London etc.
As for your question about whether readers will remember an author who has not released a book in a year, if it was a quality release I sure would. J.R. Langley, Jane Seville, Tere Michaels to name just a few writers whose new releases I can hardly wait for. Isabelle Rowan’s poignant tale of a homeless man who found love still resonates. As far as I know Isabelle has not released another book but I still remember her – an author whose only book was released almost 18 months ago.
Those authors who release books every couple of weeks (you know who they are) will never be on my auto buy list. *getting off my soapbox*
Interesting. It seems to be appearing that quantity can have an impact on quality and the small consensus here so far seems a release a year is just about right. But as I said, I am only asking questions here.
I was just discussing this same subject with a couple of friends a few days ago, Rick. We all came to the conclusion that books are much shorter when released back-to-back. And sometimes that is even less than novella length. Nothing wrong with a shorter length, of course, but those kinds of stories are much harder to pack in enough emotion and plotting to satisfy readers. And if you are racing to finish so you CAN have another release, you simply can’t do the story justice. It’s what I call “churning”. One book after another. So quality IS indeed sacrificed.
It’s understandable when an author starts out with a publisher how their backlog of writing can be released one right after another–after all–the backlist is king, isn’t it? But at some point, quality will suffer once this backlog of work is released if the author constantly writes to appease the “new release Gods”. And…the “zeroes at the end of the check Gods” too. Eventually, sales will suffer as a result of that loss of quality.
I honestly think that a full novella length every two months (35Kish) and a full novel every six months is about right in our digital world. Quality writing can be maintained–as well as good editing–and readers can be satisfied with the end product of each and every book.
Great blog. Good discussion.
Tess…it’s like you’re inside my head! I so agree with everything you said, especially as it applies to my own writing. The thing I like about ebooks is we can write something shorter and still have a publication…I like the break when I’ve just written a novel to write something shorter. But I do try and still have depth and emotional resonance even in shorter, fluffier stuff.
You’re a writer pushing for quality–not a release date. All writers need to play it smarter and do the same.
Thanks so much for raising this issue, Rick. God, what a conundrum.
As a reader, I tend to steer clear of heavy producers. Prolificacy beyond a certain point seems to result in a kind of assembly-line sameness. I burn out really quickly on predictable work.
BUT, I do think some readers find it comforting. They know exactly what to expect from Hyper-writer A — what kind of tone, characters, dialogue, situations — and never seem to lose their appetite for it. In fact, they crave more of the same. There’s abundant evidence of this on bestseller lists.
As a writer, I can only echo what your anonymous friend said. It’s increasingly difficult to make a name for oneself in this increasingly flooded genre, regardless of level of talent or personal passion. The “veterans” who built their reputations (and readership bases) while m/m romance was still young will always fare well. For most everybody else, it’s an ongoing, uphill struggle.
I’d love to craft full, exquisitely detailed novels, but that requires the luxury of time. And the more time that goes by between releases, the more royalties plummet. Of course this isn’t a problem for an author who’s financially secure . . . but not every author is. So, yeah, many of us try to do what your successful friend does: keep the work coming without letting it get stale.
What a though-provoking post. I wrestle with a lot of these worries, now that writing is my sole income. I’m finding that whether or not a novelette/novella is priced appropriately for its length and is paced correctly, someone invariably complains it’s too short. Should I take that to mean I should only write novels? Maybe. Will my work sell even worse (because the “grinders” with a new book out every month totally outsell me work for work) if my output slows to 2 novels per year? No doubt.
Can I compensate for slower output and fewer sales by charging more for my stories? No way. People will complain.
Other than doing my best to keep my focus on *me*, rather than me-as-I-compare-to-other authors, I’m not sure I can think of any other way to keep from turning into a headcase. And yet, how can one never compare? What other gauge of how we’re doing do we have?
Thanks for the chance to discuss this, Rick.
Jordan, I think you hit all the nails on the head for what we wrestle with as writers. I think KZ Snow also brought up a good point about readers and how some of them have a real desire for the familiar. But bottom line? I totally agree that we should follow our passion and simply try to produce the best work we can and hope people will want to read it.
Great post, Rick. Aren’t there some authors who write under multiple pen names so as not to oversaturate the market? Stephen King did that didn’t he, with his Richard Bachman books? I used to be an avid SK reader until he seemed, to me anyway, to go off the rails in the late 90s. I haven’t read anything of his since. While I still admire his amazing creativity and talent, it just got to be too much.
I agree with Tess on releases for digital – I tend to go through those in a day or two so having something new from my fave writers in relative short order is good. If there’s nothing new and I’m still feeling the jones, I go through the backlist. But, quality is paramount. Once that goes, so do I. I’d much rather wait a year or more for a writer whose work is always well written and emotionally engaging, than read something less than stellar every few weeks.
Its like when I get a new CD – I listen to it every single day because I can’t get enough. Ultimately I burnout on it and never listen to it again. 😉
I think Ingrid said most of what I was thinking. 😉
I have to say that what I expect is quality more than quantity.
I hate waiting for the next book by Rick R Reed, JCP, Ethan Day, Josh Lanyon… But I know I won’t be dissapointed.
Aliens…thank you. It’s comments like that that keep me writing.
Reading this makes me realise how much I’m still stuck in the dark ages, technologically speaking. The number of books I have in digital format is still in single figures, but my boxes of paper books (hardback, paperback, fiction and non-fiction) fill about 1/4 – 1/3 of my workshop, and will easily cover at least 2 (internal) walls when I finally get round to building my bookshelves…
What I look for, as a reader, is a book I can come back to time and time again. I can’t say that all my books are of that sort (I doubt I’ll get rid of my Harry Potter books because of the memories of running round Oxford finding a shop without queues to buy it at midnight so we didn’t have to wait before going on to the pub) but I can give the example of just the other week, when I re-read a series of books I originally bought when I was 14-16. I still love ’em now.
I guess that as an author you could say “yeah, but how does that help me make money?” – well, the fact I enjoyed those books first time round so much that I bought them (first reading was from library copies), and that I still like them now, means that next time I’m in a bookstore I’ll be looking to see if that author has anything out that I might be interested in over fifteen years after I first read her work. That’s how good a good book is (and, to be honest, those particular books probably wouldn’t make it to a desert island with me: there’s others I like more).
Like you pointed out in your post, the key is quality. For me, I also like longer books, so with those two things in mind you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I really don’t mind waiting a year between releases from any of my ‘must-buy’ authors. And if I “need” something in the meantime? I’ll either re-read a book I already own, pop down the library, or look up in my bookmarks where I’ve saved reviews of books that sounded interesting and try & get my grubby little paws on something new. If all else fails, I sit down with a pen and paper & take some time out from my busy life to let loose the voices in my head (i.e. write something myself).
Gosh and double gosh, I find this subject soooooo difficult, and sooooo depressing, I must admit – and am, I think, probably guilty of distancing readers with having a fair amount of short stories out this year. Certainly recent commenters seem to think I’m letting them down somewhat, and that’s been really hard.
But, in all honesty, I do enjoy writing the short stories and they’re something of a light relief from the HUGE fantasy trilogy (not strictly GLBT at all though the main character is gay) I’ve been writing for quite a while. Possibly my trouble (and why numbers of stories/books out certainly don’t equate to big royalties in my case and never have) therefore is that I write in a variety of genres – because I enjoy them – so readers never know what to expect. I have a mind like a mountain goat on speed really …
That said, recent publications have meant that for the first time in 10 years (since I started writing) I actually received quarterly royalties edging into 3 figures which was nice. 🙂 So I’ve absolutely no idea who these writers are with enormous royalties (perhaps they over-egg the pudding on size!?!) but I certainly wouldn’t mind some of their over-exposure either.
Meanwhile, I’ll make big efforts to keep up the quality whilst avoiding being trampled in the crowd, and hope for the best!
Anne
xxx
Anne, I know where you’re coming from because I too have published short stories as ebooks and readers often think that a 8000 word story is the same as an 80,000 word book and think I’m incredibly prolific. E-books have created a whole different world and I think many of us, readers and writers, are still catching up with the changes.
Yes, that’s a good point – maybe the onset of ebooks muddles the issue of length (as it were!)? – ie you know how big a book is if it’s paperback, but you may not quite take that into account with an ebook. I don’t think I do when I’m reading them! 🙂 Anne xxx
Anne – I think you’re bringing two interesting topics to the table here.
One, the short story. I adore short stories and think in many ways can be so much more than an epic novel. So much can be relayed in a good short story. Though, to confess, a lot of short stories in the M/M romance genre are much more like PWP (plot? what plot?) than something meaningful.
Two, a M/M story outside the romance genre. There should be more. This is where the mainstream picks up gay lit and enjoys it as a ‘novel’ without carrying the stigma of it being a gay romance.
Once upon a time (a long, LONG time ago) I used to read romance novels, real bodice rippers. I hated to admit this to anyone. But there are so many stories I’ve picked up over the past couple of years in the M/M romance genre that are even worst than the trash books I used to read.
There’s a niche for these types of books, but there’s so much more a need for the types of novels you (and Rick and ZA and Josh and dozens of other ‘must read’ authors) produce because they are not only quality written, but have mainstream potential. They are mostly stories about normal people (based on genre) doing the normal things (based on genre) that readers want to read.
Thanks, Merith! You’re so right about the short story explosion – ebooks do seem to have given them a whole new lease of life 🙂 Anne xxx
Last year, I had six novels and four short stories come out.
I didn’t write six novels last year. In fact, I didn’t write one novel last year, since I spent it editing. The six came out from four different publishers and represented about three years’ worth of work.
(this year’s projected talley is 4 novellas, a poem, a short and a re-issued novel)
As a writer, we don’t have a lot of control over our publishers’ schedules or lack of coordination between them.
As a reader of m/m, I’m a fraud and a failure. I get through 50 books a year, but that’s all genres, including nonfiction. I have very few authors I follow, and I buy about one m/m book a month (part of the “pick it for me” challenge at Goodreads). So I don’t know who has what out, how often they’re coming out or what.
Mainly because I am selfish to the core. I’m too busy busting my own words, doing my own promo, living my life and having my day job to really care.
That’s very true, Angelia. You could have a publisher not release a book for nine or ten months while you’re still writing and submitting to another publisher that gets books out much more quickly. And therefore, you could have as many as two releases in one month. And for those just starting out with a particular publisher, like I am right now, well, I could end up with monthly releases for all I know. But after this stockpile of mine is “spent”, so to speak, lol, I plan to slow down a bit. It’s got to be quality over quantity any day in so far as an actual writer’s work is concerned–which is probably the best way to put it. And I believe that once that backlist is established, controlling the number of releases keeps an author fresh in the mind’s of readers and gives the writer time to regroup creativity wise as well. There’s a lot to be said for using this as a marketing strategy, too, I think.
Quality or quantity – I think this isn’t only what some particular author’s work is suffering from, but the entire genre. If I recall correctly, there were several discussions on this blog about some varieties of this very theme: Readers DO prefer quality over quantity. At least they say so.
But the market, the genre explodes, and contrary to what is often said and heard, “the readers” seem to be insatiable. Some authors might get swept away, alongside with some publishers, to just produce, produce, produce, either with dollar signs in their eyes or with the damocles’s sword of “publish or perish” above their heads.
I’m with you others here, too: in the beginning, only a few years ago, there were some authors I knew I could rely on for stories worth my while, and I bought them almost without looking. But now I’ve become pickier, even with authors I used to trust.
I’m only one voice in milions. But there might be others who think along the same lines.
Authors and publishers alike might eventually return to produce less, but worthier books instead of overstocking the market with cheap and fast produced a-dime-a-dozen-stuff.
By the way: for the life of me I can’t fathom where one single author might get the ideas and creativity, let alone the sheer time to write as much as they do. Do those people have libraries for minds? No wonder some become repetitive….
Wow…this has made me do a double-take.
I see myself as a “mid-producer”…I’ve released 4 books this year but have to remember how long it took me to write them. The first took over a year, and it just happened to be released this year…the 2nd I wrote quickly and true to what everyone has said, I messed up by doing it that way; I freely admit that. That will no longer be the case, I assure you.
The 3rd was a wip and revision for over 4 years…and when it finally became a novel, I was thrilled to release it.
This upcoming one is my last EVER revision, I am taking my sweet time now, not planning on releasing any more than 4 per year.
I’ve taken advantage of being unemployed, broke, and unable to go anywhere to write my heart out.
Once I begin working…that’ll fall away for sure!
I admire all authors and am amazed at the ones who can “grind them out” faster than even I can! As for the slower ones, I like them too, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Either way…just write what you love, at whatever pace you can handle.
Hi Rick,
What a great topic today. I second much of what has been said already. I have a handful of favorite authors who only put out a few books each year, and I anxiously await their next release, but I am always rewarded with a well written story. I generally avoid the frequent publishers as the quality tends to suffer and they all start to seem the same. So I think you have the right idea here. If an author is really good, I wouldn’t forget about them even if there was a long stretch between releases.
Wow. You know, I think about this too. When I had my first novel published, I had six sitting on the shelf. Sure it was easy to overproduce that year. But now, when I have to write them? I couldn’t begin to have the kind of output I used to. And I don’t want to. Each of my books reflects a lot of thought. Something new I want to try, maybe, something people don’t expect from me, but rarely could they be called churned out. (At least, not from my end. :D)
Yet, there are those all important zeros! Baby needs/wants expensive athletic shoes for school times four, yanno? Lots to think about here. I do fall securely in the group (whether my work reflects this or not, LOL) that thinks quality is much more important than quantity.
I think like a reader, really. Both when I write, and when I buy.
That’s a good point, ZA about starting off with having a bunch of work ready to go when you’re first published. I suspect a lot of us have had the same experience. For me, it’s pretty much all new stuff from here on out and so maybe my “brand new” work will have to wait a while. Will readers wait for me? That’s the big question.
I don’t think you have a lot to worry about (other than producing more means more $$s). I know you are on many people’s autobuy list.
Your work also reflects quality over quantity. Though, it was nice when I first discovered your stories (when Drawn Together was released). I had a bunch of stories to buy and read!
Will readers wait for me? That’s the big question.
Rick, I think I can speak for most when I answer that with a resounding “Yes!”. 🙂
Big blush and an “aw shucks.”
Hi Rick
Since you gave us a sneak peek at JM’s book list I did a quick count of her published works – she has over 30 paperbacks, 74 ebooks and 18 stories in anthologies (or maybe the anthologies contain just her own stories, and a few of the paperbacks might contain stories that were released as ebooks ). She writes while working full time as an office manager for a consulting firm. WOW! I have to admire her production because I don’t think she has been writing that long. Having such a prolific author on one’s auto buy list would make you very poor very fast. 🙂
At least Victor and William have been around for a long, long time and took decades to build up their back list.
I find that the more frequent an author’s releases the less likely they’ll become and “autobuy” author for me. There’s only so much I can read after all and I do like to read a variety of books, rather than burning out on one genre or author.
And quality has to suffer somewhere. Maybe not the quality of the prose, or the mechanics of the story, heck, they probably get better the more a person writes, as long as they put the effort in to edit well. But the writer must end up repeating themselves eventually if they don’t allow time for some new ideas to replace the ones they already used. I don’t mean plots even, but maybe just themes, situations, even characters. If a writer likes a particual character dynamic it has to be easy to slip into writing all their couples etc that way.
I usually start thinking about a story and the characters a pretty long time before I start writing. I think this gives to time to think about and reject ideas for the story a few times until I’ve refined the idea and usually gone with something different than the first idea I thought of for a scene or event.
An autobuy author will usually remain an autobuy whether they publish twice a year or twice a decade. A steady schedule of releases is good, but I won’t suddenly stop buying Terry Pratchett books if he makes me wait two years instead of one.
Having said all that I know that a back list can be key to keeping the earnings rolling in, so it’s important to keep on releasing at whatever pace it might be. Even as I work on my edits I’m 50,000 words into the next novel!
OH THANK HEAVEN!!! Rick, your post, and the comments, are such a huge relief! My tally of published novels for the year will be three, but only due to that timing thing others have mentioned, they weren’t written this year. Until I read this I was terrified that, not only should I hold that pace, but increase it, based on what other writers are producing. How nice to know that it’s not expected! Two a year is all I really feel comfortable writing to quality, tossing in a handful of short stories. I admire others who can do more, I cannot. (Evil day job, being a newbie, and all that.)
As a reader, I’ll gladly wait years for my favorite author to finish the next novel.
Thanks so much for introducing this topic.
Wow. Everyone’s said it all already *lol*.
Rick, I love your comment about following our passion and producing the best we can. What more can we do?! It works for me, not necessarily for royalty cheques *heh*, but so I continue to enjoy what I do. And IMO that’s one of the most critical reasons to write.
I’ve brought out a lot of shorter work recently, but I still try to make sure I love and am proud of each one before I want to share it. And I really don’t think I *could* write to the schedule that some authors have, even if I wrote full time (or kidnapped those elves).
I appreciate that some authors have a very different style and pace, and it presumably suits them, but for me, there’s no substitute for time. I need time to write it properly, plus I like to let a story mellow before I launch it from the nest, to check it’s the best I can get it *lol*. Sometimes you can ‘leapfrog’ releases so output seems more frequent, or the publisher’s scheduling achieves that for you.
I worry like other authors that I’ll be buried under the more prolific – I worry I’m not a ‘regular’ in some readers’ schedules. Dammit, sometimes I worry the Muse will leave home in a fit of pique if I don’t capture and convert the ideas quickly enough! But most of all, I worry I won’t turn out consistent quality work, so I have to pace myself to try to match that.
And blimey, no novel since last May, I must be ready for obscurity…*g*
(pssst, one coming in Sept)
(and by the time I’ve mulled over this and corrected my spellings etc, there’ll be 10 more comments saying things far better than I…)
Great post! 🙂
Great post! It’s encouraging to hear that readers are not so concerned with how frequently writers put books out. For me as a reader, it doesn’t matter; if I really like an author, I’ll buy his or her books regardless of how frequently they are published.
As a writer, though, I was somewhat concerned about how frequently other writers were putting books out and if I needed to match that to stay fresh in readers’ minds. I have a day job, so there’s a limit to how fast I can write. My first novel came out in February, but I didn’t have anything finished waiting in the wings. It therefore took me a little while to finish and then sell the second novel, which will be out almost a year after the first book was published. I will admit to panicking some that I wasn’t writing fast enough, but, you know, I’m really liking the stuff I’m writing these days, so hopefully readers will, too, even if it takes longer to get it out there.
For this reader, quality is much preferred to over quantity. There are a handful of authors who are on my ‘must buy’ list and often bump other works on my ‘to be read’ list when new books are released.
A lot of authors who are so greatly prolific, those who seem to release a new book every week, their stories are more like popcorn. A filler between the real meals. There’s nothing wrong with the stories they right, but there isn’t quite the same quality as other authors.
I would rather wait a year to read one good novel from a beloved author than have a new book once a month that’s mediocre.
For me, 35-40K is the “sweet spot.” I find writing novellas much more satisfying than longer works. Plus, I can knock them out fairly quickly – I did two, one right after the other, in May and June.
My problem is that I need downtime between projects to let my batteries recharge, which probably means I’ll never be one of the genre’s biggest producers. But 3 – 5 books per year’s nothing to sneeze at, either.
See, that’s a toughie for me– I have an independently published series, and a cliffhanger to address. I also have a massive (and massively populating) population of copulating m/m plot bunnies, and a bit of a conundrum. If I step away for six months to write the one, will the m/m world still remember me when I come back to it? It’s hard–because right now, I’m SO excited about the projects I’m working on. I don’t want to leave–especially not when people seem to enjoy what I’m writing. But I don’t want them to just *yawn* when I put something out either.
Public sentiment has always been sort of a delicate dance anyway, hasn’t it? And I’ve got the grace of an epileptic giraffe in cement shoes. I’ll be looking to the people here to see where to put that next awkward step.
Great blog, all things that I have discussed with fellow readers.
I would never forget about, or give up on, an author if they are really good.
I have discovered series and waited years to be able to follow the series through.
I followed the author’s website and live journal during those years and was grateful for every update or snippet.
The books were worth waiting for. I admit that I didn’t always wait patiently.
With my very favorite authors, I go online to search for upcoming releases.
I also follow their author web sites, and belong to groups like GWR where I will hear about new releases.
Can an author publish too often?
No. A really good author can not publish too often.
If a good author publishes something that s/he is proud of
A few of my favorite authors manage to publish fairly frequently; especially if they write short stories and novellas in addition to novels. It is never too frequent! I have read their works more than once. I also tend to buy all of their works, and in both pdf and print whenever possible. (BTW all of the authors on that particular favorites list are GWR members.)
But yes, I have read authors that I really liked who then started publishing very frequently and the quality of these new stories/novels was really lacking. I wouldn’t stop reading an author because of one novel that I didn’t like… but I once stopped reading an author after one very poorly written work.
If an author is faithful to his/her talent then I will be a loyal reader for life.
However… I can’t guarantee that I will wait quietly… or without begging for you to hurry it up.
The minimalist promoter Rick’s speaking of would be me I believe. 🙂 He and I had a great conversation about this a while back. I’m really busy with a lot going on in my life besides writing, so I don’t have much time to spend on promotion. Therefore, I have to carefully pick and choose. And I do truly believe that the best promo any author in any genre can do is to write great, interesting stories that keep readers wanting more. You can post on list after list and all the social networking sites in the universe, but the bottom line still comes down to the writing.
Speaking as a reader, I’ll wait as long as I have to for a new story by an author I love. But sometimes I feel like the m/m romance genre has exploded so quickly and so intensely that unlike other genres I’ve read and loved, this one seems to be pouring out huge quantities of stories in a way I haven’t seen from any other genre except maybe hetero erotica and erotic romance a few years ago. There was a time, just a few short years ago, when I had a pretty good handle on authors in this genre. But now it’s tough to keep up because so many authors are writing it. It gets harder to pick and choose for me as a reader, which makes me worry that, as an author, if I don’t have at least semi-regular releases I’ll start sliding under some readers’ radar. Maybe not readers who have already picked up my stories and know me and will, I hope, wait for my next release. But new readers, who are just getting into m/m–and there are a ton of them every day–are faced with hundreds of choices. Many of them are going to make their choices based on what’s “new” at each publisher.
The fear of being forgotten is probably pretty common for most authors, regardless of genre. 🙂 The secret, though, I think, is balancing “regular” releases (whatever that means, because it’s different for every author) with quality. I’d love to be able to pour out a quality story every month, but that’s just not ever going to happen for me. Last year I had two releases (novellas) a month apart and I was exhausted from it! LOL! I mean, seriously. I could NOT keep up that pace and I’m in awe of authors who can.
As far as prolific, holy moly, I don’t even come close to some busy authors. Last year I think I had five new releases, which is nothing compared to some truly prolific authors I know who can put out a release or two each month. And this year…well, I wouldn’t even think about using the term “prolific” to describe myself. On the other hand, most everything on my slate this year is longer, novel length, which just takes more time. I’ve had only one release so far and, if I’m lucky and the stars align my way, I should have a couple of more before the end of the year. I just have to hope readers won’t forget and are willing to be patient as I write some longer books since that’s what my muse is dictating at the moment.
A great post, Rick. Very though provoking, my friend! But then your posts usually are. 🙂
Hi M.L.
You KNOW I’ll wait forever for your next release. 🙂 I give you hell about not releasing more books because I love your writing and consider it a personal affront that your readers don’t get enough of you 🙂 However, I do understand that RL always takes priority for you over writing. But hell – what about my reading? You have a series and a sequel to finish. 🙁
Quality over quantity any day and you know you’re one of my favourite authors. If you wanted to release a book every month the ‘autobuy’ would be firmly in place.
Thanks, Wave. 🙂 ((((HUGS))))) I very much appreciate your comments and enthusiasm. But trust me, if I tried writing a story a month, after about the third one, you’d be going, “What the hell is wrong with her?!” *g* Like Cat said above, I’ve gotta have some downtime between most projects. If I don’t get it, my brain turns to complete mush and, trust me, you don’t want me to keep trying to write like that. It would NOT be pretty. LOL!
Thanks to everyone for all the great and thought-provoking comments. I came looking for answers and you were gracious enough to give them to me, from your own point of view. Thanks too to ML Rhodes (my friend and great editor) who summed up the whole conundrum quite nicely (and outed herself). I don’t know that I will do anything differently, but am so happy to hear many of you WILL wait for an author you like. I can only humbly hope one of them will be me.
I hope that the new readers find sites like this one were they can find the gems that were released a year ago and before. There is a lot of good stuff but it can be hard to find if not looking well.
Absolutely, Ingrid! Let us all now praise Jessewave for sorting out the good stuff for all of us readers.
With all due respect to Mr. Reed, it seems to me this is a moot point. In my opinion, an author’s books are released because readers demand them and publishers push them to produce. As for poor quality, I’m reminded of something Katerina Witt said after she was criticized for falling in competitions after she’d won her first Olympic figure skating gold medal.
“I’m not a machine. I’m human.”
Likewise, authors, being human, can’t always turn out a great book. I stopped reading Patricia Cornwell and Stephanie Meyer after some duds. Subsequent books have been better.
Rick, great questions, certainly ones all writers struggle with, myself included.
I have just signed with my 4th publisher. Now, two of them are for m/f works, so that leaves 2 publishers that would very much like for me to write like the wind.
I do write fast, its just the way I do it, but even I need down time. This summer I got off the loops, virtually stopped promo (except for Gay Day!) and concentrated on putting some words on paper, since the last thing I wrote was published and I had nothing more.
Nothing but 3 novellas and a full novel to produce by this fall. And maintain quality.
This year, I sat down and took a hard look at how much I published – and whether I could keep it up without cracking up. (no one wants that, it wouldn’t be pretty at all) So, I decided to take on only a few novellas and work on a new full length book that would start a new series.
Oddly, among this dirth of promo/loop/chats and no releases since early May – my sales went thru the roof these last 2-3 months. Not sure what that says….at all, but it’s curious.
I love writing novellas – to me they are a great way to stay creative and push my writing to the limit- can I create plot, characters and a world in less than 30K?
But I love writing novels, too.
And I have so many partial ms waiting for me to do something with them, but most are of the m/f variety, and my m/f publishers are clammoring for more more more.
There isn’t enough time in the day (with a full time job) to write everything I have ideas for. I accept that now.
This year, my output slowed, and I have a feeling next year it will slow even more. I just have to trust my readers will wait for what’s to come and if I can deliver the goods, and they’re happy, then I’ll know I did it right.
Lynn…your sales have gone though the roof because you’re good. It’s that simple.
I’m with you on the full bag of ideas/partials. I have a file chock full of both. It’s not the idea of what I’ll write next, but when.
Aww! thanks Rick! Back at you!!
I think sometimes, even as a writer, or maybe because I’m a writer who grew up on the internet, my appetite for reading short is a bit of a plague. I feel my own short attention span pushing me to release quickly, maybe a bit afraid, as you say, if I wait too long, people who also grew up on the sound bite will forget who I am. It’s a constant struggle to reign in, breathe deep and remind myself to do it right, not fast. I’d rather put out something people will remember for a few months than loads of stories that all run together into a blurr.