Next time you're in a bookshop, scan the shelves and count just how many 'best selling authors' or 'Number one best sellers' or 'prizewinning writers' there are.
Some are genuine - we can all check books in line for major prizes. But I wonder about the book claiming to be longlisted in a competition held by an obscure seaside town. And as for 'New York Times Bestseller' - how can we check that? Or did someone buy 100 copies of his or her own book in a day and earned it that way?
If you're a twitterer, or dip into Facebook from time to time - have a look at a profile or ten. Every second author is 'prizewinning' or 'best-selling' ...
It's impossible. For every book that is a 'best-seller' there has to be thousands (or more) that do fairly well but don't rock the boat. For every 'prizewinner' are all the writers who are also-rans. I don't blame anyone not including 'submitted to the Outer Mongolian prize for genre fiction but didn't get anywhere' in gold letters above the title. Or leaving off 'made it into the top 100 on Amazon for half an hour.'
How do you react to this? I respond by not believing anyone who claims any status or award (unless it's one of the big ones). It smacks of self-aggrandisement and I want to sit these writers down and remind them that they eat and sleep like the rest of us. They've written the best book they could - it's enough to be proud of that.
Or maybe they are being disingenuous - they are the best-selling writer in their family? Or their town? Or have won a prize in the short-stories-about-a-slug contest?
Pah, they write and hope and are elated one minute and disappointed the next, just like the rest of us.
(Though you might like to know that I'm the best-selling travel writer in the street where I live ...)
I guess it's just the old story of puffing something up and people believe it. Mostly, people are impressed by these awards. It's less impressive, as you say, when you start looking into it. I have an award winning blog - do you? :D
ReplyDeleteYes, Jenny - I have an award-winning blog. (I think we all do ...?)
DeleteWhat amazes me is now many people believe this 'prize-winning' thing. It's as ridiculous as someone telling you coca cola is good for you.
Jo, it's all about marketing, don't you think? It's one of the things I don't like about business in general. I know it has to be done and I've worked in marketing myself and enjoyed it, but in the end, I was depressed by the insincerity of it all. I still am. In the end, as writers, and unless someone is depending on us for the sales (i.e. a publisher), we do it because we love writing and any success that comes out of our writing is a bonus. This is the reason I'm going back to self publishing. I'm a bit tired of all the self promotion that is expected of me and it doesn't come naturally at all, so it's just hard work and a chore. I love your last line! I'm a best seller too - but only to those who think I should be….my family, friends and colleagues :-)
ReplyDeleteI know it's all about markteting - and maybe marketing is about persuading people to buy something they neither want nor need simply because they want to be seen to impress the neighbours ... or maybe I don't get it and that's why I'm rubbish at it.
DeleteYou're not rubbish at it at all, but I totally agree with you.
DeleteIf everyone's a bestselling author then no one is LOL.
ReplyDeleteMy point exactly, Karen. See, I could have written this post in just one line!
DeleteGood ones, both Karen and Jo! Look at my long winded ramble… haha!
DeleteI agree with you Jo and I think we all have award winning blogs,I always laugh well Carol tweets about her award winning blog,oh I hope she doesn't read this...runs away..lol
ReplyDelete