I got quite grumpy over the whole sock puppetry issue the other day but I found this post by Fiction Bitch a very interesting counter argument. Mmmm, I think authors, like any other folk, should be free to form their own opinions on the work of other authors. But it might make it look more credible and less devious if they didn't do it under an assumed name and weren't simultaneously anonymously praising their own work. An author's opinion of their own work is likely to be the least objective :) In the end, your enjoyment or otherwise of any book is no one elses but your own. If you would like to know how good or bad a book is you must decide for yourself. As a reader you may come to trust the opinions of a known reviewer when your views regularly coincide with theirs, otherwise reviews must be viewed as nothing more than the opinions of one individual predicated on their personal experience, baggage, belief systems and probably star sign as well. A grain of salt, folks, a grain of salt. Take one with each review.
If reviewing your own books lacks objectivity and comes out weird and awkward then the argument can be made that authors shouldn't be required to hand-sell their own books either. Some authors are naturally gifted at selling but not all authors are. That's ok. We have other skills. But I choose to have others sell my books for me. Being author, brand manager and promoter (as well as mentor, mother, SO, responsible pet owner and chief cook and bottle washer) is pretty much a full time occupation and I am not going to spread myself too thin - its never a good idea and means no one really properly appreciates the flavour.
I'm off to go through a final check of the proofs of my WW2 novel as I ignore things I can no longer change (darn it) and look for any lingering typos etc... that I can. Talk soon
2 comments:
I wouldn't cross yourself off as a sales person. No one was selling much at the NZ Ed Show - for starters there was hardly anyone there. Hopefully, the numbers will be better for NZ Ed Show in future years. But I also wonder if it is a good use of our time - selling our books, ourselves. Perhaps we will be better off doing workshops (at future shows) ...
i maintain it is the responsibility of my publisher to put time money and energy into marketing and promotion. that's why they take 90 percent of the retail price. all the time i spend on that stuff, is less time writing.
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