Quote:
Originally Posted by anamardoll
I was referring to a post above that seemed to basically say his accomplishment was meaningless because he had a pretty cover, a pretty name, and a pretty price. And that lightning wouldn't strike twice and he's a better marketer than a writer, and......... I think you get the point. 
You don't like his work, you don't like it. That's fine with me. My comment wasn't directed at you.  |
I guess it was directed at me. My post clearly said I'm jealous so I might have come across as the sour type but what I was trying to get at is that surely a million copies is a feat in itself, but that doesn't mean he is going to have a million fans. What I'm trying to get at is the mark of a successful writer, in my opinion, comes not from the copies of his books, but by the devotion of his fans, his readers. Maybe he already has a million fans but from what I can gather not only from this forum but in general, that does not seem to be the case.
I'm not trying to devalue him as a writer, I'm only saying that I think it's very hard for others to follow. I wish I'm wrong, but as some people pointed out, some of the copies will probably never be read.
A book's intrinsic value comes from being read, not from being sold.
I hope those million copies are enjoyed by a million different people. And I do hope that more authors will enjoy the same success. Because apart from the fact that selling hundreds of thousands of books simplifies some of life's burdens, I believe the real joy for an author comes from reading their fan's mail, being asked questions about their characters and plots, and their universes. Having a bit of their soul and mind spill out in the world through their work. At least in fiction, I believe that's what authors really enjoy: having a loving audience.
Sorry for the rant!