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Originally Posted by pwalker8
I doubt that last sentence is nearly as true as you think it is. Many famous authors have been recluses, Harper Lee being one of the most famous examples.
Mid-list authors who lose audience and don't sell a certain number of books tend to get dropped by publishers. It's been that way for years. It's hard to make a living as an author.
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I did write the word "most."
And I doubt that this "Many famous authors have been recluses, Harper Lee being one of the most famous examples" is as true as you think it is.
Lee became a recluse after Mockingbird became a raging success. I remember seeing pics of her in Life magazine on the set of the movie. Is this a real recluse? And in her early years in NYC she worked the contacts like a pro. How did she get Tae Hohoff to edit her book? By networking.
Other than Portis and Pynchon, I can't think of a successful literary author (and I am only referring to them) who is a true recluse. I'm not even sure Portis qualifies. He was a successful reporter in NYC for years. And he wasn't a recluse, he just shunned the spotlight. If Hollywood makes two successful adaptations of your book you can do that.
In my childhood, you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing Mailer, Vidal, and Capote on some talk show. Updike didn't do that but he wrote constantly for NYRB which kept his profile up there. Roth was a constant self-promoter. A bad review would bring on an irate letter. Currently, Margaret Atwood is totally on board with Hollywood style self-promotion. Didion modeled for an ad.
I've made my point. The myth of the reclusive literary fiction writer is just that. A myth. The only one who really rates is Pynchon and maybe De Lillo. Oh, Donna Tartt. But she had a blazing start, and part of her image is the dark glowering reclusive Literary Lady. Also she's effectively Big Five. Little Brown is a division of Hachette.
If you want to sell, you'd better promote yourself.