Sue Grafton: "The universe will come to your aid."

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I keep forgetting that on certain boards the readers tend to have a wider range. Some boards I'm on if you dare mention another genre, people blink and stare. They may even laugh. I read fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery, cozy mystery, thrillers, romance (and it better be zany and fun and it would make me happy if there was some mystery or spy element) sci-fi (but I'm particular in this genre, more so than others) and a smattering of non-fiction. I'm always so thrilled to talk to others who dabble.

Oh, I dabble all over.
And those categories are b-r-o-a-d... I tend to lump sub-genres together so SF includes everything from Hard SF to space opera and alternate history, fantasy everything from Tolkien to Oz, with vampires both deadly and sparkly thrown in, mysteries can be Sherlock Holmes or Lord Darcy or James Andrus PERFECT series.
I'm open to any kid of reccomendation for a fun read.
Which is why I draw the line at lit-fic. I've yet to find one that is willing to be merely fun...

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Oh, I dabble all over.
And those categories are b-r-o-a-d... I tend to lump sub-genres together so SF includes everything from Hard SF to space opera and alternate history, fantasy everything from Tolkien to Oz, with vampires both deadly and sparkly thrown in, mysteries can be Sherlock Holmes or Lord Darcy or James Andrus PERFECT series.
I'm open to any kid of reccomendation for a fun read.
Which is why I draw the line at lit-fic. I've yet to find one that is willing to be merely fun...

You'll notice I didn't list it either. I've read quite a bit of short fiction that falls in lit-fic category and I can safely say I don't care for it. There are many other ways I'd rather spend my time.

[BeccaPrice]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I'm open to any kid of reccomendation for a fun read.
Which is why I draw the line at lit-fic. I've yet to find one that is willing to be merely fun...

May I recommend Calling Invisible Women by Jeanen Ray, or Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen? both are lit fic, in the style called, I think, magical realism, and both are great fun. (but Garden Spells was the only thing by Allen I've read, and I understand Calling Invisible Women was a departure for Ray.)

Both of these were found through reviews on Dear Author, otherwise I'd have avoided them like the plague - like you, I tend to avoid lit fic as most of it is depressing.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Which makes me wonder just how well Grafton's latest are moving?
(Hey, *she* gratuitously brought up self-publishing into the interview! It apparently has been on her mind...)

Sadly, I smell fear.
Unnecesary fear, too.

According to Publisher's Weekly who receive confidential sales figures, Sue Grafton's U is for Undertow sold 706,154 hardcovers in 2009.

Her previous T is for Trespass sold 838,431 paperbacks in 2009.

I couldn't find digital (audio and ebook) sales figures.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

May I recommend Calling Invisible Women by Jeanen Ray, or Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen? both are lit fic, in the style called, I think, magical realism, and both are great fun. (but Garden Spells was the only thing by Allen I've read, and I understand Calling Invisible Women was a departure for Ray.)

Both of these were found through reviews on Dear Author, otherwise I'd have avoided them like the plague - like you, I tend to avoid lit fic as most of it is depressing.

I'll *think* about it. But I'm rather mulish about the lit category.

As for Grafton's sales--the raw numbers aren't always the important thing--the trend can matter (from book to book), what advance was paid...and the raw numbers, of course.

[BeccaPrice]

The series has been losing readers, because it's gotten stale and predictable. The heroine is stuck in the 80s, and so doesn't have access to newer technologies. I lost interest around N, and never picked it back up again.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

The series has been losing readers, because it's gotten stale and predictable. The heroine is stuck in the 80s, and so doesn't have access to newer technologies. I lost interest around N, and never picked it back up again.

I am stuck in T (have read half of it) and will probably not finish that book or the rest or the series. I am re-reading Paretsky instead who is a much better writer.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by tompe

I am stuck in T (have read half of it) and will probably not finish that book or the rest or the series. I am re-reading Paretsky instead who is a much better writer.

I didn't make it through T either. That might be the last one I tried.

I liked early Paretsky, but not her later ones either.

I should also say that it is rare for me to read more than 3 in any series and in a lot of series, I only read the first. Or sometimes I read book 2 because it's what I come across first.

Grafton could really have advanced that series by delving into the character's upbringing, but all she ever did was hint at it. And yes, she never advanced with the times. But there are so many good series out there. No point in wasting time on those that don't work out.

[joeyp]

Originally Posted by tompe

Well, no. They choose author that can write and can become better and can be developed into an author that sell books they make a profit on.



I really do not see that decreasing the signal to noise ration is a good thing even if in absolute terms the number of good books increases.

remind me never to purchase any book you write

your lack of intellect is astounding

things change and just for the sake of progress publishing houses need to realize its not 1940 any longer as do you

its about control and if you arent intelligent enough to see that youre far too ignorant to be saved

[joeyp]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

I agree. And nowadays it is harder to get past the scrutiny of people who have already read stuff for free (via loans, etc). The days of "blind buying" are circling the drain. It's up to the writer to find their niche market and sell themselves by being good authors.

I have read some books that (in my subjective opinion) were stinkers, and would subsequently see posts from them on various places, complaining that their books weren't selling well "after all their hard work". The customer has to like the fruits of their labours. Working hard in and of itself doesn't guarantee anything when it comes to fiction.

So yes, she is right, and she said it bluntly.

i have read far more published trash coming out of publishing houses than i have from indie sources

it was a shot to the bow against change, nothing more

obfuscate all you like

[tompe]

Originally Posted by joeyp

remind me never to purchase any book you write

your lack of intellect is astounding

things change and just for the sake of progress publishing houses need to realize its not 1940 any longer as do you

its about control and if you arent intelligent enough to see that youre far too ignorant to be saved

So your real arguments did not hold up so you resort to personal attacks?

[ApK]

Originally Posted by tompe

I really do not see that decreasing the signal to noise ration is a good thing even if in absolute terms the number of good books increases.

The s/n ratio can be improved by finding new ways to filter and recommend, effectively replacing gate-keeping function of the BPHs, which is declining in quality anyway.
The decrease is temporary, and is worth it for the benefits.

[joeyp]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Does the aspiring writer want to maximize profit or write good books? Yes, one can do both, but which is the primary goal? If profit, fine, self-publish, self-promote, follow the trends, etc. But if the goal is good writing, maybe it makes more sense to concentrate on learning one's craft.



No, there's nothing wrong with wanting to make money, which makes it really puzzling that the big publishing houses are held in disdain for trying to maximize profit.

I certainly agree that honing one's craft is the first step. But it is exactly the step that too many of the self-publishers skip, because they think their writing is just terrific--their family and their buddies say so, after all. So they assume success depends on marketing.

you must live in a house full of cats and share their friskies with them dont you?

just because you are traditionally published there is no way to prove they have worked on their craft any longer than a self published author....none

what is at issue is CONTROL, publishing houses had total control and want to keep it

there is no intrinsic quality that comes from being traditionally published or independently published. NONE. You and the publishing houses would like to think there is, but there isnt

the issue is one of control, nothing more nothing less

[tompe]

Originally Posted by ApK

The s/n ratio can be improved by finding new ways to filter and recommend, effectively replacing gate-keeping function of the BPHs, which is declining in quality anyway.
The decrease is temporary, and is worth it for the benefits.

That will hopefully happen but that does not mean that the transitation period is better than what we had before. It just means that we have to suffer the transition period to get something that hopefully will be much better than what we had before.

[joeyp]

Originally Posted by tompe

So your real arguments did not hold up so you resort to personal attacks?

no its an observation that you personally are not intelligent enough to realize that people can see through your obfuscations

there is no intrinsic quality that comes from traditionally published work

just as there is none from self published work

that you can somehow argue that there is is imbecilic

if you take trash and you have it published by a publishing house is it still not trash?

change is good, change is necessary, if you do not change a bandage injuries fester. you keep making arguments as if there is some innate benefit that only a traditionally published work has, when in fact there is none

but go ahead obfuscate all you like