The culture of entitlement and illegal downloads

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I agree with what you are saying and hope I did understand the point you were trying to make. Let me continue the thought process a little:

What you wrote is not a contradiction or even a surprise. Many of the back then SF authors might not have wanted to write science fiction or did not care what they wrote, but made sure that they told stories that people would want to read at the time. It works the other way around as well: If you want to write a certain genre (e.g. romance) and it does not sell at the time, you possibly could create a love-story in a science fiction setting. You could write about how your robot-mistress cheated on you with your neighbors robot-toy-dog or somesuch. Sorry though, if I come up with ideas it all turns into a sarcastic comedy. That is why I am not a writer . And besides, cyber-cheating is not actually that much of science fiction any more, it does exist. With time it will be even harder to come up with unique ideas for new technology to put into science fiction stories. Unless you want it to sound like a copy of this sucessful author or that one. Plus some of what was science fiction decades ago is reality now.

It is perfectly fine for any author to not wanting or beeing able to be flexible. If that unwillingness to write is hindering the author by not making as much money as in a different genre, then please don't complain about it. Unlike most other jobs out there a writer does have the option to write what he/she wants. If I don't like my job and would like to switch to a different job then I have that option as well - to a degree limited by my qualifications. The decision is going to be if I work to enjoy working making less money, or work a different job (genre for authors) that pays better, but I might not like as much.

What I am trying to say is that S/F was the toughest genre to write well. Those who wrote it back then did it for love. But love didn't pay the bills. So most of them shifted what they did (writing) to other markets that paid better.

Leigh Brackett became a scriptwriter for Hollywood. Issac Asimov went into non-fiction (which paid much better). Alfred Bester bluntly stated later that he would only write S/F when he was offered enough money or had nothing better to do. (See his comments in the book Star Light) Henry Kuttner gave it up and was becoming a psychologist at the time of his death. Cat Moore ended up marying a rich doctor (who hated pulp fiction and demanded she not write that kind of trash). Harlan Ellison wrote for Hollywood (Hollyweird, to quote him), soft porn and edited Porn magazines to make ends meet in the early '60s. Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote soft porn romances as well (for the money). Shall I go on?

Some were stubborn, though. Philip Jose Farmer dug ditches. H. Beam Piper shot himself, when he was going to be evicted because nothing was selling. (The check that would have saved him arrived 2 days after he punched out...)
And so it went...

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Common expert opinion is that no one knows what that is. As a great lover of google, I could find lots of quotes supporting this, but here's the first I found:

how many books can you expect to sell?

The answer is… it is impossible to predict. The underlining nature of the publishing world is that best sellers are well… unpredictable. In fact, the only predictable thing about best sellers is that they are few and far between

Of course, the case of extremely well-known authors is an exception. The next US presidential memoir, or novel by Stephen King, will sell more than the next popular science book on the topic of linear algebra. But I can't see how you could reliably predict that the next novel by an author who tries to write in the same genre as Mr. King will sell more copies than the the next popular science book on the topic of linear algebra. We could argue the question back and forth as to which will sell better (that linear algebra book has no competition), but because there is no evidence, we just don't know.

If you go on Amazon it has a link on every Kindle title to take you to the top 100 best selling Kindle ebooks at that moment in time. Bandwagon jumping isn't about predicting what will be the next craze, it is about jumping on whatever is the current craze. Then jumping onto the next craze as soon as it appears.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Bandwagon jumping isn't about predicting what will be the next craze, it is about jumping on whatever is the current craze.

Sounds like a gold rush approach. By the time your ship gets around Cape Horn AKA your book gets to readers, the gold may be gone.

Consider that lots of other authors will jump on the same craze. So, in the craze genre, competition will be fierce. And since you jumped on the craze, rather than writing in the genre you are best at, I doubt you are going to be one of the few to succeed.

[speakingtohe]

EEk. Philip Jose Farmer was on my favorite writers list back when I read Sci-fi. For some reason I went of Sci-fi in the 80's and rarely go back. I am thinking that I might want to reread the Stainless Steel Rat series one of these days.

My mother who is 87 still loves her sci-fi and fantasy. It's all about spaceships and dragons for her although she reads a lot of thrillers too.

I am not in favor of a writer switching strictly for the cash, but I will try any genre if the book features a good detective, or is highly amusing and/or has a feeling of kickassattitude.

Helen

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Consider that lots of other authors will jump on the same craze. So, in the craze genre, competition will be fierce. And since you jumped on the craze, rather than writing in the genre you are best at, I doubt you are going to be one of the few to succeed.

Perhaps it is high risk for high profits? I'm sure that a lot of people follow the craze genres because expecting to make huge bucks, but I suspect that some will follow the crazes hoping to win the lottery: the chances of making it big may be 1 in 1000, but it may be worth the risk of losing half of your readership for a chance at the pot.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

My mother who is 87 still loves her sci-fi and fantasy. It's all about spaceships and dragons for her although she reads a lot of thrillers too.

Helen

Cool. I hope to still have a hobby I really like, when I'm that old... In about....56 years Wish your mom luck

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Sounds like a gold rush approach. By the time your ship gets around Cape Horn AKA your book gets to readers, the gold may be gone.

Depends how quick you are. If you had a few pre-written generic plots (or used public domain ones) you could easily adapt them to fit any craze that came along. How hard would it be to make one of the characters a vampire, or introduce a Kung Fu fighting zombie cowboy?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I'm interested in money, but I'm not mercenary about it.

PS: Boy, are you guys

[Penforhire]

OT but entertaining. I recall John Scalzi writing about how he chose a genre for a particular book primarily because it was selling well. I see nothing wrong with a little nudge in what someone writes to allow them to put food on the table. I admire writers who see their skills as a tool set rather than seeing themselves as the 'divine light of cyberpunk' or whatever subgenre.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I've tried a slightly futuristic romantic adventure and a non-SF mystery. Neither did phenomenally well in the market, but as always, my biggest problem is promotion, not content...

I could see myself potentially doing other genres, but if I don't happen to like a genre, the likelihood that I'll be able to do a passable story in that genre is slim. IOW, no sparkly vampires for me!