tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post3542125010104122316..comments2024-03-29T00:35:40.557-04:00Comments on Author, Jody Hedlund: What Do Readers Want More: Quantity or Quality?Jody Hedlundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-65590203043304470392013-07-12T14:55:34.310-04:002013-07-12T14:55:34.310-04:00I hear what you're saying. A riveting story re...I hear what you're saying. A riveting story really does trump a few mistakes we might make in our manuscripts. If our story grips our readers they usually won't care too much about the rest. As a writer, if I had to choose quality techniques over quality of story, I'd definitely choose story. Thankfully we don't have to choose. We can still make sure we put out the best of both technique and story.<br /><br />And I believe it's possible to have quantity as well. It just takes a lot of work and dedication to make it all work and do it right!Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-13334054209522836962013-07-12T08:32:14.978-04:002013-07-12T08:32:14.978-04:00I realise this is quite an old blog post, but hope...I realise this is quite an old blog post, but hopefully you don't mind me leaving a comment.<br /><br />I self-published a short story three months ago. I still haven't published anything else. Numerous stories have been abandoned, one of them 5,000 words and probably nearly complete in rough form. I have high standards, because if I didn't, I'd have carried on and published them.<br /><br />However, as much as it pains me to say this (though part of it is because I want to take advantage of the last two promotion days on my short story), I'm currently working on a story to publish before the 18th, so I feel like I'm rushing it. Still, if it's not ready, it's not ready. The reason why is because sales have been non-existent for the short story practically, despite a few good reviews, and I look around the Kindle store only to see authors pumping out 3 or so books a month that are each 30,000 words. I cannot imagine how little editing has gone into them and as I do freelance editing myself, I know I can catch most typos, though everyone needs an editor (with rare exceptions I guess). I just know they'll be better edited than what others pop out and they claim to have an editor. The books are selling too, even if they're not hugely popular, and writing errors are mentioned in some reviews. (The author I'm thinking of doesn't know that a full stop is meant to go inside the dialog tags, yet the author puts commas inside the tags. It's a small thing, which doesn't make much difference to the reading experience, but it shows the author doesn't know much about grammar and it's not the only problem going off the reviews.) <br /><br />Then I take a look at erotica where a character's name is spelled 'Stephen' then switched to 'Steven', as an example, and the book sells very well. Well enough to get a big six publisher and dominate the Kindle charts. It was the author's first book too.<br /><br />Anyway, I guess I'm jaded with the whole process, as I feel taking a very long time to write is not the best way to go about things, as I have financial difficulties, if I want to earn a living after seeing what people put out there and what sells. So, I'm really not sure that the masses want quality stuff.<br /><br />It helps though that what I'm writing now is a bit niche at least in that it's a 'choose your own adventure' type book. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326224688826179127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-71229733083923497582012-06-26T02:02:49.017-04:002012-06-26T02:02:49.017-04:00Quality is paramount but the idea that a year is t...Quality is paramount but the idea that a year is the optimum time to write a quality book is a false notion many readers have. It results from publishing schedules and non-compete clauses. Many of our favorite authors have long written more than one book a year, but did so under a pseudonym or as a ghost writer. Others could have written more than one a year, but did not bother to do so. Yes, some writers and some books take longer, but most writers complete drafts and revisions in a surprisingly short period of time. The rest of that year interim is consumed by waiting for the editor to even look at the book, waiting for edits, waiting again after the next draft, waiting for copyediting, waiting for galleys, and then waiting until a release date that the publisher feels will not cause the book to cannibalize sales of the author's previous work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-4872091184981611112012-06-23T17:35:55.232-04:002012-06-23T17:35:55.232-04:00Yay! I'm so glad to hear that the overwhelmin...Yay! I'm so glad to hear that the overwhelming response is in favor of quality! Now, readers just need to make that message clear to publishers of all types of books!Julia Tomiakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17999070457191845503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-75124181357636927822012-06-21T16:14:33.277-04:002012-06-21T16:14:33.277-04:00Jo - Yes, yes, yes! There are already more good bo...Jo - Yes, yes, yes! There are already more good books than I can read. I often discover authors when they already have a backlist out, so I can read those while I'm waiting for the new ones. Nothing worse than feeling that a favourite author's quality is going downhill. I can wait. :-)Siri Paulsonhttp://siripaulson.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-77730080652763407382012-06-21T00:00:15.040-04:002012-06-21T00:00:15.040-04:00I think it would be tragic to sacrifice your skill...I think it would be tragic to sacrifice your skills to satisfy a quota of books to put out. Writing is artistry. Creating a story is takes talent and hard work, but a beautiful well-written story is worth it.<br /><br />Would I like my favorite authors to put out as many books as I could read? Sure, who doesn't want more of a good thing? But if doing so means that my favorite authors are putting out books that don't satisfy what made them my favorite authors in the first place? I would absolutely sacrifice quantity for quality.<br /><br />Multiple books is great... but I'd rather have 3 or 4 great books than 10 so-so ones.<br /><br />Jo<br /><a href="http://inwhichwestartanew.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">In Which We Start Anew</a>In Which We Start Anewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-28119400488630333972012-06-20T03:45:42.407-04:002012-06-20T03:45:42.407-04:00In a series, I think more than a year between book...In a series, I think more than a year between books can be a risk. I know I like being able to count on the next book in a series coming out on a regular schedule, otherwise I'll lose that connection to the characters. <br /><br />Outside of a series, I don't have too much of a preference. There are so many authors I want to read that I won't begrudge one a break if it means I get to check out someone else's work.<br /><br />For myself, I would happily write four or five books a year, but that's just because I get hooked on telling a story. If I could write full-time, I could probably crank out a whole series in a year or two. The main reasons I haven't tried that are because work and other committments eat into my time, I'm still new to the industry and don't want to rush into a writing schedule I can't maintain, and I'm also pretty sure that if I wrote ten books in 2 years, they'd be drivel!Paul Anthony Shortthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393249001158230985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-47284234152268142642012-06-20T02:00:02.811-04:002012-06-20T02:00:02.811-04:00I don't think I could write more than one book...I don't think I could write more than one book a year, unless I didn't do any revision. And THAT would just be madness. :)Neurotic Workaholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06775298184138766683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-85513775250077891732012-06-19T20:04:53.806-04:002012-06-19T20:04:53.806-04:00I adore Jeanette Windle's work. She will build...I adore Jeanette Windle's work. She will build and build andn... you know it's coming...it's coming...then BAM! It just gets better and better. Total quality, every single page. I want to be like her when I grow up.Jennifer Majorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12696261499182486196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-5157433706850267412012-06-19T19:44:27.871-04:002012-06-19T19:44:27.871-04:00“I’d rather wait then have higher frequency but lo...“I’d rather wait then have higher frequency but lower quality. I'll consider not continuing to read an author for poor quality, no matter how many books they've written, but I won't stop reading just because they take longer to write.”<br /><br />I find the above comment very reassuring! Not published, here, but I've been working on my first book for a year, and I'm nowhere near finished. I expect future books to go a bit faster, but I think I'll continue to be somewhat slow. My quality goes up with more time. At least, I believe it does!Laurie Evanshttp://www.handymancraftywoman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-13108092636234712772012-06-19T19:09:15.924-04:002012-06-19T19:09:15.924-04:00Sometimes it does seem to be obvious, unfortunatel...Sometimes it does seem to be obvious, unfortunately, when an author has a multiple-book contract and they are just churning them out. The quality and depth does seem to suffer, as well as basic craft things that you would have hoped their editor would pick up. It's so frustrating - it feels like the whole team is just rushing the product to market without really caring about the readers.Charlotte Brentwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17241042192422436027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-62332411115758995692012-06-19T17:32:01.890-04:002012-06-19T17:32:01.890-04:00In regards to letting the excitement cool off, I a...In regards to letting the excitement cool off, I actually completely disagree. Look at movies that are released in a series - such as Harry Potter - the excitement didn't die off at all. If it's a really good author, and a really good series, you can spend an entire year looking forward to the next one and anticipating it. Just like when your favorite T.V. show airs its season finally, you don't move on over the summer, you wait expectantly for the following season premier. - And I'm sure everyone here knows that books are always better, so that makes them even more worth the wait.Heather Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06815204762105256632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-54375235901916745332012-06-19T13:26:59.445-04:002012-06-19T13:26:59.445-04:00Jody...thanks so much for posting this. For my par...Jody...thanks so much for posting this. For my part, a really well written, thoughtful, riveting book can nourish me for quite some time. Certainly for a year. I recall my favorite parts; ruminate on the deeper meanings; ponder the life applications; speculate on the character's futures. I go back and re-read my favorite parts again, and sometimes even the entire book. <br /><br />So I am more than willing to wait a year before the next one comes along. In fact, it heightens the anticipation for me, much like I wait with delicious excitement for the next Narnia movie, or the third National Treasure film, or the next project from Sherwood Pictures.<br /><br />And like you, I expect and want each subsequent book (or film) to be excellent in quality, and that's not going to happen if the author's focus has been derailed from writing an excellent story, to instead keeping up a frantic pace. Not only will their work suffer, but so will other areas of their lives. It's not worth it.<br /><br />~ Betsy7 Eagleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15804058365269490087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-47712613027594998562012-06-19T13:15:04.890-04:002012-06-19T13:15:04.890-04:00Great post. In my opinion, quality is always bette...Great post. In my opinion, quality is always better than quantity. And though many readers may want two or more books a year, and it can get confusing with remembering plots for books in a series, if it's a really good book, I do sort of enjoy the suspense of waiting for the next one.<br /><br />~Gina BlechmanG Blechmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16707186693109337726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-23235350720438429512012-06-19T12:26:29.364-04:002012-06-19T12:26:29.364-04:00Quality rules. I like to think that even if our bo...Quality rules. I like to think that even if our books come out at a slower rate that the readers will think it's worth the wait. Also, with a trilogy, I'd expect that new readers are found all the time. So eventually all the books are available right away.<br /><br />That will be the case for me in January when book 3 releases. The series will be complete and all the books available as the readers want them. <br /><br />I love the Aristotle quote. Great post, great information. Thanks Jody.Jillian Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12565274151603868808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-8746794964653530582012-06-19T11:52:51.843-04:002012-06-19T11:52:51.843-04:00It's interesting from the author side of thing...It's interesting from the author side of things. I find my motivation to produce more quickly is often fear based. My worries come from not having a title yearly or being forgotten by the public, when really I want to build a career and do my best work.<br /><br />To those of you who can write a lot, I say hats off. I'm not there yet, and may very well never be. That's okay, too. There's room for all of us.Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-17846068261480635992012-06-19T10:55:39.282-04:002012-06-19T10:55:39.282-04:00Quality, quality, quality. All the way.Quality, quality, quality. All the way.Lindsay Harrelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09379628592162011068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-34455804917202190662012-06-19T10:40:21.018-04:002012-06-19T10:40:21.018-04:00The fact that readers prefer quality can become an...The fact that readers prefer quality can become an opportunity for authors. Find out which other authors' style and themes are like yours, and let their fans know that while they are waiting for so-and-so's next book, they might like to try yours in the interim.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-49450494811098579342012-06-19T10:34:04.644-04:002012-06-19T10:34:04.644-04:00As a reader, I'd definitely go for quality. Th...As a reader, I'd definitely go for quality. There are so many books out there to read in between, so I'll always check back for my favorite authors.<br /><br />I'm not a big series reader precisely because I've found the quality to diminish as the series continues. Somehow, the pressure to keep a series going, even when there is nothing more to tell, tends to dampen my enthusiasm to read further. The first book usually has the freshest ideas, the most deeply layered plot and the careful characterization. Usually subsequent books bore me, and I'd rather the author wrote something completely new and unrelated than wade through another episode of the same old characters.<br /><br />That goes with movies too, even famous ones. The most contrived plot device I see is leaving it hanging whether the villain is alive or dead. Of course, I know he'll be alive so the studio can milk another movie from it.<br /><br />I guess this is a long-winded way of saying I'm not necessarily waiting with bated breath for the next installment of a series if it isn't completely fresh and new and takes off in a different direction. So don't rush. Take your time to let the work stew, let the flavors mingle and be absorbed so readers can savor a truly original and intriguing work.Rachelle Ayalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11407777410120117945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-36707769460092038442012-06-19T10:31:13.983-04:002012-06-19T10:31:13.983-04:00I agree, quality far surpasses quantity. If I love...I agree, quality far surpasses quantity. If I love an author, I don't mind waiting - I loved the analogy of Christmas! We're a fast paced, instant gratification society and we don't want to wait for anything anymore - but there is something special and magical about the wait - the anticipation only makes the experience more gratifying. I have quite a few favorite authors and I wait eagerly for their new releases, but thankfully there are hundreds of other authors I can read while I wait.Gabrielle Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12479898337766911768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-23842256970767585352012-06-19T10:17:32.216-04:002012-06-19T10:17:32.216-04:00I concur with quality over quantity. If the story ...I concur with quality over quantity. If the story is compelling enough and well written, anticipation builds up toward the second book and so on. The Harry Potter series provides a perfect example. Superbly written, I couldn't wait for release day of each one.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15615035905042738222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-21932445880842167432012-06-19T10:13:27.811-04:002012-06-19T10:13:27.811-04:00I think it was Jodi Piccoult who said it takes her...I think it was Jodi Piccoult who said it takes her just as long to write a book as it does to 'grow' a baby...9 months. She just doesn't write any faster. I would prefer quality over quantity. As a new writer I am tempted to rush to self publish but I know that isn't a wise decision.Five Bees in the Trianglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073557450855722246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-6142865883775633562012-06-19T10:01:36.312-04:002012-06-19T10:01:36.312-04:00So happy to see your follow-up post, Jody. And so ...So happy to see your follow-up post, Jody. And so pleased to hear the results of your oh-so-scientific poll. :-) I've always been a believer that quality is what matters. It's why I'm such a perfectionist when I write.<br /><br />Each author has to find the balance that works best for him/her. Be aware of the market trends but don't be so obsessive about "keeping up" that you fail to take into account how much YOU can do well.<br /><br />If it ain't worth doin' right, it ain't worth doin'.Karen Witemeyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287122458842709578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-71639869247373445242012-06-19T09:47:02.080-04:002012-06-19T09:47:02.080-04:00I would say quality over quantity.
But for me, I ...I would say quality over quantity.<br /><br />But for me, I don't necessarily have favorite authors. Just because I loved one book of theirs doesn't mean I'll love them all anyway. So I'd prefer to have them concentrate on that story and make it the best it can be, rather than pumping out too many that aren't worth my time.Suzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502606950280751205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-75544627739435007232012-06-19T09:10:33.894-04:002012-06-19T09:10:33.894-04:00Loving your thoughts so far this morning, everyone...Loving your thoughts so far this morning, everyone! <br /><br />And Cynthia Washburn, I think I need you to copy-edit my posts every time! ;-) Thanks for the heads up on the typos.Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.com