Amanita
Maester
I really don't want to step on anyone's toes with this and I'm serious about the title. Reading through many of the "marketing" threads here made me feel this way.
When I'm buying a book, I usually do so for one of the following three reasons.
- It attracted my attention at a bookstore (or more rarely while browsing through Amazon)
- It has been recommended by friends or family members whose opinions I trust and they things they've told me about the book made me think it might interest me
- I've read about in forums, online literature discussions and the like and got interested in it.
I couldn't care less about the author's personal life (as long as I'm not supposed to write an essay about the book) and I'm not interested in hearing about his progress or read how he goes on about his work. This may actually spoil the fun for me, because knowing that the author meant to make me feel a certain way with a scene stops me from actually feeling that. Knowing that the author has an approach I dislike also makes me enjoy the book less.
I'm also not interested in blogs, podcasts, ads on social media and people promoting books that don't even exist yet. I don't want to read about the author asking himself the things we're asking us here and struggling through their story or anything else like it.
I want to read a good book. Period.
I also believe that an author should grip people with his writing and not with his personality or skills in getting other people involved in "his cause." I don't mind author homepages where the books are introduced and the schedules for new ones given but only after something has been published and has tweaked an interest.
When I'm buying a book, I usually do so for one of the following three reasons.
- It attracted my attention at a bookstore (or more rarely while browsing through Amazon)
- It has been recommended by friends or family members whose opinions I trust and they things they've told me about the book made me think it might interest me
- I've read about in forums, online literature discussions and the like and got interested in it.
I couldn't care less about the author's personal life (as long as I'm not supposed to write an essay about the book) and I'm not interested in hearing about his progress or read how he goes on about his work. This may actually spoil the fun for me, because knowing that the author meant to make me feel a certain way with a scene stops me from actually feeling that. Knowing that the author has an approach I dislike also makes me enjoy the book less.
I'm also not interested in blogs, podcasts, ads on social media and people promoting books that don't even exist yet. I don't want to read about the author asking himself the things we're asking us here and struggling through their story or anything else like it.
I want to read a good book. Period.
I also believe that an author should grip people with his writing and not with his personality or skills in getting other people involved in "his cause." I don't mind author homepages where the books are introduced and the schedules for new ones given but only after something has been published and has tweaked an interest.