Comments on: Publishing is not a zero-sum game http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/ writing, reading, eating, drinking, sport Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:53:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Justine http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6229 Justine Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:23:29 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6229 Thanks all! Maggie: Zackly! All hail J.K.! Katie: I'm not sure a writer can teach people to read them. The variety of responses I've gotten has confirmed for me just how little control the writer has over how they're read. <i> . . . its analysis kept reminding me of Magic or Madness</i> Really? That's too cool. So pleased you're into Kushner. She's unspeakably wonderful and addictive. Rebecca: Excellent! More rants it is! A.R.Yngve: <i>What about reader responses?</i> For me they're in the same class as reviews. Yes, good ones are awesome, but you cannot get dependent on them. Cause you'll also get ranty I-hate-your-work-and-you letters from readers. SH: You're welcome! Thanks all!

Maggie: Zackly! All hail J.K.!

Katie: I’m not sure a writer can teach people to read them. The variety of responses I’ve gotten has confirmed for me just how little control the writer has over how they’re read.

. . . its analysis kept reminding me of Magic or Madness

Really? That’s too cool.

So pleased you’re into Kushner. She’s unspeakably wonderful and addictive.

Rebecca: Excellent! More rants it is!

A.R.Yngve:

What about reader responses?

For me they’re in the same class as reviews. Yes, good ones are awesome, but you cannot get dependent on them. Cause you’ll also get ranty I-hate-your-work-and-you letters from readers.

SH: You’re welcome!

]]> By: sh http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6204 sh Mon, 11 Sep 2006 10:21:50 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6204 "the last one is best of all because all the others will do your head in. what happens if you stop getting good reviews or winning prizes? does that mean you're no longer a good writer? that path leads to madness." i weep. that just makes so much sense. and not just applicable to writing. ta. “the last one is best of all because all the others will do your head in. what happens if you stop getting good reviews or winning prizes? does that mean you’re no longer a good writer? that path leads to madness.”

i weep.

that just makes so much sense. and not just applicable to writing.

ta.

]]> By: A.R.Yngve http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6168 A.R.Yngve Sat, 09 Sep 2006 22:48:48 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6168 What about reader responses? Is there a better measure of writerly success than reader letters? I live for those moments when a reader writes in to tell me her opinion of something I wrote. That is worth more than money: it's proof that you TOUCHED the reader's soul. What about reader responses? Is there a better measure of writerly success than reader letters? I live for those moments when a reader writes in to tell me her opinion of something I wrote.

That is worth more than money: it’s proof that you TOUCHED the reader’s soul.

]]> By: Rebecca http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6153 Rebecca Sat, 09 Sep 2006 17:41:56 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6153 i liketh your rants. i liketh your rants.

]]> By: Katie http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6151 Katie Sat, 09 Sep 2006 16:49:30 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6151 I read the posts and comments on self promotion and found it enlightening, witty, and helpful. But I still wonder: Is teaching people how to read you the same, or included in, self promotion? Or is its something in addition to all that, less nuts and bolts and more, ah hem, epistemological? (Sorry). (Not that nuts and bolts aren't epistemological.) I'm reading a manuscript now for an academic book that refers to Cherrie Moraga's Portrait of a Queer Motherhood (which I haven't read yet) and its analysis kept reminding me of Magic or Madness, and (ah hem) its "world." Those feminist revisions that are not utopian. Meanwhile I have waiting here a bunch of Ellen Kushner to read after falling for Privilege of the Sword. How could a person who "loves" Dorothy Dunnett and Highlander not fall for this world? I read the posts and comments on self promotion and found it enlightening, witty, and helpful.

But I still wonder:

Is teaching people how to read you the same, or included in, self promotion? Or is its something in addition to all that, less nuts and bolts and more, ah hem, epistemological? (Sorry). (Not that nuts and bolts aren’t epistemological.)

I’m reading a manuscript now for an academic book that refers to Cherrie Moraga’s Portrait of a Queer Motherhood (which I haven’t read yet) and its analysis kept reminding me of Magic or Madness, and (ah hem) its “world.” Those feminist revisions that are not utopian.

Meanwhile I have waiting here a bunch of Ellen Kushner to read after falling for Privilege of the Sword. How could a person who “loves” Dorothy Dunnett and Highlander not fall for this world?

]]> By: Maggie http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6147 Maggie Sat, 09 Sep 2006 13:07:49 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6147 I always say I wouldn't be published today if it weren't for J. K. YA Canadian publishers (in the past) were notorious for only publishing regionalized stories. All my writer friends said I would never get a first book published if it was fantasy. Then along came J. K. and suddenly fantasy was popular (even with Canadian publishers). Yay J. K.! I bow to her shrine too! :D I always say I wouldn’t be published today if it weren’t for J. K. YA Canadian publishers (in the past) were notorious for only publishing regionalized stories. All my writer friends said I would never get a first book published if it was fantasy. Then along came J. K. and suddenly fantasy was popular (even with Canadian publishers). Yay J. K.! I bow to her shrine too! :D

]]> By: See? Justine says so, too. http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6142 See? Justine says so, too. Sat, 09 Sep 2006 01:50:36 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6142 [...] A writer after my own heart. Check it out. [...] [...] A writer after my own heart. Check it out. [...]

]]> By: Robin Brande http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6141 Robin Brande Sat, 09 Sep 2006 01:46:56 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6141 Justine, you're right, you're brilliant, thanks for saying this. Justine, you’re right, you’re brilliant, thanks for saying this.

]]> By: Justine http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6139 Justine Fri, 08 Sep 2006 19:46:17 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6139 Holly: I hear that over and over. Booksellers tell me they handsell my books to people wanting more books like Tithe and Valiant and, weirdly, His Dark Materials. Very pleasing to hear. Bless all booksellers! And everyone else what reads! Katie: Thank you! I definitely think a writer's job encompasses all that. As it happens I wrote a <a rel="nofollow" href="http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=300">whole post</a> on that of which you speak. The comments thread is particularly entertaining. Everyone loves that photo. It's excellently silly! Holly: I hear that over and over. Booksellers tell me they handsell my books to people wanting more books like Tithe and Valiant and, weirdly, His Dark Materials. Very pleasing to hear. Bless all booksellers! And everyone else what reads!

Katie: Thank you! I definitely think a writer’s job encompasses all that. As it happens I wrote a whole post on that of which you speak. The comments thread is particularly entertaining.

Everyone loves that photo. It’s excellently silly!

]]> By: Katie http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6138 Katie Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:31:58 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6138 Certainly competitive and zero sum are not right: they don't describe what really happens, and they muck up what work you might be doing, the work of positively pushing the world around while being transformed yourself. But it's hard not to notice Justine, that you do a lot of kinds of work additional to writing: I note the list at my right: appearances, bibliography, bio and multiple careers, community building, creating ways for folks to learn how to read you as well as where you get your stuff. When I logged onto Amazon recently, there you were in a thing I'd never heard of before, a "plog"! You had to sign up for that, do the work (or have someone else do the work) of getting "authorized" by amazon. Writing is not the only work you do to make a book! (Not to mention all the other folks who make it a book too, although that doesn't make all your work especially easy, or easier.) Here you are on the blog, helping others to think about becoming writers, being writers, giving support to writers, helping us all imagine our writer-ness, the nuts and blots of it all. And again, teaching us all how to read you. Which includes appreciating you. I love the picture of you on the Amazon plog: the hair is fabulous! Certainly competitive and zero sum are not right: they don’t describe what really happens, and they muck up what work you might be doing, the work of positively pushing the world around while being transformed yourself.

But it’s hard not to notice Justine, that you do a lot of kinds of work additional to writing: I note the list at my right: appearances, bibliography, bio and multiple careers, community building, creating ways for folks to learn how to read you as well as where you get your stuff. When I logged onto Amazon recently, there you were in a thing I’d never heard of before, a “plog”! You had to sign up for that, do the work (or have someone else do the work) of getting “authorized” by amazon.

Writing is not the only work you do to make a book! (Not to mention all the other folks who make it a book too, although that doesn’t make all your work especially easy, or easier.)

Here you are on the blog, helping others to think about becoming writers, being writers, giving support to writers, helping us all imagine our writer-ness, the nuts and blots of it all. And again, teaching us all how to read you. Which includes appreciating you.

I love the picture of you on the Amazon plog: the hair is fabulous!

]]> By: holly http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/08/publishing-is-not-a-zero-sum-game/comment-page-1/#comment-6137 holly Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:16:06 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/?p=405#comment-6137 This is true. I work in a bookstore. When kids finish one series, they come looking for another author. One person's success is also your success. This is true. I work in a bookstore. When kids finish one series, they come looking for another author. One person’s success is also your success.

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