Josephine Damian passed along a pretty interesting article from The Globe and Mail about the rise of author websites and specifically fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s. You see, fans are waiting on the next installment of Martin’s series, which has been a bit delayed, and some are rather impatient, to the point that they are begrudging him his vacations and trips to football games (which he blogs about).
The article then goes on to assess the impact of legions of fans/detractors as they interact with authors through websites and reviews. Clearly the era of sending a book into the ether is over. Everything is public, and authors especially.
But this got me thinking. Is there an implied contract between an author and their readers? Does an author owe their readers, whether that’s a timely delivered manuscript or a certain quality threshold?
And yes, would that we all be authors who are getting assailed because readers can’t bear to wait another day to read our books.
The best book possible.
With that said – George R. R. Martin had a major delay with the last book in the series because it was too long and he decided to split the book in two. IMO, it wasn’t split very well. It was a very disconcerting read, probably because you could see where the “missing” (i.e., the ones he pulled to go into the book he’s currently working on) chapters should have been.
Melanie Rawn – I have been waiting over ten years for her to write the third book in the Exiles series. She’s written numerous books in between (numerous, numerous, numerous).
In the end, ever writer needs a reader, and every reader needs a writer. It’s sort of a symbiotic relationship. Without writers, there is nothing for the readers to read, and without readers, what’s the point of writing. I think by having the massive delays (as in Martin and Rawn’s case) the writer risks losing part of their readership. I’m really not sure at this point that I’ll continue reading either series since so much time has passed. Ah, the fickle finger of fate.
So, while the writer should write the best story possible (and not force out a crappy story because the audience is suddenly diminishing), the writer should also recognize the symbiotic relationship.
S
No and, frankly, this delay backlash scares me a bit (as a writer).
I think a fiction author owes the reader full development and resolution of every premise that has been set up.
I do have readers contacting me constantly for the third in a series of NF books, even though they aren’t the type of books with final conclusions. I don’t mind it but it does create stress that doesn’t help my writing process. I do fight guilt sometimes when I take a frivolous day off. But in the end, I feel I owe them quality more than anything else, and would rather have them feel it was worth the wait than be disappointed in something I just forced through the meat grinder.
When I saw the title of this post, I KNEW it was going to be about GRRM.
I don’t think he technically “owes” anyone anything, but if he’s going to screw around with his fans then he should expect to live with the negative backlash. I think the main reason people are upset is because he keeps SAYING he will have the next book done in 200X, and then it ISN’T done. As a writer, I know things can’t always be cranked out on schedule, but he should know his own process well enough to give a reasonable estimate. Being several years over his own due date is not reasonable.
As a fan, I think what ticks me off about the whole thing is that there is a sort of implied contract when you start into a series. I bought the first three or four books because I assumed that I would eventually be allowed to purchase a conclusion. In fact, the last book I bought in the series was NOT a whole book – it turned out to be only HALF of a book, because he had decided only to include the viewpoints of half of the characters. So now we’re stuck waiting for the other half of an unfinished product.
An analogy might be going into a car dealership and having them say, “Well, we can sell you the car but the engine is missing. If you buy just the car now we can order the engine and you can come in and buy them on such-and-such a date.” Only when that date comes, there’s no engine. They promise another date – still no engine. I’m a consumer waiting to be provided with a product which I WILL pay money for… so where’s the supply? Yes, writing is an art, but it’s also a business.
And what’s the number one rule in business? The customer is always right.
If GRRM is guilty of anything, it’s really bad business sense.
Authors owe their readers thanks and appreciation.
How do they best express that thanks and appreciation? Maybe that’s a good question for next week.
It’s all about the reader. They are the only ones I’m thinking about when I’m writing.
Like any pro, writers have to be unashamedly mercenary with their time.
Interesting article–thanks for posting.
Hmmm when I started working for a supermarket when I was 18 the first thing they told me was “the customer is NEVER right. They have no idea what they’re talking about” ahahahha (and true! 10 years in customer service has made me so jaded!).
What do authors owe their readers…. I think all they owe is to follow through on what they promise. So if they start with 4 good books, then the 5th book should not degenerate into preachiness and politicism out of nowhere (ahem.. not talking about any author in particular, of course).
If they say that the next is going to be out in 2009 then that’s when it should be out, unless there is a serious problem such as a death in the family.
If they say that your favourite character is going to be back next book, then they should be back.
I think the point is, you probably shouldn’t promise it if you think you might not be able to deliver it. The best business advice I’ve had is to under-promise and over-deliver, and never the other way around.
Personally though, I like GRRM, although I’m only up to the second book. I think if I was up to the end and waiting I’d just move on and start on another series.
Justus M. Bowman said…
I don’t expect much from authors, but if I become a super author, I will prefer happy fans over angry fanatics.
Super Author = best new term of the week! I’m imagining an Americas Next Top Super Author-type reality show…
This is a fun one. It only really seems to come into effect though for best-selling authors. I’m curious of Martin initally said the next book would be done in 2006 or if that was a publisher decision to ‘guesstimate’ when it would be done. If that was Martin’s choice to say it, then there is some implied responsibilty if a deadline has been imposed. Mistake obviously if he was the one who made that decision. Still, readers need to take a chill pill. The book gets done when it gets done, and I wouldn’t want the author short changing anything just to get it on the shelves quicker. Given all this brew-ha-ha, authors would apparently be wise to never, ever give a deadline to readers.
On the other side, the whole ‘rallying the readers’ thing that was spoken of in Kay’s article, strikes me as a bit odd. Why do best-selling authors give a crap about some people who want to flame their latest book? There are bloggers out there who like to flame just for the sake of flaming. Those reader reviews have no impact on sales. Whole other story mind you if you are talking about a debut author is is fighting tooth and nail to get positive publicity out there for their book.
I only expect authors to be putting out the best work they can. I may not like it, but that’s my problem, not theirs.
Just for reference:
I am holding my copy of A Feast For Crows, which I purchased in 2005. At the end of this book, there is an advertisement for the next book, A Dance with Dragons. It says “Coming soon.”
Is four years and counting anybody’s definition of “soon?” God’s, maybe.
I don’t think a writer owes their readers anything, really. BUT, why do authors feel compelled to share the intimate details of their lives with “fans” (read, total strangers)? You can’t have it both ways. You can’t blog about personal stuff and then expect fans to keep some sort of distance from you.
Stop blogging about your damn self. Problem solved.
I had a MS with an editor a year or so ago. It went to acquisitions — and it passed inso much as it was her call as to if she wanted to aquire it. She kept saying she was on the fence. She needed more time. The office was hectic. She was overwhelmed with work. It was one pitiful tale after another. I felt bad for her, thinking she had to be the most overworked person in all of publishing. Then I found her blog. Lo and behold, every single post was some version of “I took half the week off to go here and there.” “I took a three hour lunch and somehow ended up hanging out with Author X the rest of the afternoon.” And, “I’m leaving for a month long vacation next week (literally),” And, then, “I’m taking three weeks off.” Then she’d make a few snide comments like, Gee, I should really get some work done one of these days. Her reality was hardly the sob story she was making it out to be to my agent. She passed on the MS. after keeping me waiting with, “I just need to get another read — I’m so busy,” for over six months.
My point is, if you don’t want people to have an opinion about your work habits, then stop advertising them.
anon-
Would you mind e-mailing me who that was? I plan on keeping it confidential, but I don’t want any of my clients going through what you went through.
I agree with RW in the #1 slot. Writers owe their readers their very best work, in terms of both craftsmanship and authenticity. By the same token, writers do NOT owe readers a new book every six months, because very few of us can produce our best authentic work in six months, or even a year.
Writers do not owe readers access to their personal lives. Period. I abhor Nietzsche’s philosophy, but he was right about that.
I don’t think a publisher should publish a series that doesn’t arc at the end of each book.
It is very unsatisfactory in the movies too.
This is not soap opera or prime tv.
(Stay tuned, folks, see what happens next week, Note: and,fyi, the “next week” will be a rerun for the next thirteen weeks.)
It doesn’t make sense marketing wise to develop a following and then not follow through.
Likewise, an author should not deliver a segment in a series to a publisher who may not want to bank on the sequels. (wow I didn’t think I could spell that!)
TTTTThhhat’s all, folk!
Blogs, websites, twitters, myspace, facebook, youtube… is it really in any professional’s best interest to spend so much of their time and divulge so much of their personal life in this manner? Martin’s problem is certainly not unique, and probably an omen of things to come.
I understand the need to connect with old fans and reach out to new ones, but in my opinion, our culture has taken this too far. It doesn’t matter how connected you feel with your fans, or how much they feel “like they know you.” Most of them don’t, and by opening their lives in this manner, celebrities are endangering themselves and those they care about.
Martin could have avoided this situation if he kept his personal life personal. His promises would have been to his editor, not his fans. His time would have been spent writing, not blogging. His sporting events, vacations, and afternoon naps are his business. Why would he want complete strangers so informed about the details of his life anyway?
I’ll echo what some others have said here: authors don’t owe their readers anything more than what they promise. So if they say they’ll write a sequel, they owe a sequel because that’s what they’ve promised.
Authors certainly don’t owe their readers a new book every 1-2 years…unless they’ve promised that, too. Nor do authors owe their readers the very best writing they can deliver, although anything less will (and should) shrink their fan base.
Kate H said:
Writers owe their readers their very best work, in terms of both craftsmanship and authenticity. By the same token, writers do NOT owe readers a new book every six months, because very few of us can produce our best authentic work in six months, or even a year.
I agree with that. In quite a few popular book series in recent years, it seemed to me like the ending of each volume was kind of slapped together and parts of the book not edited very well. The books were completed on or very nearly on time, but the iffy parts left in. Since the books as a whole were basically good, I sometimes wonder if they’ll be revised later on and become classics.
Anon 1:35:
My condolences.
I once had a licensing pre-deal, even a letter stating the company was “planning” to license my artwork.
Then the market shifted. They didn’t tell me they had changed their mind for a year while I waited it out.
A little communication is always in order. It’s only fair.
(So, in the name of fairness, I just had five galleries close on me or turn into other kinds of businesses – but they told me right away – right after I had spent my last dime framing and shipping works across the country. Boo!)
What times we are living in.
Still, ethics and manners, I still believe, are and will continue to be our saving grace.
Hmm. Reminds me of that great Tool lyric, “…All you know about me is what I’ve sold you…”
A relationship exists between reader and author…A contract exists between author and publisher. Confusing the two is engaging in a misplaced sense of entitlement.
To my readers:
Thank you for reading my work.
Thank you for appreciating my work.
Thank you for not trashtalking me on Amazon.
Thank you for not making me have to twitter or facebook all day.
Thank you for buying my work if it’s ever published.
Thankyou for caring about the characters so much and making them even more fun and more “Alive!”
And I will promise to have fun and give you my arty or entertainment babies IF they get an agent and the right publisher, etc.
It’s not all in my hands.
Oh, yeah, and I am juggling this with diapers, a dayjob, and trying to have a life, so thanks for waiting.And while you are, please have a life yourself too. It’s hard out there to do that I know. We all need support in that.
And if I take a little too long, thanks for welcoming me back in the room if I get to the party again.
Sincerely,
the writer
I agree with Ink’s comment:
As long as a writer is doing his best, both to write a good book and meet his deadlines, I think that’s all you can expect.
We live in an age where we want everything NOW – but that just doesn’t work with books. If the author takes his job seriously, then he’ll learn to balance life and work, which results in a good book… at least that sounds right in theory.
Something HILARIOUS, related to the discussion here: “Publishing 911”.
I wouldn’t say that, as a writer, I ‘owe’ the readers. I don’t know if that is the right word, owe. However, I do feel the pressure that comes from readers’ loyalty. By that I mean, readers who have been with me for years despite my delays due to illness, obstacles, and basically the long wait for the my series to find a home.
So, to some degree there is a perceived debt to them, but I think that adjusts as your writing career evolves. Perhaps, it even becomes something else entirely.
Undoubtedly, by simply being a published writer and wanting to continue in that vein there is something to be owed. The question then becomes, how much? And that can only be answered by a writer’s conscience, the limits of their abilities, and their professional obligations.
Therefore, an Author owes his or her readers the promise given in every book they have put in the public eye, and only what is reasonable given the factors involved.
Hope that made sense.
Mel
As authors we owe readers the most satisfying, thought-provoking, electrifying and entertaining book we can possibly write. If we can come up with that – a tall order – then all we owe the readership is an implied pledge that we will commit our all to making the next one as good, if not better, and that we will always be moving forward and evolving as an artist. Other than that, I think there’s something to be said for an artist staying relatively quiet between their works.
Meanwhile, what I want out of my favourite authors as a reader is nothing more than another great book, delivered at some stage in the future when they’re ready.
When, as a visual artist, I start to think what do “I” owe my collectors…
My answer is this:
to keep my prices consistent or improving (maintaining value or improved value)
not to act like an amateur artist
(which if I hang in museums or collections, I don’t just revert to stick figures or paint by numbers antics)
beyond that, I may move to a different body of work over time and will follow my own impulses creatively and hope they will appreciate and collect that too, but if not, I still will stand by the work they did appreciate and collect.
what does a musician owe their fan?
What happens when your serious actor takes up comedy?
Of course authors owe their readers timely and well crafted novels. The commitment is implied as soon as the author publishes his/her first novel with the intent to attract an audience. This is especially true for series.
As authors, we owe our past and future success to our readers. To take that obligation lightly is unprofessional, and I think it means that the author does not have a sense of a relationship with their readers.
I am not published, but I will be, and I will respect my ‘unspoken’ but very real responsibility to deliver quality and yes, timely novels or I won’t deserve to keep my audience.
This is a job, a creative job, but a job – and like any other, we should be expected to do it with quality and within a reasonable time frame.
oh yes, and what an author owes his readers is this:
please, authors,
Do not leave when you are at a signing that people have waited hours in line for and driven to from all points the hell away. Do. Not. Leave.
while we are still in line! Please.
(how to break our hearts and alienate us all in one blow)
Note to booksellers: this is your turf too. Do not let more people in that long line than the author can handle. Do. Not.
I’ve sent emails to authors whose books I liked. I would never be pushy though. It’s nice of them to even have a website and contact information. People should be respectful. On one hand, you should keep the readers happy. On the other hand… not at your own peril.
I wish Kathleen Windsor would have written a sequel to ‘Forever Amber’. 🙁
As for quality, that’s really up to the publisher. Their reputation is for choosing, editing, fine tuning,
giving us the “goods” not the bads.
A lot of authors don’t know how to edit themselves or write, but they don’t know it.
I have mixed feelings. As an author of two YA fantasy series(es?)I know that it’s difficult to predict how long it will take to write a novel, especially something as ambitious as GRRM’s Song. GRRM’s books are such a pleasure to read that maybe readers should just bask in the joy of the current read, rather than obsessing about books of the future.
That said, I’m concerned when readers’ expectations aren’t met, especially when people take the attitude, “well, i just won’t read any series books until the series is complete.” Guess what–if nobody reads the first two books, there won’t be any more!
I think authors of a series should have a plan for completing the series and make their best effort to do so. That’s all.
I am impatiently waiting for GRRM’s next installment, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other books to read.
cinda williams chima
http://www.cindachima.com
As a writer, I always try to think about the reader. I’m writing to be read, not to keep a diary or a journal. If my objective is to be read, then I have to be aware of why I’m being read. Sounds like Martin is more into journal writing than authoring … but I’ve never heard of him before.
How about you, Nathan? What do you think? Self-publishing seems self-defeating if one ultimately wants to be published.
I know I feel guilty if I have people reading along and something goes sproing and there are suddenly long delays. I feel horrible about it, like I’ve set people up to expect something and then failed to deliver. And to a certain point I think this is healthy guilt; if I didn’t care, I’d probably do it more often, or work less hard to overcome it. And if that were the case, then I imagine I’d have a lot fewer readers fidgeting with impatience waiting for my next offering, or caring at all whether I ever wrote anything else ever again.
At the same time, though, I think having more transparency into the authorial process can help readers (if they care enough to pay attention) see that sometimes things do go wrong, whether it’s with the writing itself or with other issues going on in the writer’s life, and that delays don’t necessarily mean the writer is flaking off.
Angie
I like everything J.Damian said…
I also like series to be completed. I like hints in one book to be followed up on at some point. But, no. I don’t think an author owes me anything but a good book, which btw, happens only about 80 percent of the time.
So, what can you do? Reading is a crap shoot. It’s Russian Roulette. It’s pie in the sky. Half the people who read a book will like it, the other half won’t… but that’s another topic altogether.
If Martin wrote the implication of another story, he should follow through if at all possible. If he can’t, I’m sure there’s a valid reason. Most authors are extremely interested in selling another book.
To be honest, I’m a little frightened to live in an era where writers are treated like movie stars. The whole reason I decided to become a writer rather than an actress is my hermit-like nature. And now writers have to deal with paparatzi too?
“…What do authors owe their readers?”
Honesty. Pureness of purpose in why they write in the first place.
Consistency. Familiarity laced with mystery.
Human Connection. Even if private lives are kept private, most readers want to know where an author is coming from, or been in life. This connection helps the reader have more than just escape time.
After reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing, I was able to see a side of him that I could not see before. Now I wonder if he could write romantic comedy.
George R.R. Martin! Do you know how many years I have listened to what an incredible writer he is? My husband is a huge fan! My husband may tell me I’m prettier than anyone on America’s Top Model (I’m not) but he has never said that I’m a better writer than George RR Martin. (not jelous at all)
So, he walked in the room as I was reading your question and I mistakenly asked… “Have you been waiting for one of Mr. Martin’s books to come out?” Oh my,I had to listen to Mr. Martin praises all over again, and see all the interesting book covers posted on his website. As if I haven’t heard enough about Mr. Martin in our nineteen years together.
I don’t think it matters how long George R.R. Martin takes to write his next book. My husband will buy it as soon as it comes out. Authors are artists and readers who appreciate their work will wait and understand-like my husband.
I am a huge Karen Marie Moning fan and with her current Fever series, the books are coming out once a year. I AGONIZE as I wait for the next installment. But, as painful as it is for me to have to wait for another story, I would rather wait and know I’m getting a fantabulous story where I will feel fully satisfied after I’ve read the book, than have a book I throw across the room because I’m massively disappointed.
I do not believe a writer owes the reader anything other than a really good read. To have a writer try to rush though a book only sets them and the readers up for disappointment. As a “working on being a published” writer, I know it’s a tough endeavor and I don’t have anyone I’m actively disappointing.
Deb
An author certainly doesn’t “owe” anything to his or her audience. HOWEVER, where would the author BE without said audience? It really becomes a matter of how much the author wants to respect and show gratitude to that audience. I recently had the chance to listen to author Katherine Neville talk, and she made a point of mentioning that FOR HER, it was important to let her audience know how grateful she was for their patronage.
If you open a door for someone, do they owe you a “thank you”? No, but you’re going to have a higher affinity for the person who does say thank you, and are probably far more likely to open the door for them again, aren’t you?
That’s how I sees it.
I’m with Anon 1:35 am on this one;
‘You can’t blog about personal stuff and then expect fans to keep some sort of distance from you.’
If you invite them into your life, you are also inviting the good, the bad and the ugly to share their opinion with you and what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and when you should be doing it.
No it isn’t fair, but it is how it works in the search for (and in the service of) fans.
I don’t read GRRM myself, but I imagine all will be forgiven if he writes an incredible book. Let’s hope he does.
Readers will always want more from their favorite authors. Authors should live their lives. Spoiling the minions doesn’t help anybody.
Wow. I feel for GRRM! I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have the entire world waiting and watching you miss one deadline after another.
The pressure alone must have an enormous influence on his writing.
Why publicize the delivery date as 2006 and then keep moving it?
Does he have a contract with the publisher?
Do authors of series have such agreements that impact them financially when they miss deadlines?
Of course authors owe their readers, they owe them what they want to read, and if authors do not deliver, readers read something else.
Celebrities? They owe their fans a show.
Author/Celebrities? They owe books their readers want to read and a show. (But no dinner.)
What do authors owe their readers: Nothing, nada, zip.
That sounds harsh.
“I’m a writer, not Burger King.” That sounds flippant.
I don’t know how someone could have the mental energy to blog AND write novels. I know people do it, but it seems like if you are mid-series, ALL your writerly mental energy should go toward your novel. I mean, maybe if you blog once a month or something, but every day? (Yes I know people do it.)
But if you have fans coming to your blog, you are giving yourself an instant hit of fan attention – why bother finishing that novel and getting their attention that way, the HARD way?
Oh well. I feel creatively exhausted at the moment. I think of the poet Rilke, who was living in a CASTLE, and got inspired to write the Duino Elegies – which he didn’t complete for another 10 years.
That’s what we writers need: More castles (all expenses paid, isn’t it nice to know wealthy royalty?) and less blogs.
This is a really interesting discussion to read.
I did have one more thought, though.
In terms of an implied contract, that’s really an impossiblity, because the author really doesn’t control the product.
My experience is that I can hope my ‘muse’ shows up. I can ask it nicely, I can demand it nastily, I can threaten to file a lawsuit on it, I can bribe it with cookies.
But it comes when it wants to come.
I can try to keep the channel clear and healthy, but that’s all I can do.
I don’t know what the muse is – what it is that authors tap into when they write – but it’s not always accessible.
Martin has taken 5 years to write a book. Maybe he’s blocked. Maybe the muse just won’t come. Or maybe he’s grown into a different person, and the ‘muse’ is going to write different books for him – not the old series. That can happen.
If that’s true, it doesn’t matter what anyone wants him to write, including him. He really doesn’t get to choose. None of us do.
That’s what I think, anyway.
Oh, I will add to my comment above, that if someone is blocked, going on fishing trips is a really good idea.
Get away, get fresh air, get perspective.
If I was a fan of Martin’s, I might be sending him links to good fishing sites.
Writers’ Retreats
I just got a free copy of a poetry anthology – the poems were all written at a particular “well-known” (whatever that means when it comes to poetry) poetry “retreat.”
Has anyone here completed a novel at a retreat, or some place like Yaddo (I think novelists go there too, painters, all areas of the arts) – you know, you all get together and roast marshmallows around a roaring fire in the evening, after being creative all day…
Just wondering – maybe you have to be an academic writing a novel to get into places like that, with a “curriculum vita” etc…
It is an artist’s prerogative when, where, and how to share their work.
Most fiction is an art form (notice I said most). Art can not be forced; it has to be inspired, it has to come from deep within.
With that said, blogging about what you are doing instead of writing (unless it is a really really good excuse for not writing) isn’t smart. And if we want to keep our fans, we have to be smart.
PS writing while inspired is very difficult when you have a family, a day job, and have to worry about self-marketing.
Interesting question. I don’t think authors owe readers anything but the story they wrote. (Past tense on purpose.)
It’s quite possible to make a case for GRR Martin being one of the finest Fantasy writers of the 20-21st century. His current series is brilliant and is likely to stand the test of years. So, a hundred years from now when authors, critics, grad students and academics are discussing the genre, will they be hot under the collar about the time between books? No. They will not. What will matter is the merit of the work (and how many tropes can be made to dance on the head of a pin).
GRR Martin owes it to himself and his art to write his books in the time required to do so. Anything else is a compromise that I, as a reader, hope he does not make.
As an author myself, I feel a certain pressure to provide readers with a story they’ll enjoy. But I don’t owe them anything, at least not in the literal (hah! a pun!!!) sense. When I’m writing, I’m worried about what I owe the story I’m telling. That worry pretty much satisfies everything else.
I was a fan of Martin’s and read the first three Fire and Ice books.
However, when he put out a publication date then went FIVE count ’em FIVE years PAST that, he lost me as a reader. And I’m not alone on that count.
I think there’s a fine line between being able to take your time to do your best work (like Rowling did) and just taking advantage of your readers’ patience.