The Corean Chronicles
Garden Party
A number of years ago, a singer named Rick Nelson had a hit song entitled "Garden Party." A portion of the lyrics follows:
When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name.
No one recognized me, I didn't look the same...
Played them all the old songs, thought that's why they came.
No one heard the music, we didn't look the same...
If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck...
...it's all right now, learned my lesson well
You see, ya can't please everyone, you got to please yourself.
Nelson wrote the song after appearing in a "rock revival" concert at
Now...while singers -- or writers -- clearly can't please everyone, it is fairly clear from the bestseller trends and sales figures that the closer a writer, and a singer, I suppose, sticks to a single type of fiction, or song, the higher the sales numbers. Robert Jordan's other books don't sell a fraction of what those in the Wheel of Time series do, and I doubt that anything J.K. Rowling writes besides Harry Potter will approach the Potter books in popularity, either. The same is true of popular authors in other fields. Writers who produce series, or "type" books, outsell those who don't. In my own work, the individual books in a fantasy series outsell the stand-alones by better than three to one. Doubtless, there are some exceptions to the success of literary "type-casting," but given the overall trends and numbers, there aren't many. That's why it's extremely hard for an author to produce and get published a body of work that's diverse, let alone do so and be commercially successful.
At the same time, Nelson's line about not pleasing everyone also rings true. Going through reader comments and critical reviews on my books last week, I came across such comments as "writes fantasy for Republicans"... "libertarian bias"... "left wing tripe"... "ecological leftist"... "solid Republican, as to be expected from a former Reagan appointee"... "always tells the same story, young man going out into the world"... "wish he'd stay away from the arthouse fiction"... Obviously, each one of those comments and many others I haven't quoted reflect more about the reader than my work, because, after all, I couldn't always tell the same story, for example, and have so many readers complain in so many different ways.
Although Nelson toured widely for another 12 years after "Garden Party" was released before he was killed in a plane crash, "Garden Party" was his last hit record. I wonder why.
I respect that, highly. You have staying power within a book and a series.
On the other hand, I might just be an oddity, given that my tastes in most everything run counter to popular culture. I don't even watch reality contest shows because I think they're a complete of airtime that could be used by much better programming ideas.
It's that difference, coming from the same author that while may share some writing styles and quirks with other stories, presents enough individuality to be enjoyable.
Like others, I vastly prefer your science fiction (both series and one shots) and would love to see you be able to do these more, rather than the fantasy series (which I mostly enjoy, but I find ...somewhat overdone now.)
Short of self-publishing, I'm not sure I see a way out, though. Perhaps publish direct-to-'net? Not sure of what monetary model could be used here, but perhaps a pay-to-get-access model?
On the critism... I suggest blinders. Keep doing what your doing and let the people complain as they may. People judge and complain more then they think so its not worth worrying about as long as your success continues.
Finally, This is my first comment to you since one forum comment a few years ago. I still am in awe at your down to earth and detailed descriptions of hard work in various trades... woodworking, coopering etc. If I have to beg... please continue to do that and no that those of use who's hobbies are such trades will hold your tales dear. Many an hour I've sat in my comfy chair... with a cool breeze blowing... in my woodshop, reading your tales describing woodworking and other trades. It does not get better then that.
: 2:29 PM<< Back to all Blog posts
