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Especially today in the Ereader age!
Just think about it. In the "old days" (two years ago...) the average reader had to get dressed, put on shoes, get into the car, drive to the book store, find a parking spot, walk into the store, spend hours browsing shelves, and then buy a $10.99 book or even higher price.
Fast forward to today.
Now the average reader (One in six Americans have an Ereader.) has to get their Ereader from the kitchen counter, click a couple of times, and have an ebook of the new release of their favorite author in a second for DOLLARS cheaper than going to the book store.
Ereaders readers have given a jolt of caffeine to the world! It has made non-reader become avid readers. I know because I hear from my readers all the time that tell me I have created a reader in them! LOVE IT!
But as an author, I've found this little shot of adrenaline a BIG shot of panic/fear in my soul. What happened to the day when we could publish a book every six months even one a year?
Readers are getting use to having the luxury at their finger tips and aren't so willing to wait a year. I know because my readers are always sending me emails, Facebook messaging me "hurry with the next book."
I know it's all in good fun, but there is always some truth to joking....right?
With that comes fear....if I wait longer than four-six months between novels, am I going to be forgotten? Are the little short stories, prequels, or mini-mysteries I publish between novels enough to wet their pallet?
One thing I know for sure. . .
The excited readers has lit a fire under me! It's given me a new ambition. Put a little more oomph in my muse. Not only has it gotten me writing more, my writing is getting stronger and stronger with each word typed. Staying motivated to please my readers had taken my novels to a whole new level.
What about you? Do you feel the pressure of getting more books out there?
George R. R. Martin went FIVE YEARS between A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons. I think if your stories are good enough, your readers will be there for them when you get them out. I don't think that means most of us can afford to string our readers along as long as Martin did, but I don't think it means we need to panic, either. I'm sure our readers are aware that writing a good novel takes time.
ReplyDeleteI agree about quality. BUT five years??? That even makes me forget someone as a reader.
DeleteE publishing is instant gratification, but it's also a long game. I'm not a fast writer and that has haunted me since before the ebook revolution. But writing a story takes as long as it takes. As long as I have quality and engaging stories, my readers will find me, no matter if it's six months or sixteen between books.
ReplyDeleteYes they will, Athena!
DeleteI feel the pressure, too, but I can't kill myself to get the next book out. Writing full time is my dream, but if my dream isn't fun, if the pressure sucks all the joy out if it, I have no doubt my work would reflect that. So I'll write at my pace, trust my readers will still love me (my books!), and write so I enjoy it and in turn my readers will, too. :)
ReplyDeleteStacey! I get that so much. I have so much pressure on writing the second Olivia Davis Mystery, the follow up to my bestseller Splitsville.com, and I'm NOT feeling it. So I've put that on the back burner and working on something that has a fire under me. As long as I got something that I love going, I know it will be good and my readers will love it, letting me hold off until I do get the mojo to write that second novel in the series.
DeleteI definitely feel that pressure to produce the next book, Tonya. But I'm convinced that quality always wins over quantity, so I'd bet my readers are happy to wait for me to get it right. If I can produce two or three full length quality novels a year, I'll be very happy. I haven't tried my hand at adding the short stories into the mix, but it sounds like a great way to keep readers coming back for more.
ReplyDeleteHi, PJ! Yes, I have found that those short stories do keep my readers happy....but the downside is that the new readers HATE the short stories. They feel they are a tease, but they aren't invested in my novels like my readers.
DeleteMy response to your question of, Does it haunt you? was going to be: It does now!! :-D But I think I'm going with what the others have said. I'm not a fast writer, mostly due to the personal load of my husband's health that I carry (he's battled a brain tumor for 5 years so there are lots of ups and downs).
ReplyDeleteI feel like rushing, just to get a book out, will make the writing suffer. So, hopefully, my readers understand and are willing to be patient. However, having said that, I'm working very hard to make writing a higher priority than it has been, so I hope to produce more than I have in the past. I have a schedule now, and I'm working hard to maintain it. It won't be setting the keyboard on fire, like your image above, but it'll definitely be faster than I've managed in the past! :-D
Alannah, it's such an added pressure. But once you write more and more, your writing gets stronger which will help in your production. BUT quality is the most important!!
DeleteDefinitely. I've upped my word count to 1k a day, which is 365k a year, which is equivalent to 4-5 books a year. So far I've written two and a half, so I'm pretty much on schedule, but it's been really hectic!
ReplyDeleteGREAT work count, Aubrie! That's a wonderful goal and no doubt you are going to get those books out!
DeleteLook at it this way too... the ereader revolution is also bringing to life the short story and novella. Writing a novel may take six months, a year, or longer, but what about something shorter? Why not write a novella in between books, etc. to keep the readers happy and reading? I've personally fallen in love with the idea of grabbing a quick read on my Kindle. No need to read this NY fluff stuff in books to make it 500 pages to justify the high price tag. Give me a solid 30,000 word novella any day.
ReplyDeletePlus, the shorter the book, the quicker I can read it and get to another one! :)
Great points, Jim!! I am putting out those shorts and loving getting to know those characters better:)
DeleteI feel the pressure also! My first novel is due out in December but I have my betas already asking about the next book in the series...OMG! We can do this!
ReplyDeleteYes we can, Christina!! Good luck and I can't wait to read your debut!!
DeleteWhat do you consider an average word count these days?
ReplyDeleteGosh, KT. That's a loaded question. My average word count is between 2-3k words a day and I have a full life with a job and four teenagers....But I believe that whatever you can get on a page is good enough for that day!
DeleteI love being able to buy books, but as a writer I hate the demand. I have a life, a job, kids... I can't write 13 books a year a la James Patterson. I can't write three novels a year. I might be able to put out two novellas and some short stories, but that has yet to be proven.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me a slacker. It's probably going to kill my career. And it's forcing me to choose between writing the stories I love, or taking care of my family. I hate this new demand.
I think I'd pick writing stories I love;))
DeleteDefinitely. How could a writer not? But at the same I find it exhilarating, knowing that what I'm writing will definitely be published within the year - not maybe, if I'm lucky, if lightning strikes...etc.
ReplyDeleteit's exciting!
Laura, being self-published is so great because we know we can get our books into the reader's hand in a short period of time. I love connecting with my readers!
DeleteDo I feel pressured? Not really. I don't expect my favorite authors to spew new titles like word vomit. I'd rather wait a year for a well-written book than have access to 5 that are a hot mess, and I'm sure most readers agree with me.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the author.
DeleteHi Tonya! I do feel the pressure, and I know a lot of other authors do, too. But I think just like everything else, there has to be a balance. Otherwise, you start losing quality - and in that end, that's what it's all about. I refuse to think of writing/publishing as a race - I'm just not built that way. It's about providing the best story possible for readers, (and keeping my sanity, too!!) I think that with today's crazy lifestyle pace, sometimes that's forgotten.
ReplyDeleteBalance is the key in lift....right?!
DeleteJust the other night, a fan said, "I've read all your books and I keep looking to see if the next one is out. When is it coming out, anyway?" Pressure? What pressure? (Especially when it's coming out a month later than what I'd planned.) I like the saying: Do your best and forget the rest!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Tonya!
~Nancy Jill
"Queen of Afternoon Tea"
Great post! And YES I feel that pressure, but I (try to) think of it positively: I need to keep focused on the writing. THAT is what readers want, more than anything. Speaking of which ... back to the writing cave. :)
ReplyDeleteVery few have the ability to write full time. If they like what you wrote, they will come back when the next book comes out. Of course, it has to be written for them to do that.
ReplyDeleteJohn
www.johnpoindexter.com
The best part of the experience is that you control how many books you publish and when. I am a laggard when it comes to tec stuff so the e-reading bug has not bit me yet. However, it is a cost effective way to get your work out to the public.
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered what the average number of books an author should release in a year. I get nervous just thinking about it. I write in two similar genres, Children PB and YA paranormal books. So, I figure if i put out two of each a year, I'm okay. What do you think?
I don't feel the pressure at all. To me, a story takes as long as it takes. I can't imagine rushing a story just to get it out there. As a photographer as well, I don't rush the process of creating images just to get it done. Crafting good stories and creating great images takes patience and time, and for me, that's what works.
ReplyDeleteMy plan is to actually not publish anything until I've finished a series. If it takes one year or five, fine, but when they do come out, readers who want more will be quickly gratified. This is my way of taking the pressure off. I'm a SAHM and it would seem like I have all the time in the world, but there's my freelance work, and of course my kid!
ReplyDelete