There is something that confuses my brain quite fiercely. Honest. It baffles me. I often hear people grumbling about an author who is writing an unusual amount of books in one world, or about one character, and they moan, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. CAN’T THEY MOVE ON? THEY’RE ONLY DOING IT FOR THE MONEY.”
I DON’T UNDERSTAND. Why is this bad?
Rick Riordan has written 10+ books around Percy Jackson. Cassandra Clare has written 10+ books about her Shadowhunter world. George RR Martin has written 5 books (but, come on now, it’s more like 10 because of their size) in his Westeros world. John Flanagan has written 16+ books in his Rangers and Araluen world.
I, personally, believe it’s perfectly acceptable and reasonable AND LOGICAL for authors to write for money.
HELLO! They need money for food and chocolate (because that’s writing fuel) and also money to live in an igloo and feed their pet porcupines and also money to keep the WiFi on. Writing might even be their only source of income.
Criticising writers (or artists or musicians) for doing it “for the money” doesn’t seem fair.
Conversations like THIS are not acceptable:
Patient: Gee, how many more cavities are you going to fill?
Dentist: Um, it’s my speciality, so…as many as I can.
Patient: You’re just in it for the money.
Dentist: Well it is my career, so…
Conversations like THIS are apparently are acceptable??? And it’s so not fair! It’s writer-discrimination.
Reader: Gee, how many more books in your fantasy world are you going to write?
Author: Um, they’re selling so apparently people really enjoy reading them, so…as many as I can.
Reader: You’re just in it for the money.
Author: Well it is my career, so…
And, you know what? I don’t see complaints about contemporary writers doing this. If Sarah Dessen or Kasie West write another fluffy adorable contemporary about highschoolers, no one says “THEY JUST CAN’T MOVE ON, CAN THEY?!”
If you ask me, which obviously you want to because my opinion is absolutely the greatest, I believe we shouldn’t snark on authors for trying to make a living from writing. I think it’s okay to “write for money”. After peeking behind the publishing scenes myself, I KNOW it’s not an easy slice of pecan pie! Would I continue writing if no one would ever read or enjoy or buy my work? I love writing and making art! I DO. But I also want to share it. Although I know that NOT all authors are like this! I’m sure there are writers who write for themselves and don’t want to ever share it and that’s good and great for them.
Can’t authors write “for the love of it” AND “for the money”?? Should we ever shame an author who wants to make money off their work?
And, don’t forget! If you’re sick of reading a certain series or an author or world — THEN DON’T READ IT. Easy as pecan pie.*
* I actually have no idea if pecan pie is easy. Is it? It’s fun to say, though. PECAN! PIE! PECAN! PIE! See? Fun. You should try it.
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Hmm…I agree with you! I think that complaint’s is more about calling out writers who don’t write genuinely or do not have any passion for their work. Which is awfully hard to discern if you’re a reader – how do they know if a writer’s not being sincere? I loved the dentist analogy. 🙂
Also, it’s so cool how I actually got the notification for your post in my email, for once. Living in the same country helps. :’)
I forgot to give you my example! Anyway, for example, John Green’s been criticised for publishing a little book about zombicorns, with the proceeds going to charity. People caught him out for being insincere, since the book sucked but got a lot of publicity due to his name on the front cover. Still, I’m in favour of your points: it’s for charity, right? But I suppose you could argue that it’s sad how Green doesn’t make an effort for charity books but makes an effort for his normal books.
I haven’t read John Green’s zombicorns, so I can’t comment on that. >_< BUT I STILL SEE WHAT YOU MEAN. *nods wildly* It is dubious if that's the case behind that book. 🙁 But for the authors I hear attacked with this complaint...honestly? I would never say any of them weren't writing genuinely. The person I most see growled at for "writing for the money" is Cassandra Clare because she has so many books set in one universe. And I LOVE all her books and don't think they're any less genuine. SO IT'S SUPER AWKWARDLY SUBJECTIVE TOO, RIGHT?!! Gahhh. Omg, the email subscriptions weren't working?! That's a worry. 0_0 AND DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU ARE IN AUSTRALIA RIGHT NOW?!??! AWESOME!!!
Yeah, I know what you mean! Just because a series is long doesn’t mean it’s necessarily for the money. And even if it was…they need money to survive, right?
Oh no, your emails work just fine! I actually meant that the little ‘ding!’ sound came up on my computer – like, I was there to receive your email. Because we live in the same country, so our blogging/browsing times kind of coincide. Usually for other email subs by other bloggers, I get them in the middle of the night. So that’s why I was able to comment first. SORRY THAT I NEEDED TO EXPLAIN. >_>
Yes I do, I have heard this and I thought… Well how are they going to survive if they don’t get money for it? and do you realize how much time they put into it! But I somehow don’t like the idea of people writing ONLY for the money… If you don’t enjoy it I don’t see why people would write…. it is far to had… there is no way I would write if I did not have to… I but I have to because I can’t not, and I love it.
I don’t know if one COULD stay enthusiastic enough to write JUST for money anyway, right?! It’s not the kind of career you go into thinking you’ll make a quick buck. XD BUT YES that I have to because I can’t not is an excellent reason to write.
Well, I shall raise one example now and it is Grey. Like, Fifty Shades but from Christian’s perspective. I admit I have never read any of them. But it was like, oh my gosh, could you please stop writing these books that are damaging to the community? You see, I was revising econ earlier and I believe that books should be merit goods and benefit the consumer and everyone else, but books that are toxic like this … please. stop. three books and one movie is enough.
I do admit, though, that this definitely should not be a thing for perfectly normal books. I mean, sure you can do it for the love of writing, but as a writer I love it when other people read my words. And while you could pop it online and count your pageviews, I believe that money is an acceptable scale to measure how valuable your words are to someone else. But I also believe that if a writer writes only for the money, the quality generally won’t be as high as writers writing for love (and for money).
Also, if someone loves your words enough, it’s pretty much the highest of compliments to shell out hard-earned cash for the writer. Because then the writer can eat takeout and write more, and really what’s wrong with that?
Okay, okay, I gotta totally take back EVERYTHING when it comes to those books because they kind of terrify me of the message their sending. Though I can’t really feel allowed to comment too much because…well, I AIN’T READING THEM. Ever. But gah. Yes, three books is too much for that kind of book. >_>
aHem.
But yes, I think if you were SOLELY writing for money, you just wouldn’t do it, because from everything I’ve heard, it’s VERY hard to make a descent amount in publishing. So I think you would have to be severely in love with it to keep passionate and keep going. *nods*
THIIIIIIIIS. Seriously. Cassandra Clare gets so much crap for continuing to write in the Shadowhunters series, and it annoys me so much. (It also helps that I love those books, soooo…) Like, so what? I’m sure that money is definitely a factor of why she continues to write them — I mean… we kind of DO need money to live — but she’s still obviously passionate about the world she’s created, otherwise I’m sure she’d go onto something new. And besides, there’s nothing, at all, wrong with what she’s doing. Actually, I commend her for having so many books set in the same world and still able to sell brilliantly.
Your examples are PERFECT. Nobody is going to ask a rich surgeon (or whatever) why he keeps doing his job, right, so why do authors always, always get criticised for things others wouldn’t?
OMG I DIDN’T REALISE YOU WERE A CASSANDRA CLARE FAN TOO. OMG. FLAIL WITH ME, KARA. I get so so annoyed every time people diss her for writing so many Shadowhunter books. SHE WOULDN’T IF THEY WEREN’T SELLIGN, RIGHT?? So aka = lots of people like them. Haters just need to shuuuuush.
It’s like artists are just totally fighting this ideal of not being “worthwhile” or “serious”. STILL. EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS WHEN WE’VE PROVED HOW VALUABLE ART IS. Gah.
People are always touchy about the intersection of art and money. I think it’s silly to make the blanket statement, though, that because someone is being paid for art it can’t be genuine or passionate or good. Writing is a skill and creating is a skill. I definitely think people should be paid for those things.
I do think, however, there are obviously series (for books, movies, whatever) where, yeah, someone is creating them PRIMARILY because they will make money and not necessarily because the writer actually believes the story needs to be told or is good or whatever. The thing is, you can’t judge a series just because it’s long. One author can write a 15-book series where all the stories all unique and wonderful, and another author can write a 5-book series that should have stopped after book 2 because nothing new is happening. So I see both sides.
I should also add that, from the publishing industry standpoint, there is a lot of incentive for authors to write series instead of starting something new. The marketing department will tell you how much easier it is to sell a book if people are already familiar with the series or the fantasy world it’s set it. If the author starts a new series, they have to start marketing from the ground up, which takes more of the marketing department’s time and money.
(Although author reputation also comes into account. A mid-list author is “safer” sticking with the same series. Someone like J.K. Rowling could write anything and it wouldn’t matter.)
But there actually is a legitimate basis to saying that money can come into whether authors are encouraged to write series or not.
Ah, yes, I agree: there are aLWAYS two sides. I get frustrated, too, at the blanket statements of “this series is filler” though, because that could be ONE person’s opinion. But people seem to love to throw their opinions around like theirs is the ONLY important one. *growls* BUT YES. Some authors do seem better at long series than others.
Gah. It’s a toughie.
OH OH but I totally get what you mean about series…although from my experience publishers actually prefer standalones, particularly from breakout authors, because if a series starts to dive but they’ve contracted a lot of books? It’s risky for them. but yes! That’s just my experience so I could be wrong and you be spot on instead. 😉 OR WE BOTH BE RIGHT JUST FOR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. haha.
No, I think you’re right, too. That’s probably why we see a lot of books that are stand-alone-ish but could become series depending on how the first one sells. So there are a lot of different factors. 🙂
OMG YES. Yes, Yes,
I hate people saying that authors should’t write anymore of a certain series. That they should stop. I see it a lot with Cassandra and i might be bias because I love cassie; but if people are still loving and buying her books; hell she can write as much as she wants. She won’t stop; just because certain people want her too.
People need money to live, and if authors make money from writing then hell yeah. Do people tell journalist to stop writing because they make money writing ?- No – So why is different for authors that write books.
Thanks for an awesome post
YESSS. I AGREE 100% ABOUT CASSANDRA CLARE. I believe that publishers would NOT be publishing her book if it wasn’t making lots of money = aka people weren’t enjoying it. So they are! so that’s GREAT! So why do people hate on this?! GAH. It’s so sad.
Omg, thank you, though!! <3
YES I SO AGREE WITH YOU. And if I was making money off my characters and the worlds I had created, and people loved it, then HECK YES I would continue to write!! That’s half the reason I write (and one of the reasons I love blogging so much is that it’s instant gratification – I can know if people like my blog posts THAT SAME DAY. Writing is so long…ugh).
It’s always the poor SFF authors too.
YESS. AND WHY SHOULDN’T WE WRITERS GET PAID FOR WHAT WE LOVE?!! I really don’t think a writer would even start if they didn’t love it, so yes they deserve to be paid. (And omg, I love the instant gratification of blogging too. xD I LOVE THE FEEDBACK.)
This is really interesting, Cait! I’m mostly with you, I think. I’ve seen cases where authors stop writing books in a series, because it’s done. They have no more story to tell. They’re not throwing more problems at their characters, because it would be unfair, and they’ve told the story they want to tell. Unless something new comes to them, they are finished here, and won’t be continuing just because the readers love this world or these characters so much. Understandable. But when authors continue and continue… I’m kind of happy with that, if I like the books. (If I don’t, I don’t really care.)
It’s something an author is hugely able to do with fantasy. Look at Anne McCaffrey and her Pern dragon books. THERE ARE SO MANY! (Though I’ve not read them.) High fantasy author Robin Hobb has her world, The Realm of the Elderlings. Within this world, she has, to date, five series. A trilogy, The Farseer Trilogy, with a certain set of characters, a second trilogy, The Liveship Traders, with a different set of characters in another part of the world – where what happened in The Farseer Trilogy slightly affects what happens in this trilogy. Then a third trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, back with the original characters, some years later – again, they are affected by what happened in The Liveship Traders. Then a series of four books, near/in the same place as the second trilogy, The Rainwild Chronicles, different characters – yet again, affected by what happened in The Tawny Man Trilogy. And last year we had the first book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, back with the original characters, and again, some changes due to what happened before. BUT ALL DIFFERENT STORIES. In total, there will be 16 books. In the same world. AND I LOVE THEM! Who knows if Hobb will continue in this world after this trilogy. I think it’s unlikely due to the age of the characters; Fitz is a boy in the first book, in the book I just read, he’s in his 60s. Time’s a moving, and I have a bad feeling about how this trilogy might end. BUT I LOVE THESE BOOKS! Separate stories, but ever so slightly intertwined. And the stories are brilliant, original, unpredictable, fresh.
But this brings me to where I think it’s not so great if an author is just writing for the money – when they get lazy. “Readers like these characters, so let’s write them again in some loose plot, people will buy them and I’ll get more money.” I don’t know if that’s the thought process behind it, and I have to say I’ve not experienced this lazy writing. But you hear about it, the decline in the quality of storytelling and writing as a series goes on, and this makes me so sad. I do think these authors are in the minority though.
And I am all for authors creating a career out of doing something they love. It means, if writing is their job, we’re possibly more likely to get the next book sooner than we would if they had a day job too. This makes me happy 🙂 (Though also completely happy for authors to have a day job. If you’re not yet huge, it can be hard to pay the bills.)
I’m always so unsure if a book is technically “lazy” or “sloppy”. I Mean, I HAVE read some that I’d give those labels. BUT BOOKS ARE SUBJECTIVE. Something I hate, can be something someone else adores. And I know publishers control a lot behind books too…and authors do need to cater to what publishers demand, or else those writers just DON’T get published. And I suppose it’d be better to be published than just, erm, starve??!
bUt yessss. When it’s an epic serious with a million spin-offs that I love, I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER. John Flanagan is starting his 3rd series in his Araluen world and afdjsakld I AM SO HAPPPY ABOUT IT. :DD
I think it’s because for most authors writing started as a hobby, doing it because they love it, and now they are getting money for it people see it as selling out – they are no longer writing what they love because they love it, they are doing it for the money. But I don’t really agree with that either to be honest, if it’s now they’re career obviously they are going to do it to make money aha!
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YES! And any other career it’s perfectly acceptable to be passionate about it AND love it. So why not writing?! I think, sometimes, people don’t really understand/respect books because they’re still not seen as a serious thing. *sigh*
I agree with 100% wholeheartedly and with every single fiber of my body. It rattles me SOOO much when people make snide comments about Cassandra Clare. Yes, she writes her books set in one world, revolving around one new series… but kudos for her creating such a versatile and complete world that she CAN manipulate into to such different and unique stories. And I haven’t heard any accusation about John Flanagan before but goodness help those people if they say anything in front of me. I am currently reading his series and it is FANTASTIC and complex and unique and there isn’t any dragging around of “milking” the story or anything. And like your main points states, what really is the harm in “writing for money” in the first place?
Love this Cait!
FJADSLK THANK YOU, RACHEL!! XD I was actually kind of nervous about this post, so I’m glad everyone likes it still! 😀 Any other career it’s perfectly acceptable to be paid for it, but writers are literally belittled for that?! WHY?! Artists should be paid, they deserve it just as much as anyone.
NO THAT DENTIST ANALOGY. IT IS TRUE THEY REALLY ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY. I had two SMALL cavities filled already and the thing with these cavities is that if you wait, they can heal themselves with the proper use of fluoride and mouthwash. And I so badly want to ask my dentist if I could wait but he was being so pushy and I ended up having them both filled. AND THEY DIDN’T EVEN HURT YET. God I am so sad. I will always have little cavities.
Ok that was a sore subject but moving on. I feel like we’ll never know what author’s true intentions are, like whether they continue writing about a world because they enjoy it, or because they’re afraid to try something new, or because of the money. But in the end there will always be someone who loves their upcoming books and will be happy with more books in a series. And plus this can also get kind of hypocritical, because remember when JK Rowling stepped out of her comfort zone to write The Casual Vacancy? So many people told her to go back to writing Harry Potter and children’s books. So basically, the main point is is that no matter what you write, people will love it or hate it. Yay.
So yes, I think us as readers should just not read the book if we’re getting tired of it being in the same world. However, saying this, I am kind of surprised that some authors don’t get sick of writing about the same world. But I would never hold that against them.
Whoops this comment was long.
OKAY MAYBE. I MEAN MOST DENTISTS WANT TO LIKE REPLACE YOUR ENTIRE MOUTH JUST FOR THE CASH. I believe dentists are embodied evil. I don’t even know why I used that analogy.
And it’s always complicated with authors, because publishers have a LOT of control and say too! And authors have to cater to what publishers want or they just don’t get published at all. Basically yes: humans will just be mean no matter what. 🙁 HUMANs. GRRRR.
Any writer who publishes is doing it for the money. Plain and simple. As a published author myself, I can attest to this truth. We want to be able to eat and have clothes, a roof over our heads. Little niceties like that. And we don’t want to take on a second job which would mean less time to write. If we didn’t write for the money, we’d put all our kindle books for free, and our hardcopies would only be expensive enough to cover printing. I mean, it’d be nice, and I wish I could do so for my own books, but I need to eat.
But most actual writing isn’t for the money. Editing and publication is, but the writing? Why don’t we look at some other reasons why the author might want to spend 10+ books in one world:
1. Their fans don’t want anything else. Case in point: Rick Riordan. He’s tried to break away from Percy Jackson, but his fans won’t let him.
2. They’ve spent a long time in this world, it’s well developed, and they have a lot of stories planned, and they want to see their series to its conclusion. Or maybe they’re just scared to venture out and build a whole new world from scratch. Worldbuilding is hard!
3. Their publisher are demanding it/won’t accept anything else from them. Totally a viable reason, and case in point: Piers Anthony, whose Xanth series has over thirty, possibly forty books now. He writes other books, lots of other books, but his publishers demand that he writes Xanth because it’s his most popular series.
Publishers do do it for the money. I will admit that one.
I think some people are just jealous that authors can make money off of their art.
Oh, and on the Pecan Pie – no, it’s not easy. I’ve only attempted it once, and I only succeeded in spilling pecans all over the floor. My attempt at peach pie turned into cobbler. I don’t know why people say things are easy as pie. Pie is HARD!!!
I agree. Publishers are very money focused, which I think is why so many YA books seem to “look the same” because publishers are playing it safe in order to get the sales. WHICH I GUESS MAKES SENSE TOO. I mean, they need to keep their company afloat and pay workers, so…grr, I’m torn. >_< I wish they'd take more risks though. AND YES, THANK YOU. YOU SUMMED IT UP SO WELL. And I think it is entirely and perfectly acceptable to write for money, too, because it's a career. And you can be passionate about your career and STILL want to get paid. Jealousy = yes. And also just regular human crankiness?! And not understanding?! Like I think most readers have NO IDEA how the publishing world works. *buries faulty pecan pie analogy* TBH I'VE NEVER HAD ANY NOW THAT I COME TO THINK OF IT. I've had pumpkin and pecan which was delicious but I did not make it.
I hate the idea of people writing SOLELY to earn money, but hey, if people like what you’re writing, you may as well write more of it, right? Authors need money, too. If you love the characters and world, there’s no real reason to move on. Rick Riordan is a great example–people criticize him for writing for money, but then when he wrote The Kane Chronicles no one ever liked it as much as Percy Jackson, right? Same thing’s going to happen with Magnus Chase, unless Riordan sets the entire series in Camp Half-Blood and just throws in Norse myths.
(That dentist analogy–YES. Orthodontists are entirely in it for the money, too. Yeah, I really did need braces–but that doesn’t mean that 55% of kids need them.)
I wonder if any writers even would write SOLELY for the money?! I mean, it’s such a tough career to get into, so you wouldn’t choose it on money alone. So if it STARTS with passion withe the intent to earn money, then why is it bad, right?! 😀
AGH. I hate dentists. I REALLY HATE THEM. I don’t even know why I used that analogy. When I was 12 I had to have plates/braces all these things and I think I literally did not speak to the dentist the entire time because I hated him so much. >_< *facepalm*
Spot on the money, Cait! (Pun intended :P) I mean, I’ve seen instances of franchises being milked, but I don’t think this actually happens with books/writing. Writing is such a long process that most writers don’t start writing a novel with the intent of money. I think it’s sometimes difficult for readers who don’t write to get that writing is a journey rather than an instance.
(You know: “I’m writing a novel.” “Oh, when it’s gonna be published??”)
So, I can kind of see where people are coming from, but i don’t agree.
5* stars for the Cptn. Jack gif. 😀
I think Pecan Pie is pretty easy to make if one can pie. I’ve never tried, but Pecan Pie is one of my favourite things to *eat*.
BAHH HAHA. YOU WIN FOR BEST PUN. 😉 And I don’t think authors have 100% control over their work either, particularly when they’re traditionally published. So it’s not like the author is setting the price or making the terms. And I think writers/books deserve more respect!! It’s like people STILL view them as just “a hobby thing”. Like reading isn’t serious so writing can’t be. Grrr. It’s a form of art and entertainment. NO ONE SCOWLS AT THE FILM INDUSTRY LIKE THIS.
Aaaapple pie tho. <3
If I’m loving a series I always want the author to write more books! If the series is still popular or people want to read 40 books on the same character, I’ve got no issues with that. Like you said, don’t buy it if it bothers you! I gave up on LKH’s Anita Blake books at 16 I think it was but I would never say that the author must stop or people shouldn’t buy it. If her books are still selling in big numbers, let her and her fans enjoy it! Ooh, just imagine, 16 Harry Potter books…*sighs*
What I DO have an issue with is when an author deliberatly chops up a normal sized novel into three or more small parts and charges you full price for each bit! These so called ‘serial novels’ hack me off. I used to download the free first part of these books just to see if the author was any good but it left me with the prospect of having to pay a small fortune for these endless installments if I wanted to see how it ends. Now I’ll only buy these series if it comes out in one omnibus or in decent sized books ie over 150 pages per installment at reasonable prices..
I’ve actually never heard of those serialised books! :O That does sound annoying, tbh. And I guess things depend on whether the author is published via traditional, or small-press or self-published too…because traditional-publishing does limit their control. BUT YEAH.
Oh oh, and it’s subjective too, just like you said! 😀 Because I would read 8935289 books by Maggie Stiefvater even if they were all about the same characters in the same world. XD One person’s hated book is always someone else’s favourite.
Hear, hear. Great point, Cait! And… love your gifs, too. 🙂
But I think when people are coming down on writers for “doing it for the money”, they’re talking about the few out there that just write not because they enjoy it, just for the fact that it makes money. And they write as low effort of books as they can, then sell it for really high prices.
The way I see it, writers began writing in the first place because they enjoy it. (Or at least I hope they do…) If their writing then goes on to make money for them thats awesome – they’re earning the money they need by doing something they love. And if they keep on writing and keep making money – its still great! They are providing lovely books for us to read after all! Their writing makes them money and if they feel they can continue that then keep going. Since their books are selling, someone must be reading them and liking them. The more books written, the happier readers will be. Writers are bringing little rays of sunshine to peoples lives… isn’t that a good thing, regardless of the pay cheque?
EXACTLY! I don’t think youd’ start writing as just a “oh well I want to write and make money”. It starts with passion!! And love!! And if it develops into a career that you MUST CONTINUE if you want to feed yourself…then good. And great. And good for you and you are 100% perfect and shouldn’t be shamed.
Oh, yeah. And pecan pie is very easy. I’ve made it. You can burn the bejeebies out of it and it still tastes wonderful.
Omg, I need me a pecan pie. I think I’ve had one before?? Or else I’ve had pecan and pumpkin. EITHER WAY. YUM.
I wonder if there ARE writers out there who don’t enjoy it though? And most of the time, if a writer is traditional, they have no control over their prices. That’s the publisher. Like I’m 99% sure Harper Lee isn’t demanding premium prices for her new book…it’s the publishers who are making the money.
This post is one of my top favorites, definitely. Seriously, authors who write for money are some of my favoritest people ever. I mean, if you’re making boatloads of money off a series, then people love it, so they shouldn’t complain when you write more. And you get to walk around with hundred dollar bills spilling out of your pockets (okay, maybe not that extreme), so it’s really just a case of marvelously designed symbiosis. I would criticize authors who DIDN’T take advantage of such ready-made money. Like, what is your problem even? And I write for love, sure, but I do actually want to eat and live and stuff. And if by some chance I can make enough mullah to support my writing as a full-time habit, then let them criticize, but I’m going for the dough. On top of that, even if money is involved, some authors like to stay in the worlds they’ve created for dozens of books because they freakin’ love those worlds. Why should they want to leave? I’m working on a trilogy (I’m almost done the first book, and I’ve drafted the next two), but I already have plans for a bunch of short stories and another novel or two based in that same world because I don’t want to just walk away from the characters. And that’s without money as an incentive. So just imagine if I were getting paid for that. I’d assume I’d probably died and gone to heaven.
AFDKLSAFD THANK YOU, LIZ!!! I have literally heard people say they’re not buying books from famous authors because “they don’t need anymore money”. Wut. Wut wut wut. That’s like saying if you’re a lawyer, you should quite charging after a while because it’s just “who you are and what you do”. WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH. Writing deserves respect. And money.
THIS BUGS ME SO MUCH. I seriously don’t get it. Writing isn’t just some little hobby like…I dunno…Painting golf balls or something. It’s a career, but when authors try to continue to make money so they can continue doing what they love, they’re called out on it. But if they were a dentist, like you said, it’s perfectly acceptable to just keep on doing fillings and pulling teeth because that’s what they’re good at.
IT IS NOT LIKE PAINTING GOLF BALLS. IT’S LIKE PAINTING THE MONA LISA, AND THAT’S PRICELESS. *stamps foot* I think writing/books isn’t treated as a career or gets enough respect, tbh. And other people can be passionate about their career and STILL do it and be paid. So why can’t authors?!
I think everyone who scoffs about authors being paid should try sitting down and writing a book and getting it published. Their view would change drastically.
I think this is an *incredibly* relevant post, especially now that we have the Internet/social media and a lot of authors have become so readily available to engage with the public. On one hand, it makes it easy for readers to interact with and spew their love for their favorite authors, which is amazing—I’m all for more positivity in the bookish community, always! On the other hand, though, I feel like it makes some readers feel entitled to have free access to the author (and in a lot of cases, their work).
I feel that because of that sense of entitlement, people tend to not treat the work of writers, artists, and other creatives with the same respect that they would use to approach the work of people in other fields. And in turn, because they don’t respect creators’ work as much, they think that creatives are being selfish when trying to make a living from their art. Also, I think there’s this widespread image that creatives are individuals who make things for themselves and themselves only and that they ~don’t need money because their passion is what drives them~. Creatives are often very passionate about what they do! That’s great! However! They still have bills and need to eat food sometimes! (Make that often. I think we need to eat *very* often, tbh.)
It’s also kind of a counterintuitive mindset, really—if you love a creative person’s work, wouldn’t you want to throw your money at them so they can continue producing the work that you love and still have a decent standard of living? *sigh*
Anyway, I just kind of threw a bunch of thoughts at you that have been festering in my head for a while 😛 What I’m really trying to say at the end of the day (oops, rhyming) is that I think this post is very timely and insightful and I agree with you so much. 😀
ERK YES. It’s like a mixed wondrefulness that authors are so accessible now. I love to be able to tweet my favourite authors, but I’m mortified to think they get to see all my reviews/criticisms. Because half the time with criticisms, it’s ridiculous to try and please everyone. YOU CAN’T. Authors shouldn’t even have to try.
I agreeeee with you SO SO MUCH. OMG THIS COMMENT. <3 xD I totally agree that people don't respect writing/books. It's not considered a serious career, not even yet and omg, what year is it?! GET WITH IT PEOPLE. You can buy thousands of dollar paintings, but people sniff at paying too much for a book.
I'm so glad you liked the post tho. THANK YOU. :')
YES. Totally agree. I hate when people use that argument. They should do because they want to/ or because they love it. Well yeah but they need to get paid to. So if the people want more of a series they are going to write it. There are plenty of series I ditched out on because I was over it. That doesn’t mean a crap load of others were too. It’s my issue and I stopped reading them. Let the writers write for whatever reason they want.
Writing/reading is SO SUBJECTIVE TOO!! I think half of the blanket statements like “they’re writing it for the money’ should just be shushed, because everyone is different. And even if I feel like a book is sloppy or redundant…it doesn’t mean EVERYONE feels that way. D:
I myself haven’t heard much complaint along those lines, but I agree with you–there’s nothing wrong with an author making money on their art! I myself want to be a fulltime author someday. No way to do that if my books don’t give me an income (unless I marry someone fabulously wealthy, of course). Money’s not the main reason I want to be a published author, but without it, such a career would be severely impractical. XD
Oh, and speaking of John Flanagan’s books: I am delighted that he’s writing another series set in that world. 😀 It’s too fun to leave!
ME tooooo. Ultimate dream is to write and live off it. :’) And yes, why shouldn’t we want our dream careers and expect to be paid for it?! My sister wants to be a professional musician, and heck yes, she should be paid for it. I should be paid for being an author. IT ISN’T A CRIME.
AFJDLSKAD I AM RIDICULOUSLY EXCITEDF OR CROWLEY/HALT’S BOOK!!!
I see your point, but sometimes it seems like authors are basically repeating themselves because they (or their publishers) know that people will buy the books. If the quality is not there, it can seem like the book was pushed out just to make a quick buck. I think that’s what most people who make this argument have a problem with: not that the author is making money, but that they’re not offering anything new and are simply riding on the coattails of their own previous success. (There’s also the issue of a seemingly complete series or trilogy that suddenly starts getting extra installments for no good reason. That story is over! Let’s move on, shall we? I don’t have a problem with new stories set in the same world, but make sure they’re actually new… and not just recycled ones, like retelling the same story from another character’s POV *cough*Grey*cough*.)
I do get that. *nods* And I think publishers are guilty of playing it “safe” a lot, whiiiiich I mean, it annoys me BUT I DO GET IT. They need to make a living too. I just wish they’d take more risks. And a lot of time it’s not even about the author, because it’s the publisher who controls it and says what they need to write and what they’re looking for.
AHHAHHA HA HA HA. *dies* I’M PRETTY EXTRA SURE MY ARGUMENT IS 100% INVALID WHEN IT COMES TO 50 SHADES OKAY?!! ERgh.
I find this argument to be ridiculous! The only excuse I can find for someone thinking writers are “in it for the Mula” is if they are looking down on writing as if it’s not a real career. In which case, their argument is invalid and they should pick up a pen and paper and see how “easy” it really is. Ha!
As far as “writing too much” goes… One can never write too much. If a series, character, or theme loses its touch then the author will know. If not on their own then when the book doesn’t sell. Get what I’m sayin’? ;]
Also, I think those with such a sour tude should pick up a book and lighten up. ;]
Of course this is just the opinion of lil’ ole me.
AGREED. And those people who think writing isn’t a “real job” are just watermelon heads anyway. *stamps foot* And the publisher has a LOT of control behind a book, too, so even if some readers think that a book is “sloppy” or whatnot, there are always a) readers out there who love it, and b) professionals behind it who’ve worked hard on it. XD
I guess I kind of agree in principle, but at the same time I kind of disagree—but you didn’t list any authors who I would disagree upon. I mean, it is totally fine for an author to explore a world with lots of books in lots of ways ALL THE TIME and make them awesome. Percy Jackson, Cassandra Clare, John Flanagan, Leigh Bardugo, heck, even J.R.R. Tolkein mostly wrote stories inside of one massive world he created. And I’m totally cool with that.
But when it comes to writing books only for money—I immediately think about an old series that was important to me: The 39 Clues. And I liked those books, a lot. They helped me find the friends who I am currently friends with and we were all super passionate about it and that was life. The thing about it is, the books are really expensive because of the accompanying card game, each of the books are being written by different authors, and really it feels like it’s the Scholastic publishing company that is dominating the books, not the individual writers themselves. And it’s fine if they want to make money—but the fact that Scholastic is writing it’s like, FOURTH spin-off series, deteriorating in quality, mostly just doing this because it is a financial success instead of a story success—it hardly seems true to the original books at all.
Maybe that sounds unfair of me… And I’ve been out of the loop for a while. But while I don’t blame authors for wanting money to support themselves or even publishing companies, I feel like if they ever lose sight of good writing and make it all about the merchandising, that is when they have failed as a company.
Does that make sense? Because I totally understand money. Money is good. But selling a book for something other than the book bothers me. *folds arms huffily*
It does make sense. *nods seriously* And I think publishers do sometimes stick to things that are “safe” and are guaranteed to make money. Hence we see so many YA books (just for example) that all sound/look the same. Because publishers know they’ll sell. AND THAT’S OKAY, IN A WAY, TOO. Because publishers need to live/make money too. But in a well-ordered universe, art would be the important thing, not the money.
But I don’t think artists/writers should be expected to give away their work for free. *nods again*
Honestly, I don’t get why people complain. Authors love what they do- they wouldn’t be writing if they didn’t. The money is something that allows them to continue to do what they love. If they were ONLY doing it for the money, then wouldn’t they be doing something else?? It’s not like writing is super profitable. Instead, it’s more of a “they get to continue to do what they love because they get paid” kind of thing. And you’re totally right- that shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing. And if people REALLY have a problem with it, then just don’t follow the author and don’t read their books! NO big deal.
Lovely, lovely post Cait! <33
EXACTLY. OMG, LET ME HUG YOU. I don’t think you’d ever pick a career of writing/authoring if you didn’t love it and weren’t passionate, right?! And when an author DOES get set up as an established author with a few bestsellers under the belt…yeah, so what if they’re writing for the money? It’s their career. You can love your career.
I have mixed feelings about this. I can’t say I’ve never looked at an author and thought, “well, they’re just in it for the money,” because I have. And it does make me a little grumpy because I think work and thought and effort should all be put into the work authors produce and expect readers to read.
But then, who gets to say these authors AREN’T putting in effort? I think there’s a difference between loving the world you created and continuing to write in it, or just “writing for money.” And in the end, only the author knows their true intentions when it comes to their books, so I try not to criticize.
Also, I have heard this said about contemporary authors! It’s just said a bit differently. I used to hear a lot about different authors having a “format” or something that they followed and were basically just writing “the same book” again and again. Now that I think about it, though, I’m not sure I’ve seen any of that said recently. Maybe people have moved on to criticizing fantasy authors now?
YESSS. I AGREE! It’s so subjective. Like I’ve read books and labelled them “sloppy” and “boring”…but somewhere, for someone, they’re a total favourite and beloved book. It’s a hard thing when art is so so subjective and interpreted differently for everyone.
Well, as an aspiring author who wants to be published and make money out of her career, I think it’s okay to write for the money, AS LONG AS YOU LOVE WRITING IN THE FIRST PLACE. That last bit is important because if you’re ONLY writing for the money and you don’t love the writing craft, it’s going to show on your work, and that’s bad.
YES YES EXACTLY. And would you pick writing if you weren’t passionate about it anyway?!! PROBABLY NOT. It’s such a hard career to move forward in and make enough to even live.
OK I actually have an opinion on this so my comment could be long.
I’m coming at this as well from the perspective of music, which you mentioned. A lot of the music I like, especially the modern stuff, isn’t very famous and will almost never get on the radio. In music if you want to be famous there are a lot of things you can’t do. There are certainly a lot of incredibly creative mainstream musicians, like Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West (well, it depends) and Hozier, but there are a lot who sacrificed artistic integrity and ambition in favour of money. In underground music you can literally do anything you want. You’re artistic vision (if you have a decent label and a decent recording budget) is basically unhampered. However, there are a lot of artists who, over the years, have stopped making boundary pushing music and instead focusing on things that will sell. I think music is important. I think musicians should try to made enduring statements rather than just trying to make money. If I become a writer (vaguely possible) or a musician (decidedly less possible) I would want to push as many boundaries as I can (part of the reason I’m hesitant is because I don’t think I’d actually be able to come up with anything original).
If you treat books (or music or film and all that) as pure mindless entertainment, then it’s fine to just go for the money without any drive to pursue something new. However, if you take books seriously, then writing something original, moving and ambitious is more important, even if it may not sell well (of course this is working under the assumption that books that sell well aren’t ambitious, which isn’t true, but just bear with me).
It all comes down to what you value more: writing something important or paying the bills. If you just write because you need money, go ahead and take the second route. However, you have to bear in mind that if all writers don’t go out of their comfort zone and just do the same thing over and over again because it sells, the literary world will be boring as fuck. As I said, there are many ambitious and groundbreaking books that sold very well, but it’s far easier to make a cheap dime off a simplistic thriller (I’m not talking shit about thrillers by the way, when done well they can be incredible) or something like that than it is on something original. If too many authors take the lazy route literature will stagnate.
I know I come off like a pretentious dick but I’ll try not to for the last paragraph. Basically, I feel that if an author sacrifices artistic integrity and originality in favour of money, they’re not really an author. They’re just the same as someone in an office, they’re merely doing a job. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not incredibly fulfilling or engaging. Obviously the best thing would be to become like Haruki Murakami or something like that. His books sell ridiculously well even though they’re weird and disturbing at times. If I become an author I would rather focus on writing something original, and hoping it sells well, rather than writing something just for the purpose of it selling well.
So yeah that’s what I think anyway. Sorry if it came off as pretentious.
I don’t think you came off as pretentious! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this. 😀 I think, also, one thing to remember with publishing (at least traditional) is that the author doesn’t have 100% control over what happens either. Plus it’s subjective. Like I’ll read a book and think it’s sloppy and the author didn’t take much care…but it’s always someone else’s FAVOURITE novel ever. So it definitely depends. And pushing-boundaries is great and a lot of consumers will LOVE IT because it’s original and captivating. but. It can also sink. So I get, too, why publishers also seem to publish a lot of the SAME stuff. because they need to make livings too.
I wonder if any author would do it purely for the money…it’s such a HUGE and BRAIN TAXING career, right?! I feel like it’s not something you could mindlessly do. BUT THEN I’M NOT EVERY AUTHOR SO I DO NOT KNOW. *nods* And I know some authors (like probably 50 Shades of Grey) will purely write more because it sells well. 🙁
Bless this post! TBH, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complain about someone writing for money; but I have seen it /over/ and /over again/ about films, especially P. Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. People are always complaining about them. It annoys me a lot, even though there are a lot of things I don’t like about the trilogy myself. It’s perfectly fine for people to do art for the money! If they aren’t doing it for the love of it, too, then eventually it will go down in quality and people will stop buying it, and they’ll stop producing it. People need to chill about the “art shouldn’t be done to make money” thing. It’s illogical and prejudiced.
Also, I tagged you for the Tag of Happiness, if you want to do it. 🙂
hehe, thanks, Lily! :DD I TOTALLY AGREE: it’s okay to art for the money. I think there’s always a measure of doing it for the love as well…because I don’t see how you could keep motivated for something as demanding as art/writing WITHOUT a certain amount of love/passion for it. And I do think it’s sad that movies get such a bashing for “stringing it out”. *sigh* I think there is a bit of author/writing-discrimination in this universe, though, that people feel that writing isn’t “important” enough or something. 🙁 WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO ART FOR FREE.
This honestly baffles me as well. Being an author is not only a hobby, but also it can be a career. Careers are supposed to bring people money, so they can live happy lives. If this is the case, why should we be upset when they write more books in worlds people enjoy. Nobody ever asks why Justin Bieber or Nicki Minaj keeps making new songs and they do it for money as well. Then why should it be a problem for authors? I mean it’s their job. What else do we expect them to do? Great post Cait!
YESSSS. EXACTLY! Any other career it’s perfectly acceptable to be doing it and getting paid. No one criticises bands for doing tours or writing tons of songs or coming out with new albums. And writing is art, just like music is.
I actually am completely on your side.
And by the way loved the GIFs throughout the post, especially the captain america one. Who can not love a post where he is included?
Back to what i actually wanted to say.
I don’t understand why people complain about authors writing more books in a series. I can understand why people say they don’t want to read them anymore. That is perfectly fine. You have tried it you are done. I understand. I have series as well that just got to long for me to follow and i stopped. But why complain about it?
And you are also very right about the fantasy world authors, get a huge amount of complains for writing what many people want and really enjoy to read and that nobody seems to do it for the contemporary writes. They are all basically the same, fantasy has so many different worlds.
But i don’t understand why people complain about it at all, especially because i can not think of many people that don’t dream about doing their dream job -or being a writer or review or something of that nature- and actually earning money they can live off from.
And i never heard anyone say to a cook in a restaurant for example: Hey why are you getting paid for cooking my food! You clearly enjoy cooking, do it for free!
Fantastic post and important topic! Loved it! 🙂
Captain America makes every post better. XD
AHH BUT I’M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THIS, DAWNIE. That makes me so glad! 😀
I feel like people grow out of series, but instead of walking away, they try to burn down the fandom as they leave. 0_0 It’s so mean! It spoils enjoyment for other people too, *sigh* And if a fantasy writer has spent yeeears building their world, why shouldn’t they write a ton of books in it?! Omg, they’ve done the hard work!!
I don’t think we should expect artists to be giving their work for free. GAWSH. It just doesn’t seem fair. Any other profession it would be stupid…I LOVE YOUR EXAMPLE. SPOT ON. I 100% AGREE.
You are completely right about the growing out of a series. I just don’t understand why they feel the need to put it down if they no longer love it. They clearly enjoyed it to a specific point, otherwise they wouldn’t have read it.
I don’t understand people sometimes.
But maybe that is because i really do try to see the work that the authors put into their work and while it might not be what i personally enjoy, i still know that there are people that will enjoy it.
I clearly wouldn’t like hearing that what i do sucks or i should stop what i love doing, simply because a few people don’t enjoy what i am doing. That would be horrible.
Which is why i think posts like this one you wrote here are so important. So that maybe people that do it, read this and see a different side of it and understand that it is stupid what they are doing. 🙂
I don’t understand humans MOST of the time. XDXD They are odd little creatures. *digs self hermit hole and lives there*
You are so right. But that little hermit hole is hard to get books delivered to, so sadly that is not an option for me. I will just continue to shake my head and not understand instead. 😉
You know, I’ve never really given this topic serious thought. I think if it’s a scenario like Cassandra Clare writing loads of stories based on her Shadowhunter world then yes she should definitely carry on writing those! I know I would love to read every word she writes about it! She’s combining her art with her career, and at the end of the day isn’t that what all aspiring writers want? Yes, we should stay true to ourselves and be as original as we can be but if the public wants MORE of what you can do then why not?
There are certain examples though that make me feel like maybe publishing companies only published a certain book because that theme is currently selling well. I actually mentioned this in my recent post, but I feel like Red Queen is just way too similar to some other very popular novels, and it’s actually baffling to think about HOW it managed to get published when those similarities are SOOO obvious! Yes, it’s a fun read but it just feels like a bit of a rip off :/
YESSSS. Plus, if humans weren’t buying Cassandra Clare’s books, you can believe publishers wouldn’t keep publishing them to be “nice”. They’re in it for a business too. And particularly with people like Cassandra Clare, writing is now her JOB. So if she stopped writing she’d be out of a job. Why would anyone want that?!! So I think it’s 100% reasonable that she could be writing for money. (Not saying she is or anything. I have no idea! :D)
Agreed about Red Queen. 🙁 But then I do know (from being on the inside a bit) that publishers DO look for certain criteria in books and they DO want books they know will sell well because they’re trying to make a living too. And I guess people who aren’t mass readers wouldn’t have noticed Red Queen wasn’t terribly unique?? I NOTICED THO.
This is a good post, it raises some fair points. I agree that we shouldn’t be shaming authors who want to make money doing something they love. I think it’s when they’re in the writing business solely for the money that it becomes a problem.
Thanks for posting this! It was really thought provoking 🙂
~Haley @ My Addiction: Books
AHH THANk YOU!! I’m glad you enjoyed it. XD
It is okay for writers to write for money if…
1. They don’t expect a certain amount and throw a temper tantrum if the book(s) isn’t selling well.
2. They don’t quickly and sloppily write a book based on their previously well written and popular books just to turn a buck.
3. They don’t write formulaic books, such as drugstore romance paperbacks, and get mad when they aren’t selling for the same price as novels that were labored over by other authors.
4. They don’t use and/or betray their faithful readers by throwing a bunch of fashion and romance into an already established YA series storyline to make it more mainstream. If you want to write formulaic romance to make money, and you are already well established in a dissimilar genre, please write under a different name and not trick your fans into buying something they won’t want. Also, authors who already make good money with popular books selling 30 page ebook short stories, and calling them novellas, for 99¢ makes me see red; I’m looking at you Bardugo!
I could go on and on.
The problem is that the core of writing is considered an Art form and things that are written solely for money go against that. It is in a way disrespecting the Art of it. It isn’t that people don’t think writers should make money, it is they feel that shouldn’t be their motivation.
I think a lot of these can apply to self-published authors, but for traditional…well, the publisher has a LOT of control over these!! And for traditional ones, there’s always a team of professionals behind it too, so I always feel like deciding if a book is sloppy can be subjective. BUT GAH. IT’S A TOUGH ONE. And I think it’s nice when authors do use a pseudonym if they’re changing their audience. It’s kind of polite, you know?! XD And the novellas and prices comes back to the publishers, not the authors. But yeah, I struggle to pay money for teeny tiny novellas. 🙁
I don’t think it’s fair tho!! I mean, art is wonderful, but we shouldn’t expect artists to work hard for free. It isn’t fair.
Not for me. If the motivation for writing the book is to make money, and not to tell the story that is waiting to bust out of your head, with the attitude if it makes money all the better, but if it doesn’t I have still published my story with heart and soul, that is not really writing. I think all of my favorite writers were first and foremost telling a story and saw the money is a perk. In fact some of my favorite writers are still working their day jobs. A.G. once told me that she would have been happy with just making enough for one really great family vacation, and that holding the published book in her hands was the real payment., I think that is one of the components that separates the good from the excellent, wanting to; tell a story above all is the essence of a writer in my thinking.
Thank you for writing this post, it’s well written and it’s a major problem for writers (and for me personally), a lot it stems from classicist ideals that have snowballed over the years, only the wealthy could make art (regardless of medium) because they were the only ones who could devote their free time to developing their craft.
In Australia (where I live), things like education and literary art aren’t highly valued (visual art on the other hand is more valued and more likely to gain financial reimbursement), there is a large sort of reverse snobbery or anti-intellectualism with regards to it. The attitude is the artist should be satisfied with just the joy of creating a work art, but as you’ve said, it’s just not practical.
FJADLSK THANK YOU, BR KYLE!! I absolutely edited this a million times just hoping I wasn’t being too ranty and got my point across okay. xD SO THIS IS GREAT NEWS. And omg I never thought about it from that perspective but yes to the wealth-make-art back in the day. I am Australian too! *Australianish hi five* And I agree. I feel like our country sucks at supporting art and education. -_-Which is really stupid, because the human culture IS art and it needs to be supported. I don’t think it’s fair for us, as consumers, to think that artists should just “do it for the love”. If you’re making something fabulous then you DESERVE to be paid for it.
Author is no different a career than say accountant or regional manager. But, a lot of people (myself included sometimes, I must admit) have romanticized the job title. It seems like less a career choice to pay the bills and more to sustain the soul. Sometimes we have to take a step back and remind ourselves that authors have to feed themselves and take care of their families and pay their electric companies just like everyone else.
YESSSS. I LOVE THIS COMMENT. THIS COMMENT IS GOLDEN. And plus, I think people can get mad at those authors who HAVE published a billion books…but by that time, their job now is AUTHOR. And they need to keep the books coming and keep the deals coming. So yes, technically they’re now writing for money?? I just don’t see why that’s a bad thing. An artist could paint for money and no one would be growling. 🙁
Great post Cait! I haven’t heard of this argument from this perspective before. I think I’d tend to agree with you, as long as the books the authors write don’t go down in quality. Then I get annoyed. But otherwise, yeah, PEOPLE NEED MONEY. :/
(P.S. Pecan pie is relatively easy, in my opinion. Also delicious. So really a great phrase all around)
Pecan pie is just so delicious. Not as delicious as apple, but it SOUNDS better to say. Pecan! Pecan! *ahem*
I’m glad it was an interesting discussion! 😀 I’m pretty passionate about this one since I’d reeeally love to break into the publishing world myself. I’m doing it because I love it, but also because I want to make a career out of it. MONEY IS NICE TO EXIST ON.
I see this frequently but I don’t remember when or how. I do have an answer for your question though because I had thoughts like this in other paranormal books that are so long.
I think that the reason people say this stuff is because if a story is meant to be written within 3 books, and then it turns out the series extends up to 10 books, the story will be stretched out = reader will lose interest thus saying “oh this author is just doing it for money. There will be a lot of irrelevant/unnecessary stuff in books 4-10 because this story is meant to have 3 books only”. Also, I agree with Jo. If authors are doing it for money (which makes sense because that’s their career) that means money is more important to them than having passion for what they’re doing. A story that could have been written better might not happen because the author will probably be like “ehhh this is good enough I want my moneyyy”.
I just think if I find out an author is writing solely for the money, I’ll most likely not buy their book compared to an author who writes books because they’re passionate about it. For me, authors who write for money is like a blogger who blogs for ARCs.
This is a really good discussion, Cait! I see your point though and I also do agree with yours.
Ah, yes, I do get what you’re saying, but I guess it can be subjective too. *nods sadly* I mean, an author CAN do it for the movie and still write a massively passionately wonderful book. And I mean, if you’re a professional author and it’s your sole career, you COULD be doing it for the money — technically — at the end because it IS your career. Right??? So yeah, it’s a tricky one. I don’t think the money vs love HAS to indicate how good the book turns out…but of course it can!! And some series do seem like they’re stretched too thin 🙁 But then there’s obviously a professional editor behind it too so, yes, XD
So many interesting viewpoints on this one. 😉
Totally agree! Like- isn’t it good to love your job? Isn’t authors writing ALL the books just a good example of that? I don’t get that AT ALL. People get paid to do all kinds of things- sing, dance, stand around in pretty clothes, basketball players get played to… play a game… and why not? We are paying for these things, so… why wouldn’t they do them? People read and pay for a book, an author likes writing said book, that sounds like a BIG win all around!
Because here’s the beauty- if you don’t LIKE the book, guess what you can do? Not read it! No one will be any the wiser, you’ll still have your $15, and the author can sell the books to the people who DO like them. Look, I am over Shadowhunters, and I am not going to be spending anymore of my dollars on them, BUT if people like them and Cassandra likes writing them? Sounds like a big old win for everyone. And luckily, she and Shadowhunters aren’t the only author/series in the world, so I’m pretty sure everyone who DOESN’T like those books will be able to find another book or thousand to read. It’ll be fine.
Also, the “love of the art” is awesome in theory, but it’s going to be really hard to get published when you’re living in a cardboard box because love doesn’t pay the damn bills. Gr.
This post made me mad at other humans. But, at least I agree with you, and that’s all that really matters anyway. 😀
Yesss. WRITER DISCRIMINATION, TO BE HONEST. Chefs have a signature dish and no one growls at them for it. *Shrugs* Humans are weird.
AND YES. YOU ARE SO SPOT ON! NO one is ever forcing anyone to read books…so if you grow out of them?! IT’S OKAYT O MOVE ON! But I feel like sometimes people move on and feel like they need to destroy everything in their wake. Which is a teeny bit selfish, tbh.
And one cannot have WiFi in said cardboard box. *nods sagely*
I mean, you MIGHT get wi-fi in the box, but you definitely wouldn’t have electricity. So you’d get a few hours of writing with a laptop and then… you’re done 🙁
OMG. ARE YOU DESCRIBING THE PIT OF DESPAIR TO ME NOW, SHANNON????
Yeah, I don’t understand why people make such a big deal out of this either Cait. I mean this is their profession; this is how they earn a living. Who is to criticize them for wanting to make money in their career, especially after all the tedious editing and revisions and stress they have to go through to publish the book in the first place? Thanks for sharing your two cents and, as always, love the post! ❤️
YESSS. and it’s so hard to get a book-deal these days, so that if a publisher gives them the go-ahead, it seems really awful that we, readers, will criticism them for it. I HAVE BEEN GUILTY BEFORE THO, TOO.
I have to say, I do agree, but it’s only recently when I’ve found that I’m doing exactly this – well, not about the ‘for the money’ part, but the part where they write loads from what one world, or one type, you know? I’ve used the phrase ‘milking to cow’ and I feel so bad because a) if people like it, they’ll keep writing it, b) I don’t have to to read it if I don’t like it, and c) because it’s up to them what they write, you know? I felt so ashamed when it took me a while to see this, but I see it now. Writing is hard, REALLY HARD, and they make a living from it, usually just about, and that’s tough, but they do it, and we shouldn’t slander them for it. Great post Cait! 🙂
WRITING IS REALLY HARD. *collapses* And I’ve said things I regret about authors/publishing too so shhhhh do not worry. x) My worst is thinking that authors control what they publish and huffing about them, but is really untrue, actually. Publishers have most of the control behind an authors series/books. And tbh, I grew up of John Flanagan’s book and started groaning whenever I saw a new one and had to take myself aside and give myself a series talking to.
Hey, as long as people are buying/borrowing/reading their books, authors can do whatever they want. I mean, if the publishers agree, who’s there to stop them? If I find that a series has stretched out too much (sorry, I know you love Shadowhunters but I stopped at book 5 of the Mortal Instruments, I think), I just quit reading. Nobody’s forcing me to buy the stuff, I choose where my money goes.
I do wish, sometimes, that books were standalones instead of series because the plot seems too stretched-out, and because reading a series is much more of a commitment – both in terms of time and money. But that’s a personal preference and I still read LOADS of series that stretch on and on (like I’m 6 books into Robert Jordan’s series that has 14 800-900-page books. THAT’s a commitment).
I love standalones too because it’s like “YES I READ A BOOK AND IT’S DONE” instead of being tortured over years for the next instalments. XD I’m dying with A Game of Thrones because omg, the next books don’t even have RELEASE DATES *hyperventilates with nerves*
I feel like I’ve heard a few instances of stories being dragged on. They can do as they please, it’s their art. I wouldn’t want a YA writer that’s doing it solely for the money, because then they don’t really care about the teens or young adults that they are writing for. I feel that writers doing it just for the money in the past have been rude to their patrons, and so if they don’t do it for the art as well, then I feel that eventually causes problems.
However, who am I to decide the statutes of the creation of content in the YA portion of the book world? One that desires to create art, should then create the art they desire. And even if that means that they care more about themselves and the money then the people receiving the art…well it’s still fair. Because, in the end, you don’t make good art for the people that will be analyzing it, and appreciating it. You make it for yourself. To express yourself, to be yourself a little more than you were before, to learn from yourself. Making good art is about you, and not always the people but your own creative goals. We make blogs, and although I don’t necessarily speak for all in this context although I utilize the term “we”, as much as we may appreciate the love from those viewing and following, it’s always more about the content creator than the content consumer in the end. So, I can look at this with the view of both, and in the end, it’s more about the content creator and thus the content creator should not be judged for wanting to make content to make money. Because they are making the content not just for the money, but in the end also for themselves.
I personally as a content creator do it for me. And when I get a job in the book industry, I will be working to assist in making content purely for my being enamoured with art and all that is, and I am also aware I would be able to at least live off of the money seeing others successful with that. I mean, if I couldn’t live off of it, then I couldn’t get the job, you know? But my main steer is the love for the art, and that’s what I’ll be doing when I grow up.
Another brilliant post, Cait! So thought provoking!
Yay, I’m glad you liked it. 😀 I really wonder if ANY author would do it “just for the money”? I feel like it’s more of a term readers throw around uneducatedly. 🙁 Especially in YA. It’s so competitive and HARD to get published in the YA industry now (eep believe me, I know) so I really don’t think it’s something you’d go into solely for the money. ALTHOUGH. I think it’s fair that established authors can and should be fully okay and supported to use writing as their career. Anyone else who chooses a career isn’t expected to do it for free! Why should authors?!!
hehe, I’m glad the post made sense too, and wasn’t too ranty. xD
I think it’s perfectly okay! Especially if it’s your only source of income, the way I see it you’re getting paid to do something you enjoy which is just a complete BONUS!
IT IS. IT IS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE! Why wouldn’t one try to pursue that?!
I so agree with you on this one. Writing is already notorious for being a low paying career, so of course authors need to write to make money. I don’t understand why some people have a problem with this, because guess what? Living in this world kind of requires that people have money, which is why people take up certain careers. Eventually, pretty much everyone is going to need to get a job to support themselves and their family. Maybe that doesn’t sound artistic, but it is realistic. Also, I think that when people say that they don’t understand how hard it is to write a book. If they did, they would know that to plot and write and edit and Edit and EDIT and publish a book is a lot of work. If authors don’t love that book and love writing, then they likely aren’t going to go through the whole process. Therefore, they aren’t writing JUST to make money. Yes, money is a part of it, but it’s not all of it.
Gah, it does require money. It’d be nice to live on love and rainbows, but IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY. And I feel like authors who might’ve started just fore pure love of it, might turn it into a career…and you can’t just quit your career. So therefore they might end up writing for the money because they have to live. AND IT SHOULD BE OKAY. We shouldn’t be sniffed at for writing to try and get a career in it…sport people aren’t.
Hey Cait!
I didn’t think that people actually criticized authors for this. At least, this is the first time that I’ve heard of this. So it’s great that I read this because now I’m a little more knowledgeable about the relationship between authors and readers.
Anyways, I think it’s ludicrous that authors are criticized for writing “for money”. I think it’s rare that authors ever write solely to get money because 99% of the time, they love writing too. As readers, we don’t really know the true reason a book is written but I’d say it’s for fans and the authors themselves. Like really! There are hundreds of people that are in jobs they hate. I guess the same could be said for an author but if I was an author and I hated it and was only in it for the money, I wouldn’t do it!
On top of this, historically artists were commissioned for their work. It was the only way they could realistically be an artist. They paint a portrait or sell a piece of artwork to others. They did art for themselves, not necessarily because they wanted the money. Naturally, for starving artists, there may come a time when they have to do art for money but it’s not always their primary goal isn’t it? They have to live somehow and that requires money.
I think this a great topic. A person’s motivation is definitely interesting but it can be completely personal.
Kelly @ Dancing Through the Pages
I have actually heard this complaint a LOT of times, which inspired me to write the post (not from anyone I know personally…just in general, you know?). I think authors probably all start off for the love of it. But what about established authors who’ve made themselves a career from writing? They kind of HAVE to keep writing in order to live – ergo, I guess we can say they ARE writing for money?? Doesn’t mean they’re not writing for love too!!
I think being an artist should be treated the same as being a … carpenter! Or football player! THEY GET PAID AND IT’S OKAY. Why shouldn’t we too?
What you’re saying completely makes sense; it’s a job and they have to make money from it. You can’t pay your bills with the joy of having your book published.
I think the only time I would complain about an author writing to make money if the storyline had really suffered, and it became clear that they were just trying to drag the series out. Does that make sense?
For example, it really annoyed me that the Mockingjay film is being split into 2 parts. That’s just for money, there’s no need to do it. It really annoys me when alllll books are split into 2, because it’s always unnecessary. Don’t even get me started on The Hobbit being turned into 3 films. I digress. The books were split for money. If an author split a book, or purposely wrote even more books to eek the series out, then I would moan about them writing for money.
Oh oh it does make sense. Although I kind of really truly do think that a (traditionally published) author usually has less control over that, you know?? Like they’ve got an entire publishing house behind them and they might’ve been contracted to write more books, or something. AND books are so subjective too…like I might think a book’s plot lacked, but the next person though it was perfect. THAT IS WHY AUTHORLING IS SO HARD.
I agree for the Hobbit and disagree for Mockingjay. XDD I CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH HUNGER GAMES, THB. HEHE Although I really have no idea what they’re going to do with Allegiant in two parts…
I think it’s perfectly fine to write for the money. I mean, I hope the author WANTS to write about those characters or in that world. I wouldn’t want them to feel pressured by people, but if they want to and it gives them good money, then fantastic. I’d love to be a published author, but now only is that difficult, it’s not normal for authors to LIVE off that alone, and it would be a dream come true if I could…and I’m sure for other writers too.
-Lauren
Omg, I knoooow, right?! I’ve seen well-established and amazing authors admit they can’t live off what they earn. :O Writing isn’t a good career if you want to make a quick buck I guess. BUT STILL. I think it is 100% plausible for it to be a career. No one goes into a career hoping not to make any money. HELLO. NO THEY DON’T. Grr. It only seems writers get slack for it. I see people also say “well that author is famous, so I’m not buying their books…they have enough money already”. That’s wrong too. It’s their career and they shouldn’t be “punished” for writing a book people like. 😐
Just because one person is sick of a certain topic doesn’t mean the rest of the fandom is. If enough people stop buying the author’s books in a certain world, she will stop writing them (or at least publishing them). I’m just going to assume you’re talking about Cassandra Clare, at least in part. No matter how someone loves their job, they’re also doing it to support themselves. That’s just how the world works. Expecting compensation for their art doesn’t make an author a sell-out, it makes them a responsible adult. Honestly, people just like having something to complain about. Apparently it’s easier for people to make a big fuss about “too many books” in a certain world than to just mind their own business and stop reading them. Why, people, why? Maybe instead of wasting everyone’s time, you could GO READ A BOOK.
Yesssss. I absolutely agree. I just feel like a shrivelled up turnip when I see my favourite authors getting bashed. :O I am mostly talking about Cassandra Clare. 😉 You see right through me. I totally get that her books aren’t for everyone, but IT’S SUBJECTIVE. I feel like readers often forget how subjective books are.
AMEN!!!!! SO MUCH AMEN!!!! ALL THE AMEN!!!!!
WELL, THANK YOU, TINA. <3
Thank you, thank you for publishing this post! I am at such odds with myself as to why I want to write and publish a book.
Yes, I love to write and I love to make people happy and smile when they read my words. It is an absolute joy when someone likes and appreciates your writing…
But I also realized that since I have been given this skill/ability to write, is making a profit from it so bad? After all, why do people read books? To be entertained, thrilled, taken into a different world away from their reality? To learn something new?
Hollywood actors have been making movies for exactly the same reasons as do musicians who record their music. They entertain us and make us feel emotions…And they get paid for sharing their craft with us…
But other artists, such as painters and writers (those are the first two that come to mind; there are many more artist genres) could be criticized for wanting to create works and get paid for it. That they should create art for simply wanting to create art…
I often think if I really love to write and if I were really meant to be a writer, I would just do it to make people happy and take no money for it.
Seriously, I swear I feel so guilty wanting to earn money for my writing that’s why I did a Google search tonight and found your blog here…
Your analogy of other careers in which it’s possible people go into it for the money is spot on…
Isn’t it ok as writers to create something for someone’s enjoyment (and for our sense of expression) PLUS still want to get paid for it?
After all, a girl’s gotta eat pecan pie every so often…
Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease…and for all those who commented out there too. Really helpful advice…I’ve got to get back to the typewriter 🙂
OMG. HELLO VITA AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMMENTING! <3 And this comment just basically made my day because you are 100% spot-on. I do NOT think you (or me!) needs feel bad for wanting to make money from writing. I love writing. I absolutely adore it. But...would I write if I knew I'd never get paid for it and I was "expected" to give it away for free? To be honest...probably not. I think it's ridiculous how some forms of art are perfectly accepted to be paid for and others (like books) are kind of just eye-rolled and dismissed. Like you wouldn't groan if a band went on tour right?! That's what they DO. And yes hte play the same songs over and over...but THAT's WHAT THEY DO. And if authors pen too many books people just complain that they're "doing it for the money"!?! WELL TOO RIGHT THEY ARE. AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
Art is hard work and we shouldn't be expected to give it away for free.
Best of luck with your own WIP and I hope you get published (and paid!!) for it one day! 😀
For me, I think the issue mostly lies around unnecessary additions to series. I’m not bothered about an author writing something to make money – as you said, it’s their career, and we’ve all got to live. What I DO resent though, is when a perfect standalone novel is extended into a series, despite the fact that it doesn’t need to be. OR when a trilogy is continued but the story has basically disappeared. I find that some authors seem to lose their motivation to write after the first few books, and things start to go downhill. If the reader can tell that an author is uninspired, it’s hardly going to be a great reading experience, is it? What I’d love to see more of is authors writing series, and then writing a new standalone. And then maybe writing a completely DIFFERENT series. And then another new standalone. If I love an author, the likelihood is that I’ll like ALL of their characters, including new ones. I just hate the idea of an author feeling forced to write the same stories, just because that’s what sells.
Meh, maybe it’s just me.
Beth x
Ah, I do understand this. And I’ve read books where I feel like the plot just flopped into nothingness, buuuut…I guess that’s subjective at the same time??? Like some hungry fans wouldn’t care WHAT the plot was about so long as it featured what they love about the characters/author’s style. So *shrugs* I see it both ways.
But tbh, if my favourite author wrote a plot-less book I’D STILL READ IT BECAUSE I’M OBSESSED WITH THEIR BOOKS. hehe
Really interesting discussion. I definitely agree that it only seems to be artists who are criticised for making money from what they do, which in turn links back to this horrendous idea around the world today that artists should make art for free. You wouldn’t tell a brain surgeon you’d pay him in experience, and an artist – whether they’re a writer, photographer, painter, dancer, actor – can’t buy food and pay the bills with experience. I think you make a great point, too, when you mentioned that some writers make their money solely from writing. Not every writer has a second job, and, once again, it’s a shame so many have to; you never hear of a businessman working in retail ‘on the side’.
It does make me smile when you see people complain that there are too many books about a certain world. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of books set on earth, but we don’t say there’s ‘too much earth’.
I think the only time I have a problem – though, as you so rightfully say, readers don’t have to read a certain book if they’ve had their fill of that particular world or series – is when it’s so obvious that the author no longer has an interest. Now obviously we can’t criticise authors for wanting to earn money so they don’t die, but it does make me sad when you see writers who don’t care about the characters or the world or the quality of the book anymore, they just want to keep churning out crap. But if I ever feel like that’s happening, I just stop reading. Writers need to be able to pay their rent and afford enough food to make meals, and if that’s their only source of income then I can’t criticise them for it.
Okay, first I want to say that I generally agree. Authors should get paid for the work they do, and it’s not a bad thing, full stop. Also, writing is incredibly hard and there is NO guarantee that you’ll ever make enough money off it to support yourself (and your potential family), so I’d say 99.9% of authors are in it because they love writing (or can’t not write, whether they love it or not).
HOWEVER, I think when people criticize authors like Cassandra Clare for it, it’s more because they care about the story and less about the fact that that person is making money off of it? I could be wrong, but I feel that when someone says something along those lines it’s almost always because they feel in some way disappointed by the story. OF COURSE you can just stop buying the books, but at the same time you care about the characters and the world because you’ve fallen in love with it and if there are more books you want to know what happens, but you also want it to be GOOD. Now good is obviously entirely subjective, but sometimes it just feels like a story’s exceeded its natural ending point, I guess? Which again, is a subjective feeling, and someone else might (and probably will) feel entirely different about it.
I love that you mention publishers here as well, because I don’t think the fact that they have a lot of control over the book they’re publishing is something a lot of people are aware of. I mean I technically KNOW it, but it still slips my mind sometimes. Oops. Of course authors could just refuse to make the changes the publisher asks for, but then they won’t get published, won’t get paid and everyone loses, so yeah… not really a valid option.
I think what I’m trying to say is I sort of understand where some people are coming from when they say authors are just in it for the money, but I absolutely agree that OF COURSE authors who want to make writing their career are in it for the money and they SHOULD be, and it’s absolutely their prerogative to keep writing in a world they created and a lot of people love. I think the reason they get more backlash than, to use your example, a dentist is because people care so much about their work. No one really cares about teeth, but a lot of people CARE about what Jace’s next last name is going to be.
It really annoys me that people criticise authors for this. They’re not just writing about the same world/characters because of the money, but also because they enjoy writing about it and the story in their mind isn’t done yet. Not to mention there are plenty of fans who DO want to read it! And agreed, what is wrong with writing for the money?! We all need money to survive, authors are just lucky to make it by doing what they love! I only hope that one day I’ll make a living by writing!
As someone who wants to be an author for a career, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to write for money. My only problem comes when the quality of the work degrades exponentially. As long as the writer keeps writing good content and makes money for good work, I’m all for it.
Exactly! No one complains when a band makes the same type of music… That’s what people love, that’s their job. PEOPLE NEED TO AFFORD CAKE AND WIFI. How else would one live?!
After reading Rick Riordan’s new Greek Heroes book, I whole-heartedly agree with this. Just because you love a character doesn’t mean you have to abandon them.
Also, I ate pecan pie today. It IS easy to finish! 🙂
You are so right about this – authors want their books to sell. Of course they do! I mean, I know we all like to romanticize the starving artist, but let’s face it – no one wants to actually be one. I think a lot of people overestimate what authors make too. I think they imagine that they’re paid like movie stars. (Although, I guess you could still say – “Those darn movie stars – they’re just in movies for the money!”) With the exception of some really huge names, even popular authors need to keep producing to do well financially. That’s just a fact. And there are lots of people who still love their books (or they wouldn’t sell), so why not write them?
NO ONE. BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO PECAN PIE AND THAT WOULD BE SAD. *nods* And, I still think, with any career, if you have the talent to do it, why not get paid for it?? Movie stars and film directors too. >_< I mean, YES, they're all in it "for the money" but it's also their passion and their craft, right?? And YUS. It really bugs me when people say (and I've heard this) that they're not supporting famous authors because "they've got enough money already". Noo???? They have to keep paying bills and living??? Writing is their career??? Gah.
I JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS. You made all the right points, Cait. Like, if you’re writing a book and want to publish it so that you can make a living, yes, you are doing it for the money. That’s kind of the point! You need to live. You wannna write a book and you want others to like the book. I do not understand how this doesn’t compute with some people. *sighs*
Also…
PECAN! PIE! PECAN! PIE! ‘Tis indeed quite fun. To say, at least. *quietly chants “pecan pie” into sunset*
*chants pecan pie with you* I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT PECAN PIE BUT I ENJOY SAYING THE WORDS.
Ahem.
But yesss, I totally agree with you! I don’t see why writer isn’t like any other career you can be passionate for and want to make money in. Like a professional musician loves music AND wants to be paid. Why not authors?!
I don’t even want to read from Cassie Clare ever again, and that’s the end of it. No fuss.
I don’t see why artists have to starve for other people. It’s their living, they need to support themselves. It’s not rocket science. Publishing is still a business, people. This whole issue also reminds me of another book-related issue, but I shouldn’t say more. Bottom line: people need money. I won’t judge.
I completely agree with your post – these authors recieve an unfair amount of criticism. Sometimes it doesn’t even need to be about the money. If I wrote a series as successful as Rick Riordan or Cassandra Clare then I would definitely make the most of that, especially if I have more ideas and if I enjoyed writing it. I don’t think that they would have continued telling stories set in the same world if they did not enjoy the process of writing. Plus now people recognise their names, there will be tons of people who will pick up any book they write, whether it be set in the same universe or not.
I personally find myself loosing interest in The Shadowhunter Chronicles, but just because I may not continue reading them, doesn’t mean that Clare should stop writing them!
This post is beautiful. I love it when you share your opinions Cait (yes, they are quite obviously the best. XD).
PECAN PIE. Have you eaten it? I live in, like, the capitol of Pecandom (totally thing, i.e. Texas) so there be’s lots of pecan pie. PECANS ARE YUMMY.
This is such a stupid thing to say!!!! It actually makes me sad when I read this in reviews. How does anyone KNOW if it’s just for the money anyway? The author might just have more story to tell or love the world/character. I usually see it written about Cassandra Clare and, no, I still haven’t ,anaged to get through her first book, but that’s just me. Look at the number of people who love her books!!!! It is totally worth her writing more of them – I bet some of her readers are bouncing off the walls in delight. What sort of person moans about MORE books?!?There could be a billion PJO books and I would read them all. Same with most series that I read…
Whoa. People actually shame authors for writing because of the money? *facepalm*
I don’t get it. It’s their JOB, like you perfectly stated, so they SHOULD make money. I know there’s the “they only do it for the money and not because it’s their passion” card getting thrown around with topics like these, but writing a book is so much work, and only the passion for writing can really push you to finish writing a 300+ page novel. So don’t give me that crap.
And besides. They also have bills to pay and mouths to feed. Do people not realize this? They need a way to make money, and if being an author’s their job, then they have the right to earn money from it. How else are they going to support themselves financially?
With the “writing too many books in that world” comment, I think people should just shut up about it. Yeah, I was once like that, but now I see that if the author wants to write it, then they can do it. Nothing’s stopping them, and nothing’s making ME read it, so I really shouldn’t complain. And that goes for everyone else.
Besides, I’m pretty sure if J. K. Rowling decided to tack on another HP book or Rick Riordan with another PJO book, readers would be going NUTZ. Yes, nuts with a z. That’s how crazy it’d be. So they can’t go and snap at other authors for doing the same thing.
Anyway, great post!! Sorry, my comment’s kind of long, haha. ^.^
I feel like it’s writer-discrimination! It’s okay to be a professional musician and “do it for money” because IT’S YOUR JOB AND YOU NEED MONEY TO LIVE, OMG. So yes. xD I think it’s just excellent if you can make a career out of something you’re passionate about. :’)
The weird thing about the “they’re writing too many books in their world” thing is…if people didn’t love it PUBLISHERS WOULDN’T PUBLISH IT. So the haters are surely a minority, right?! A bitter minority. -_- And it’s such an easy fix – don’t read the book if you don’t want to!
NEVER APOLOGISE FOR AWESOME COMMENTS. <3
I love that you tackled this topic because it’s an issue that really irritates me in regards to Cassie Clare. If an author has worked SO hard to create an extensive fantasy world, then why SHOULDN’T they continue to write in that world? Especially when they branch off and explore different time periods, generations, etc (like Cassie does with The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices).
YAAAAY I’M SO GLAD WE AGREE ON THIS. *hi fives* It angers me every time she gets hate. And half time, I reckon, it’s just because she’s famous. The famous authors get sooo much hate and it’s so wrong. 🙁 I CANNOT WAIT FOR CASSANDRA CLARE’S NEW SERISE TOO. Just the fact that she’s weaving in historical fiction (!!) which is insanely hard to write AND the magic of her own world is just something to be admired.
Pecan Pie is NOT easy, actually. I’d say it’s one of the hardest pies.
But that aside! I was actually just thinking about this. Especially when it came to The Selection Series. It’s not like adding anything to the story; it’s over. But then she wrote it from the viewpoint of The Queen, Aster, The Prince, Marlee (which that’s fair enough, because she has her own story) and did extra takes on America’s daughter (which I don’t even get because according to the first book, only sons get selections) and her mother-in-law. I feel like at some point this stopped being about writing for the love and writing and now you’re just trying to milk all you can out of a popular story. I feel the exact same way about .5’s (I HATE .5’s!!) and the same story from a different viewpoint. What do you think?
Well, I haven’t read the books so I can’t honestly comment…but just from knowing what it’s like to be an author and knowing that, when it’s your job, you can’t just stop writing because you still gotta eat and pay the bills — I have to admit I don’t think the author is merely “milking” it. *shrugs*
Maybe.. I really don’t know how much authors make, so I can’t really fully say this for sure, but I feel like this only happens with really popular series, so instead of being an original story that needs to be told, it just feels like money grubbing to me. Like an author recognizes something’s selling well, so they want to make as many clones of that book as possible instead of writing new stories. I can’t imagine the author would’ve written all of those side viewpoints if The Selection series wasn’t so popular, she’d have gone on to write something else. So instead of writing for the love of writing, it feels more like popping out a cookie-cutter book for the cash.
(I think this may be the first time I’ve ever disagreed with you.)
I think it’s good business, and maybe people don’t like business meshing with books, which is unfortunate.
For example, I built the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin. I originally built it for myself – to make my life as a book blogger easier. But now it’s become a major source of my income.
I then started building off of UBB’s success by creating a series of add-ons that are also extremely useful – like for managing review requests. I never would have built these if UBB wasn’t successful because I would have had to spend my time earning money to pay my bills some other way.
So am I just 100% in it for the money? Am I milking it? Have I lost my love for code and for my customers?
That just feels so different than writing books. That’s just business. But I guess I feel like writing should be something more.
I think writing is something that we (unfairly) idealize because it’s considered an art.
My experience may be a business, but it didn’t start out that way. It was a hobby. I only did it for fun. It sort of accidentally became my business.
And although we like to think of writing as only an art, I think as soon as you start making money from it (especially full time) it ALSO becomes a business. It becomes your career. It’s how you pay the bills.
I absolutely agree with Ashley here. I think we kind of put writing in this category of it’s own and it’s unfair to writers!! In the olden days, when Charles Dickens and all those humanoids were writing THEY did it as a career. And their books are revered classics so I think they did something right (?!)
I just still absolutely think you can make money off doing something you love. BECAUSE HOW COOL IS THAT, RIGHT?! No one should have to give away their talents and art for free. I believe we deserve to be paid.
Plus all the authors who maybe started out not expecting to make a career, and then made it into their career…well they can’t just stop writing, right? They have to write = to exist.
At this point, I’m writing for love. Not for money. Mostly because a) my books don’t sell well enough yet (watch me cry in a corner over that) and b) I don’t need money in particular at the moment because I have another job (that I love doing too). BUT if I ever find myself without a job, or in desperate need of money then yes, maybe I’ll write for money. I don’t know. Writing IS a profession. Not everyone can do it just because they enjoy it. People have to make a living.
Awww, I HOPE YOU BECOME A FAMOUS AUTHOR SOON, MAJANKA. I know just how hard it is to break into the publishing world, tbh. *pats shoulder* *feeds you chocolate* I just don’t think there should be this whole stigma of “if you’re writing for money you don’t love it”. Because, sheesh, you wouldn’t find a professional musician playing for solely for themselves with no intention of audience/payment. They PLAY so people can hear their songs and they get money for it so they can afford to live. And that’s okay??! I don’t think anyone goes out to be a professional musician without intending it to support themselves.
I have so much love for this post! It reminds me when an author launched a Kickstarter campaign to help her write a book. She was raising money for things like cover art, editors, and… LIVING EXPENSES while she wrote… HEAVEN FORBID!
It’s like everyone WANTED her to be a starving artist. They were horrified that she’d try to get money to help pay her bills while she wrote a novel. I still feel horrible for her and the backlash she got…
Ahhh, thank you, Ashley! <3 And, ergh, I get so mad when things like that happen. It's like readers think if there's money involved it's not genuine. Which is just unfair and untrue. Does the world want artists and writers just to work for free?? It's not fair! Anyone else who has a profession that they LOVE and are talented at doesn't get flack for charging a lot for it. Even musicians don't get this kind of discrimination, in my opinion.
Another amazing post Cait. I have never really understood the argument, as clearly authors need to make money because otherwise how would they live?!? And they deserve to make money for their art and the amazing stories they give us. But I do get this argument when it feels like an author isn’t writing the book because they actually have an original story to write. I mean, I’ve heard that Grey book by E L James is literally almost quote for quote the same book as Fifty Shades but just from another characters POV. It’s not really offering anything new. But if an author has created an amazing world, why not continue to write in it. If J.K. Rowling released a million more books from the HP world I would not complain at all!!!
AHHH THANK YOU, CHARNELL. I feel really strongly about this topic actually and it drives me a bit nuts, also, when people assume the author is 100% behind what their books are doing. Because it’s usually the publisher. >_> Authors don’t have that much control (especially these days) unless they’re like JK Rowling or George RR Martin.
AGHHH. I totally abandon this WHOLE POST in the face of anything by EL James. Which is pretty hypocritical of me? BUT I CAN’T HELP IT I’M JUST A GIANT BIG “NO” TO THOSE BOOKS. >_< XD
I will throw this out here because I see them happen in the music scene. Some haters were actually selfish fans who just want that author to themselves so when the author gets fame and clamor to write more, they accuse them of being a sell-out. But what they don’t want us to know is that they still read that author’s works in secret (sequels, supplementary novellas and all) in front of an altar they built for that author, while eating a scrumptious slice of pecan pie. It’s this love-hate thing.
Jennilyn @ RurouniJenniReads
so, you’ve just read my mind because I HATE THIS. I hate it in a more general way though – it seems like any person in a creative industry gets *accused* of making money through their art – as if they do not deserve to and it should just be a hobby, whereas people in non-creative industries do not. excUSE ME. HOW ARE THEY MEANT TO PAY FOR FOOD AND CLOTHES AND A ROOD TO SHELTER THEM WHILE THEY MAKE MORE ART.
I don’t think writers should write for money. I think they should write out of passion and love of books and if they want to make a living out of it? GO FOR IT. If you can make money out of doing something you love, you go do it! But let’s be real here, most authors can’t survive on what they make from books unless they J.K. Rowling, ect.
To be honest, I never really think about authors being in it for the money because I believe writing comes from a place of passion. From being a voracious reader. Writing stories in your free time. Getting joy out of putting pen to paper. All those things and more. You can take the money out of writing, but you can’t passion out of writing. And…I don’t think I many any sense….
Talking about this reminds me of that author who started a campaign to raise money to support her through writing a book. The pub had dropped the series and she wanted to write the sequel, but wouldn’t have time to also have a job on the side, so she put it to the internets. You probably know of it…ANYWAY. I saw nothing wrong with that. If people wanted the book, they’d donate. She wasn’t screaming for money or begging, just asking that if people wanted the book, cold they please help support her as she wrote the book many of them wanted to read. Thinking about it, had that been a certain male author, he would have had the money within a day and everyone would have applauded him… Hmm.
Sorry for all the rambling…as you can tell from all my rambles, I thought this post was most excellent 😀
For me, if an author is clearly writing for the money, it takes away the magic from writing.. I also think it ruins the story and I just wish authors could stop on their highest point. Let’s be honest, more Harry Potter books would not be successful. The story was done, over and perfect like that. What if Rowling decided to write another 10 books simply because they would sell? It would ruin the entire series and for what?
I don’t think comparing Kasie West with DIFFERENT contemporary books is the same thing as for example Cassandra Clare who keeps milking her old story. But that’s just my opinion 🙂 I get where you come from too.
Hey Cait! I just wanted to quickly comment to let you know that I briefly mentioned this post in my review on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/600933377). I’m just letting you know so you don’t think I am like stalking you and mentioning you all the time without telling you!
I don’t mind an author writing multiple books in the same series… as long as they add something new. I will continue with Jim Butcher’s the Dresden Files even though there’s currently fifteen books out and the series is going to be twenty books-long plus an apocolyptic trilogy because each book has a good plot and adds more to the overall story.
My issue with Cassandra Clare and her Shadowhunters series, on the other hand, is that she repeats herself. Each of her series — the Mortal Instruments, the Infernal Devices, and now the Dark Artifices — has such similar plots that she’s practically got a formula for them: girl caught in love triangle between two boys, she gravitates more towards one because he’s so pretty she has to constantly remind the audience about it, something gets in the way of them having all the sex, they cry and moan about it until the last book when Ass Pull Twist reveals that it’s actually not an issue.
Clary and Jace think they’re siblings, angst, then find out that they’re not actually siblings in the first half of the Mortal Instruments, then in the second half they go back to angsting because Jace turns evil, and then he gets better because Deus Ex Machina but he and Clary can’t touch so more angst until more Deus Ex Machina makes it all better. Will stays away from Tessa because of a curse, angsts, then when he gets up off his ass to do something about it (which… why didn’t he do it before Tessa? Why couldn’t he be looking for a way to break the curse before the story started? I’d be way more sympathetic to him if he had. Oh wait, I forgot; familial love and friendship are worthless compared to ROMANCE, so it had to be TWU LUV that got Will to start investigating), he finds out that there’s not actually a curse, but then Tessa and Jem are engaged so MORE ANGST. And then Jem breaks it off at the end of CPrincess so that Tessa and Will can be together. And then the Ass Pull Twist from CoHF cures Jem so that he and Tessa can be together later. And now we’ve got Emma and Julian who can’t be together because Parabatai and because it’s forbidden now (and again, because romantic love is better than familial love or friendship). And they angst about it. And I’m pretty sure that come book 3 something will be pulled out of Clare’s ass to fix things so they can be together.
And yes, I’m aware that the romance is supposed to be a sub-plot rather than the main plot. But Clare focuses so much on the romance that the main plot feels more insignificant. Which is another problem; the plot that should get the most focus should be the one that has the biggest stakes. I don’t care about Clary and Jace’s angst because there’s a guy raising a demon army, and later that guy’s son is preparing to destroy the world. I don’t care about Will’s angst because there’s a guy building a mechanical army to take over Britain or something like that. And I don’t care about Emma and Julian’s angst because there’s a guy killing innocent people to fuel a necromantic ritual. The main plots in the books are treated more like backdrop to the romance and that makes the romance more unbearable. If Clare wanted to write romance, she should just axe the plots involving bad guys threatening the country/city/world/whatever and write romance. It’s totally doable and it doesn’t seem like the fanbase cares about those plots anyways, so why bog down the story for them?
My problem with Cassandra Clare isn’t that she’s writing more books in a series; it’s that she’s writing the same books over and over again.
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