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Why bother to sex it up; you’ll figure out soon enough that this is yet another commentary on the topic of authorial vision and reader expectations. Except that I’m going to try not to focus on whether or not authors write to reader expectations, but instead stick to the question of whether the online community has created the perception that authors either are or should take reader reactions and expectations into account when conceiving and writing genre fiction, especially in series format, where reader loyalty seems particularly important.
Several bloggers have referenced Charlaine Harris’s blog post on authorial autonomy, which includes the following observation:
I’ve had quite a few thoughts lately on how reader participation is changing the world for modern writers. Twenty years ago, writers didn’t hear from readers so much. Oh, the occasional letter, the occasional comment in a signing line . . . that was about the extent of reader/writer interaction.
Now that readers follow writers’ websites and blogs and can have some kind of interaction with lots of writers, the picture’s changing, and how to handle the new relationship is getting to be more of an issue.
Harris goes on to talk about the solitary integrity of the author’s vision and the author’s sole ownership of his or her creative work. From an author’s perspective, her commentary is understandably focused on the validity of reader anger at the author for disappointment in a particular book or series. As a reader, my concern is a bit different. I’m not particularly surprised at or disapproving of readers who get mad at books or even authors; after all, I think that one of the aims of genre fiction is to create an emotional intimacy between book and reader that fosters a strong bond of loyalty. Which means that disappointment may well feel like a betrayal. And in the main, I don’t think readers get made at an author as a person, but rather as a sort of disembodied entity, synonymous, really, with the book itself.
No; what concerns me is the question of how free readers feel to express any opinion we have about a book without a sense of anxiety around potential influence on the author in terms of his or her future work. I realize that such a position may seem contradictory or even spoiled – after all, who speaks without the hope of being heard (except maybe me when I write these posts lately)? But the answer is in the now standard rebuttal to every argument made against the legitimacy or reader reviewers: we do it for other readers, not for authors. Even, I would argue, when authors enter discussions about their books. Or when readers comment – solicited or not — directly to authors. I would suggest, as perverse as it may sound, that there is a difference between speaking one’s mind and expecting or even wanting an author to actually compromise his or her vision to satisfy one or even a thousand and one readers.
There are a few online discussions right now about a new release that include speculation that reader reactions played a role in some of the characterization and plot points. I have absolutely no idea whether the speculation is well-founded or not, and I can imagine any number of authors laughing heartily at readers who speculate about such things, because it must sound pretty megalomaniacal to authors. Yet as we know from the now infamous eruption on AAR a few years ago around the heroine’s sexual status in Adele Ashworth’s Duke of Sin, readers’ measures are taken when books are chosen for publication, and, it seems, during the editing process to some degree, as well. Sometimes referred to as “the rules” of genre Romance, or more generally reflected in how books are labeled and placed in various publication lines (Harlequin Presents v. Blaze, for example), it’s clear that reader preferences are being guessed at, if not outright received through direct and indirect communication (emails to authors and publishers and online reviews and discussions). And I go back and forth in thinking that such a thing is a legitimate aspect of the publishing business and feeling that it necessarily compromises the integrity of genre writing.
Part of me is discomfited in writing about this, because I don’t personally think my opinion as a reader has one iota of influence on any author, and it feels presumptuous to ask some of these questions. But Harris’s blog post concerned me, especially given any number of discussions around whether or not there are informal “rules” that go beyond formalistic genre boundaries – at least for Romance.
So has the online community changed the relationship between author and reader in a way that necessitates authors publicly claiming their own autonomy? Are readers playing any sort of role in determining how authors craft their books and should readers be thinking about that when we talk about books? And how do authors view reader preferences in terms of their own work – is there a difference between writing to a trend or a subgenre and paying attention to reader response to particular books? Or are we back to that same old tension between the commercial aspects of genre fiction and the artistic merits of any particular genre?
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Suz Brockmann has a post pinned at the top of her BB right now, which she had sent out to friends with early copies of her latest book, telling the story of how it came to be written. (Love the characters, love the book, love the post - back to the point of the discussion.) I lifted these quotes from that post:
“I have to admit that I’m bracing for some complaints from readers — the first having to do with the non-graphic nature of the Jules/Robin love scene.”
“I just couldn’t bear the thought of frightening away a more timid readership by putting in too much man-on-man action.”
“So okay. I think that there will be people who protest the fact that Jules and Robin don’t get a “he put his hand there, he put his mouth there,” type love scene. So be it.”
“Just as I think there will be people who protest that Jules doesn’t get to be the hero of his own book. ”
“I thought the novella might be an acceptable alternative for those readers who are disappointed that Jules didn’t get his own book. I’m hoping it will also please those readers who always write to ask me why I never include any weddings in my books.”
I’m not sure what that shows - apart from the fact that she has a very accurate grasp of her readership’s opinions and preferences. The critisisms she’s anticipating in this post were levelled at the book. The only suggestion that the book might have been different is in the “I just couldn’t bear the thought of frightening away a more timid readership” - but I wouldn’t read that as artistic vision giving way to commercial pressure, because she has written that part of her intent in telling this story is to make m/m romance acceptable.
by Marianne McA
on September 17th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
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I think if you change a part of your story out of fear of offending someone, then you aren’t being true to the story. That’s always sad, whether it comes from good intentions or not.
by Jordan
on September 17th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
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What Jordan said.
Besides, no matter what you do, you will never satisfy every reader. It’s not possible. The only way to handle it is to tell the best story you know how to tell and be prepared to deal with those who didn’t care for it as much.
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Excellent post.
I’m just a reader.
Years ago I would not have considered writing an author, just because of the fact that I’m not good with writing letters. Now a days I love the ease of letting an author know I liked their book, site, and being able to chat with them about just about anything. I may not like a book, in which case I may not read their books again or not any more of that series, but I would never consider telling the author that they should have done this or why didn’t you do that. I feel the story is coming from the author, its their story to tell not mine.
What right to I have to say to an author that they should have written it this way…in my opinion NONE! Reading for me is an adventure…its no fun if you always know where your going and whats going to happen!
by Darla
on September 18th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
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Marianne, thanks for the heads up about SB’s post. I don’t know that I would go so far as to say that I was disappointed or wanted to complain about the fade to black for Jules/Robin love scenes, but the contrast in the amount of description given for J/R compared to the detail given to Annie/Ric love scenes was quite noticeable. I assumed it was intentional, to not scare readers off. Is that a bad thing? I don’t know.
by jmc
on September 18th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
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I don’t know if it’s a bad thing either. In that particular case, if her primary aim is to proselytize for acceptance of m/m relationships, then the more she considers her readership’s likely reactions and sensitivities, the more chance she has of achieving her goal.
More generally, I can’t decide whether I agree with Jordan and Shiloh or not. I don’t write, so I’ve no conception what it means to be true or untrue to your story. Would it feel like telling a lie? (That’s probably a really stupid question.)
by Marianne McA
on September 18th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
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Marianne: That is such interesting commentary from Brockmann. On the one hand, I think it takes some guts to articulate her awareness of the conflicting views of her readership and her own attempt to negotiate those anticipated views. Clearly she knows and understands her readership, which requires a certain talent all on its own, I think. Which leads to the question of whether when one is writing commercial fiction where book contracts are based on sales, and sales are based to some degree on reader loyalty, if it’s possible to write with one’s audience in mind without compromising the work. I certainly don’t blame authors for wanting readers and for not wanting to alienate a reader base. And I certainly don’t think that being aware of one’s readers automatically yields compromised books. In fact, there are several authors who come to mind who, IMO, are so in tune with their readership that they kind of seamlessly incorporate what works for readers into their books in very competently crafted ways. But at what point does awareness of one’s readers erode an author’s creativity and/or the integrity of their work?
Jordan: I am someone who agrees with you that fear is not a good motivator for any level of creativity. And maybe that’s the line here — awareness v. fear. It seems to me that the lesson of readers is that we are at best a capricious lot, and trying to avoid offending us may offend us more, lol. I know it’s impossible to tell whether a book is written with some artistic ideal in mind, but I think readers are pretty savvy to feeling pandered to, especially in a series where the rules seem to change in the middle.
Shiloh: I’m probably naive, but I think that readers can take a lot, especially if it makes sense, if it’s well-written, and if we’re swept away by the book. I have complaints about even my favorite books, but I wouldn’t want the author to change anything because I’d hate to lose the magic that’s already there. As a reader, I prefer a coherent and consistent fictional world, even if it contains things that make me uncomfortable, to a fictional world that feels piecemeal or tentatively offered.
Darla: Thanks. Your comment reminds me that there’s an important difference, IMO, between readers talking about books and expecting an author to take one’s comments as editorial feedback. I know that I’ll make comments all the time about what didn’t work for me in a book, or what I think might have worked better for me, but that’s commentary, not a missive to the author. I’m not going to tell an author what to write, nor will I tell a reader what not to write to an author, but I do want, as a reader, to be able to talk about books critically without feeling like I’m saying something taboo.
jmc: When I review, I am consciously thinking about a book in terms of how it’s been crafted. But when I read, I don’t really want the author to intrude into my consciousness in the form of a thought about *why* something is the way it is. I’m working on a review right now for a book that had me disconnected that way almost from the beginning, because there were just so many issues that every time I’d start to relax into the narrative, something else would come up and draw me away. So I guess for me, if a book can keep me drawn in most of the time, I don’t care what the author is doing to compromise for his or her readers. But if I’m not fully connected — if I’m asking questions and wondering and reacting — then I tend to be more critical of how an author is crafting his or her books, and how reader expectations might be affecting that.
by Robin
on September 20th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
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I’m not going to tell an author what to write, nor will I tell a reader what not to write to an author, but I do want, as a reader, to be able to talk about books critically without feeling like I’m saying something taboo.
I agree that critique should not be mistaken for instruction, but that indemnity can be abused. Some readers go to an author’s forum or blog and post all kinds of requests, criticisms, suggestions…. It seems to me that those behaviors cross the line into actively trying to change the course of the work. Even when it’s simply a critique, shoving it down the author’s throat is walking the line.
Of course, it’s a two-way street. Authors who set up forums and blogs are inviting comment; some authors and some readers like that contact. Authors can’t control what readers do, but authors do control their own actions and careers. If an author can’t ignore fans when she needs to, she might want to step back from the blogging, make her email address private, move the forum off her site, etc.
what concerns me is the question of how free readers feel to express any opinion we have about a book without a sense of anxiety around potential influence on the author in terms of his or her future work.
Ultimately, I think the author has to negotiate this issue alone. There’s no way to put the genie back in the bottle–readers will continue to say what they like online. Authors have to learn how to live with that or screen it out.
The most complex situation, I think, is these reader/author blogs. Readers and authors have a lot of common interests, and it’s great having open discourse. But I think the level of familiarity between author and reader is one reason for the strangely scolding reviews I see occasionally. I get especially uncomfortable when reviewers instruct authors based on guesses about authors’ motives.
• “She did X to make the book sell better” is sort of silly. Sure, authors want their books to sell. But to assume that’s the motivation for a specific plot point is strange.
• “She did Y to please her fans” bothers me more. I can accept that authors have to balance art with commercial success, but I’m not as sanguine about the author trying to please the reader with that level of specificity.
I realize authors get ideas and momentum from all over, including fans. So maybe fan mail leads to a minor character getting her own book later. Maybe a review makes an author aware of a bad habit (e.g. everyone in Tell Me Lies saying “Just hell”). But fan mail changing the rules of the books’ world? That’s sticky.
by RfP
on September 21st, 2007 at 3:23 am
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I’ve thought, since becoming acquainted with the genre, that the relationship of authors and readers, in romance fiction at least, is deleterious. An example: The fans of Elizabeth Lowell, an accomplished author by most measures, kept clamoring for more about the Donovan clan, the family appearing in the tetralogy beginning with Pearl Cove. Subsequently, a chapter of a later book was devoted to the Donovans. There was no point to the inclusion. I think even the most casual of readers would have wondered why it was there, and those who who had never read the tetralogy were probably completely mystified. If the clamor of readers can thus influence a long-successful author, what must be their effect upon the newly hatched author?
by dick
on September 21st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
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Dick, I agree, I can’t stand it when a book stalls for a chapter while past characters reappear for no good reason except to wave at their fans.
Suzanne Brockmann has hit on an interesting way to give readers those cameos without jamming a lot of extraneous characters into the current book. She has a novella about Sam, Alyssa, and Jules on her website as “extras” (PDF), and I think it’s also it in the back of Force of Nature.
Kelley Armstrong does something similar–she has a lot of “extras” online, including novellas that take place before, after, and even between her printed novels.
by RfP
on September 21st, 2007 at 10:19 pm
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Robin, I wonder if you’re getting at something that niggles at me occasionally.
When I write about a book, I generally try to explain why I feel as I do about it. I write that way because I enjoy it, and because as a reader I don’t find reviews like “Ur book sux!!” helpful. But I would bet that many authors, too, find it easier to ignore “Ur book sux!!” than critical essays.
Does that make it a moral imperative that I forswear essays and start rating books from “YUMMM” to “SUX!!!!”?
by RfP
on September 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pm
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Authors can’t control what readers do, but authors do control their own actions and careers.
To me, this is key. My own view is that once a book is published, it becomes part of the public sphere and anyone who wants to comment on it can. And I think in the Romance community there is an incredible tension between the commercial and artistic elements of the genre. The history of a fan-based community, for example, has IMO written an informal invitation for readers to *participate* in the authorial process because of the emotional investment they have in the books, as well as the sense that authors write books *for them* as fans. I’m also not endorsing the solicitation of authors with proposed rewrites, but, like I said, I think it’s part of the fan-based, commercially grounded construction of the Romance community.
I get especially uncomfortable when reviewers instruct authors based on guesses about authors’ motives.
I think there’s a substantive difference between saying in a review that author X made her characters do Y because she’s homophobic as a person and saying that Z plot point measures up precisely with something her fans have been asking for, and I think the second one has a place in a review ESPECIALLY if it affects those elements one is evaluating in a review — characterization, plot, thematic development, emotional impact, etc. Maybe it’s all in the phrasing, because every review is an opinion about how the different facets of a book worked and an interpretation of what the author did, whether they intended to or not. And when you’ve got Brockmann’s comments, clearly there’s some interaction. If you read the Stephanie Plum books, you know Evanovich has talked about how she developed Ranger in response to reader enthusiasm about his character, even though he didn’t start out as a major player in the series. Now maybe the problem is more of subscribing intent rather than commenting on something that seems to line up with reader commentary.
When I write about a book, I generally try to explain why I feel as I do about it. I write that way because I enjoy it, and because as a reader I don’t find reviews like “Ur book sux!!” helpful. But I would bet that many authors, too, find it easier to ignore “Ur book sux!!” than critical essays.
Yes, stay tuned for my next installment on this topic, which will focus on the relationship between the reader/author relationship and the art of reviewing (especially the role of “critique”). Without saying too much more, I’ll say that I’m ultimately going to get to where you’re comment is going.
Hi dick!: long time no see — and yes, it was the format on AAR that did it for me. Anyway, as to your comment, if I had to choose between a bad relationship and no relationship, I’d choose no relationship between authors and readers. But as I said to RfP, there is that fan-based culture in Romance that has always posited some relationship between authors and readers. And while it seems to be evolving along with the technology and the online presence of authors and readers, perhaps what we’re seeing now is in some cases that dynamic being kicked into high gear, and in some cases it backfiring and making authors wary of interacting with readers at all. I wonder, then, if this is a transition period in which we will see some authors pull back entirely and others use the online community as part of their own interactive web community. For new authors, I agree that there seems to be some danger, as is evidenced clearly in the case of Lisa Valdez, who has admitted that negative reader reaction to her first book basically paralyzed her when it came to writing her second — which is still not released. But as I said to RfP, I really do think it is up to authors to draw those lines for themselves, as harsh as that may sound.
I also wanted to let you know that I bought a couple of the Lowell books after the thread on AAR, although I haven’t read them yet.
by Robin
on September 22nd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
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