Holly Kennedy's next book is out April 1, 2008.
THE SILVER COMPASS
This is number three. Her first one was THE TIN BOX and then her second was THE PENNY TREE (Booksence Notable) and now THE SILVER COMPASS
SO...
I thought it fitting to use a quote from my all-time favorite movie. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
(Wherever you go? Compass. Direction? Get it?)
Why is this fitting? Why is this my favorite movie? And why should you care?
What does writing books have to do with Buckaroo Banzai? Particle Physicist...Rocket Scientist...Neurosurgeon and Rock Star? (A guy after my own heart considering my career history)?
It's this.
Each time I rave about how wonderful this movie is and play it to anyone who happens to be my best friend at the time - They hate it. They roll their eyes. They fall asleep. They decide they have to go home at 10 PM on a Saturday night and clean their bathroom or something...well not everybody...but most everybody...
I eventually decided that liking this movie would be my main criteria for selecting friends...if they understood the phrase "PENNY GET OFF THE PHONE" or "WE WILL NO LONGER BE SELLING LITHIUM ON CREDIT"
It was why I married my husband. It was his favorite movie too...
So....
With Holly's book released and Lottery trade paperback soon to be out AND everything else going on, I thought I'd talk about a DIRTY LITTLE SECRET...
Ha!
I got your attention now. You won't know anything about it until you've published your first novel. Are you ready?
Okay.
Not everyone will like your book. Just like the fact that not every body loves Buckaroo Banzai.
GASP! There. I've said it.
Let me tell you I was thrown for a loop! Now REALLY!
How a single offhand comment on Goodreads calling me "full of myself" because of a required letter to the booksellers placed at the front of my ARC could send me into a dither of self analysis and straight to a couch and talking to a shrink...well maybe I exaggerate...
I did however stumble upon a vociferous online debate by readers (none of whom actually read my book) -discussing that between Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Forest Gump --we don't need any more books about people with mental challenges...especially ones who win the lottery... thankyouverymuch.
Maybe I'm a tad sensitive...maybe I am too self absorbed.
Maybe it's NOT all about me (I highly doubt this but I included it just to be on the safe side)
My friend Holly had great advice:
"Get used to it. Ignore it. And get back to writing that next book."
Okay...
Now I'll get my tongue out of my cheek and my hand off your leg and stop pulling.
As a writer you can rationalize and understand intellectually that your book will not resonate with everyone.
We know this but they never tell you in new-author-school that people will have strong opinions about your book even though they haven't necessarily read it. That people will talk about your book's cover in great detail but not the content.
Too bad. Move on.
It's true.
*Breathe*
All right. My soap box (the diatribe not the derby) is well and truly done.
I got it now.
Not everyone will enjoy my book.
There. I said it.
But like when my seventh grade teacher told me, "... everybody in the world dies...no one lives forever..."
I really thought that I would be the exception...
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26 comments:
That's the part I'm not so sure about, the some people not liking it and ripping it a new *rse on the internet bit.
I am a rabid interneter, and wowza. I shall have to develop tough skin.
On the other hand, I'll go check out your friend's book! Looks good!
Right, jkb, a tough skin seems a necessity.
Applause for Holly on the latest launch. Most intriguing.
I was chuckling while I was writing this post- I actually had to go back and make it clear I was for the most part kidding- however it really is true. Not everyone will read and enjoy your Great American Novel (hereafter known as GAN).
You really have to get used to it!
And be able to laugh.
And write the next book...
The axiom is: All reasonable people will love my book.
I've always subscribed to the statistical argument that since such a large number of people have, in fact, died, it is increasingly probable that the area under the bell curve is large enough that the person in the infinity-minus-one standard deviation will NOT die.
Maybe this argument can be applied to whether or not everyone (reasonable or unreasonable) will love your book?
Zoroaster's Dog
I *know* not everybody's gonna like my book: it's sassy, rude, disgusting in spots, and pokes fun at things people hold quite sacred.
But I didn't understand how anybody could not love The Lottery!
Then I read that the critics hadn't bothered to read it. Oh, right. That's how.
Boobs.
Thanks for mentioning The Silver Compass, ORION.
Yup, along with tough skin, if you're gonna embrace a long-term writing career, you must know when to "let go" and put books you've already published behind you or you'll never find the magic you need to write the next one.
Great post. Made me laugh and I've added Banzai to my Netflix list. We'll see, won't we????? Congrats to Holly and I can't wait to read this one since I've loved the other two! She's such a GREAT person and a wonderful mentor to those of us still trying to break into the business.
Mine just shipped from Amazon!!!
Holly is such an awesome teacher of writing/ life and I am really looking forward to her third book!
And for the record, I don't get how somebody wouldn't like YOUR book. But, everybody's different.
I know for a fact that not everybody will like mine. I think it's gonna be a love or hate kind of thing. I'm actually surprisingly okay with that... if my book is to be hated, it better be passionately hated and for a damn good reason!
I for one liked Buckaroo Banzai, and so did my hubby.
We have the same problem trying to get friends to watch Local Hero. They fall asleep or just don't get it.
If I get negative comments on my book, I'll just remember the one who said she stayed up to 1 a.m. to finish the book.
Pat, just rack up the great reviews on Lottery, and remember - us Buckaroo fans love it, too.
Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for commenting at J. Kaye's Book Blog. I have heard too many good things about your book to not read it. :) All my book buddies have loved it. I promise to get it read soon!
To each their own, I suppose. Of course, you could start throwing oranges at people's heads to make them see the error of their ways.
New-author-school should set up some bylines that say you MUST like the story before commenting about it on the Internet. It would make the world a happier place.
Congrats, Holly, on your third (and hopefully not last) book.
Gasp! I LOVE Buckaroo Bonzai! My parents showed it to me when I was ten years old. And I understand about other people not liking it. I was once watching a horrible movie about were-rats, and suggested we watch Bonzai next, but ten minutes in to the movie everyone left. :)
Some people simply have no taste!
yeah writer babs! I am always so amazed when people do that!
I was so stoked to find the DVD version on Amazon...
This whole thing reminds me of the Harry Potter brouhaha where you have rabid fans (me) and non rabid fans (other people).
I am always so pleased to make a convert. LOL
I haven't seen Buckaroo Banzai in eons. The only thing I remember about it is that I loved the movie. Does that mean we can be friends, or do I need to be able to quote from it? Thanks for mentioning Amazon. I need some movies, actually.
Also, loved your covers but the content is even better. And, I found your introductory letter intriguing and some other "i" words. Illuminating, maybe. I don't remember that, either. I'm having a bad memory week, though, so just ignore me.
I bought your book tonight (having been along the vicarious ride since you were posting at Miss Snark, ages ago).
But forget that--you live in Hawaii? It's only my favorite state. :)
Looking forward to the read...
I got bogged down at Enduring Romance and recruited Mystery Robin to review SILVER COMPASS. It was heart-wrenching to let that one go, but Robin assures me LOTTERY is keeping it company.
:o)
Maybe she'll pop in to let you all know when she'll be posting the review. I think it will be up at Enduring Romance this month though.
Congratulations, Holly!
Thanks for posting this. It's something that unpubbed writers don't really think about. We think getting published is the finish line, in a way. But I can totally see how reviews can hurt. Writers are generally more sensitive anyway.
This is good advice.
And I really can't wait to get this book. My summer list is growing...
I think it's amazing when people comment on books they haven't read. I never go by anyone else's opinion. I have my own brain and prefer to draw my own conclusions.
Pat,
You wrote a wonderful book and it's a great story! We love you! ;*)
I love Buckaroo Banzai ~
But it was John Lithgow that made that movie for me.
(Well, that and the alien with dreads - how funny was that?)
:0)
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