Dan Brown’s new book “The Lost Symbol” will be out in September and the publishing industry is looking forward to blockbuster sales. Last week at the Sydney Writers Festival, it was pointed out that literary fiction doesn’t sell and one of the panel asked authors to ‘please write more books that sell’. After all, it will help you as an author as well as the suffering publishing industry!
So what do we aim for as authors?
One the one hand we want to win prizes, be literary geniuses and praised for our glorious ability with words. On the other hand, we want to make money! (after all, most literary prizes are very small! )
Here are some examples of best-selling authors that cannot be considered “literature”, but are definitely books that are popular and have touched the hearts of millions (and made a lot of money for their authors and publishing houses).
- Dan Brown “The Da Vinci Code” has sold more than 80 million copies. The movie made more than $700 million at the box office. I have read “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail”, the non-fiction book that the ideas came from, as well as perhaps the literary equivalent Umberto Eco’s “Foucault’s Pendulum”. I enjoyed both other books, but Dan’s comes out tops in terms of popular appeal!
- Robert Kiyosaki with The Rich Dad series of books, which have sold over 27 million copies in 109 countries. Robert is a multi-millionaire, and says himself “I am a bestselling author, not a best writing author”.
- JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame is constantly criticised by literature fans especially for her use of adverbs. But that hasn’t stopped her from becoming the first ever billionaire author and loved by millions around the world.
- The Chicken Soup for the Soul series by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen is just a bunch of stories told by real people in simple language. Those simple stories have touched hearts in 40 countries and sold over 112 million copies, as well as developing into aself-development franchise model.
- Stephenie Meyer with the Twilight series. Stephenie is even criticised by Stephen King on her writing ability, but that hasn’t stopped her books selling over 30 million copies, as well as the movie rights and associated merchandise.
There are many literature prizes – the Man Booker is just one of them that I follow. I found this excerpt on the impact of winning the Booker Prize on Yann Martel, author of “The Life of Pi” (which is a great book!).
“…after the announcement of the Booker win, Life of Pi sold 7,150 copies in the UK, making it the bestselling hardback fiction that week…. D.B.C Pierre “Vernon God Little” went from a sale of 373 copies to 7,977 in the week after”
Clearly, literary fiction sells less than mass market popular fiction.
Some of my groaning bookshelves
Now, I love books of all kinds. I have a lot of literary fiction, stacks of non fiction and many popular fiction novels (although those often get recycled through second-hand bookshops!)
I go to Writers Festivals, I have taken writing courses. I write journals and poetry and have 3 non-fiction books to my name. I have always wanted to win the Booker Prize because of the prestige!
But I have decided that I want to be a best-selling author, NOT a best-writing author lauded by lit fic critics! I want to write well, but not be classed as literature. I want to be popular, not literary.
How about you? Would you rather be a best-selling author or a best writing author?
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll be facetious and say that I want to be both. Aim high!
I agree with Alan – aim for both!
If I had to choose between being ‘literary’ or being ‘popular’, I would go for literary. I want to write something I am proud of, something that can perhaps stand the test of time. Many best-sellers boom for a short while, but most of them won’t be remembered in fifty years time.
It’s important to me to be a good, if not excellent writer. But it’s most important that my stories are enjoyed by many. What good is it to have a beautifully written story that no one reads? My choice is to be a best-selling author.
Great post! This is a question I think about a lot. I love reading both popular and literary fiction.
As a writer, however, I think I’d rather start off as a bestselling author and then gradually go more literary. That way my popular bestselling books can ‘finance’ my more high-brow projects.
Then again, this also begs the question: Where does one draw the line between literary and popular fiction?
Best-writing. Absolutely.
Both sides make me a little ill, though. The myopic greed on one hand, the insufferable snobbery on the other. But what can ya do?
Interesting that JKR was slated for the use of adverbs in a children’s book. Gives me hope.
Just posted a rant about not giving in to the fashion of slaughtering your story for the sake of pace by wiping out adjectives and adverbs without thinking.
Makes you think the buying public like to buy a good story, a good read, a fun time. It is the industry which is telling them (and us) what we are doing wrong.
I wonder what will happen when Scribd lets people rate work with one to five stars and vote with their feelings and not a rulebook.
What do I want? I want to be a performer who plays out his stories by the written word. Someone who truly entertains his audience. I believe riches follow an enjoyable performance.
I recently had a well-established agent look over the first chapter of my historical fiction novel as part of a writing conference. I was somewhat amused and pleased by her response to my work. She liked it very much, but was trying to be careful with her words…almost like she was afraid of “letting me down” when she said she sees it more as commercial fiction vs. literary fiction.
I was just fine with that verdict! For me it meant that I told my story well and that it may have mass appeal. I’d rather have my book be read and remembered by many than the few.
Popular and literature are not necessarily exclusive in my mind. I’m a storyteller. If I tell those stories well, and they connect with my audience, then I consider that a success.
After all, our most enduring literature — the stuff that stands the test of time, beyond awards and lists — lasts because it is universal, compelling, AND well-constructed. That’s what I’m working toward, draft by draft, and I appreciate reading other writers striving for the same qualities — whether or not they strike the award/best-seller lotteries along the way.
I’d much rather be a best selling author than a best writing author. Aside from personal therapy, there’s no point in writing anything if no one’s going to read it.
I’ll counter. I absolutely do NOT think that the vast majority of literary fiction is well written. It is self-indulgent garbage encouraged by a bunch of 20-something-english-lit-graduates-now-editors who think that if it is hard to understand it must be good.
Of course some of it is good, even occasionally great. But ‘popular’ fiction is very underrated. Robert Parker for example writes better than 95% of literature writers.
I believe that it is the publishing companies themselves that are ruining publishing. They no longer know what they are doing.
Great article. It goes in hand with what I’ve concluded after studying up on how to write and what readers say they want to read. There is a big difference. Readers aren’t picky about things like adverbs or other little rules. They want to be entertained. The ideal is to write books people want to buy instead of following all the writing rules.
Naturally, I’d prefer to be both.
But if I had to pick between the two, best-writing wins hands down. I care way more about quality than quantity. In an industry where readers are becoming fewer and fewer, I suppose it should be taken as encouraging that they’re reading at all. But I can’t help lamenting that the reading public isn’t more demanding about the quality they’re being served.
Since I know I’m not capable of writing literary fiction, I’m content just to be able to appreciate reading it. I love writing comedy with inspirational aspects and when readers respond to it, that’s good enough for me.
It’s also interesting to note that often “best-selling” means a certain number of books sold in a short period of time (ie to make the lists). My book hit 6th printing its 3rd month out and is still going strong. So, in addition to “best-writing” and “best-selling,” there’s also simply “selling well.”
Great post! I think readers want to not only be entertained (and sometimes educated/enlightened) but I hope they also still want decently written works, too.
As an author, I do think some writing rules are made to be broken (and others just work best when bent
.
I sincerely hope my “13 to Life” series (launching in late 2010) is appreciated for the characters and story as well as some aspects of the writing.
However, I hope I understand my YA audience enough to write in a style they often ENJOY reading (which is not necessarily considered “high literature”) and don’t feel overwhelmed by.
Books should be well written in that their content–their heart–is accessible to all interested readers.
But that’s all just my opinion,
~Saoirse
I agree with Owen about pretentious literary drivel. I consider myself an open-minded reader, but some of it is every bit as bad as the worst online pulp. The irony is that this question should even come up. All of us serious writers want to be BOTH: literary-with-merit and widely respected by a range of readers. Readership skills, however, are still declining, for any number of reasons.
I also don’t think a choice needs to be made. Prose can be simple, compelling and beautifully constructed. I would choose to write as well as I can, whether that suits a ‘literary’ or a ‘popular fiction’ genre.
Re Dan Brown – lots of people like junk food, but that doesn’t mean it’s somehow inherently good to supply it. (By ‘junk food’ I mean badly written fiction, whether literary or popular). How wonderful would it be if Dan Brown took his talent for writing gripping plots and added beautiful, simple prose? That could only increase his sales! I would choose beautiful, clear writing and would love to see some of the best-seller authors continue to learn and grow as writers. Wow – what a great topic!
I don’t like the assumption that only literary fiction is the best writing.
The best writing is writing that moves people. I consider JK Rowling both bestselling and best writing.
I don’t think we should be defined by numbers though. But a fantastic response from a small group of readers would be better than a mediocre excitement level from a large number.
i.e. lots of bestsellers have a lot of hype but are wholly forgettable as books.
Like Hemingway used to say, I just want to write true sentences.
If I write a whole pile of sentences, enough to fill the pages of a novel, and if those sentences are true then I will be happy.
I would only hope that while I search for a true sentence I can find enough money to supply food, housing and some comfort.
For me, it’s about creating the best art that I can. Whether that art would be considered “literary” or not, I don’t know, but I don’t even like to read most best-sellers. (I do not, however, consider the label of literariness to be a guarantee of quality: I dislike reading both Stephenie Meyer and J. M. Coatzee, just for different reasons.)
I’d love to have the income of a best-selling author; I’d love to have a huge audience interested in my work; but my aim/hope/goal is to produce stories that I myself would consider worthy of reading.
I have been told, “The difference between a flower and a weed is merely a judgement.”
I wish my thoughts to be clearly understood; beyond that reader shall decide whether to fertilize or to use herbicide.
I want to be a well-loved author. I quite honestly don’t care to be famous or extremely wealthy or to parlay books into films. If (when) I write a book, I would like it to pay the bills but am ok if I still have to maintain a day job. I know it sounds like I’m shooting a bit low. But really, I think it would blow my mind to be sitting at a book signing or a cafe or whatever, and have a kid come up to me with battered, beloved copy of my book and ask for my signature. That’s on my “bucket list.”
What are the odds of writing a book that sells millions of copies? Not so great for anyone. My goals are 1. Write what I love to write. 2. Write as well as I can. 3. Keep improving. 4. Keep writing.
Whatever happens, happens. I think planning a career as a best-selling writer is about as sensible as planning to win the lottery.
I can’t say I care. I wouldn’t want to associate myself with either group because the people who specifically aim to be best-selling writers seem mostly made up of greedy people who write whatever is currently in vogue just to make money and be liked by all, paying no regard to the quality of the work they excr…*cough cough* I mean, produce, and the people who specifically aim to be literary writers are made up of insufferable snobs who I would want to punch in the nose after five minutes of listening to their prattle. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll write what feels right to me, I couldn’t care less about money, and if someone, somewhere, is reading my work, and if their lives are made somewhat better by what they have read, I am happy. I won’t turn down any money given to me, but that will not be my main goal when I begin to write anything.
If Stephenie Meyer published literary fiction tomorrow it would be gobbled up by her Twilight fangirls. Anything she writes is gobbled up by the Twilight fans. Point is, you have to have fans to buy the friggin’ book and read it, and her millions of sales finance the writers in the article who sold 8,000 copies (rounded off). In a way I think literary writers a selfish; it’s like they only want to write on their own terms and the heck with the publishing industry. How do they expect the industry to sustain itself on literature, huh? Leases and salaries have to be paid somewhere by someone, and it falls on Meyer, Brown, King, Patterson).
And lit writers have the nerve to slam these writers who help pay their advances, when they should be grateful for commercial writers shouldering everybody.
I’d choose best-selling: you got fans together or else just write in a journal or publish online for free.
I want to write stories that I enjoy and I want to write ‘em good. Ultimately, I want to sell what I’d be proud to have my name on. It might not be up to the standards of literary fiction, but it’ll be mine and I’ll have had fun writing it. Becoming a best-selling author would be gravy.
Like you I used to dream of being a prize winning author but now it’s definitely best selling writer for me. Maybe when I am living in my small and understated mansion in the Med, I will sit down and write that masterpiece…. no maybe not
I want to write books that I enjoy writing and that readers enjoy reading. I like creating worlds and telling stories that make me happy, just as I like reading books that keep me entertained and leave me feeling uplifted. I don’t care about critical reception, or about adhering to ‘literary’ standards. Which isn’t to say I don’t care about quality; I do want to continually improve as a writer. But my standards aren’t the same as those of the self-appointed literati. Providing good entertainment and making a decent profit are two big motivators for me, and I don’t mind admitting it : )
Joanna,
Thank you for this post– I’ve had a life-long ambition to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but I’ve gradually started to realize that I’d be delighted to be as rich as Amanda Hocking even if I can’t be as brilliant as Pablo Neruda.
I’m hoping that as I write genre-fiction at break-neck speed some of my literary talent will seep through and provide some high-toned gloss to the fun. 
Thanks Carolyn – Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose was always my aim – literary and multi-million selling. But I have been trying to reread it and I reckon everyone bought it because of the hype, not because it’s enjoyable!
I am also aiming more for Hocking these days – please people, sell lots!
I think both can be combined. Umberto Eco cannot be called pop, but he sure is popular. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is also popular, but he is also literary. His words are charming, even in translation. Dan Brown, on the other hand, is a page-turner and you have to stop and reflect on what’s going on otherwise you can finish the book without learning much from it (there’s something to learn from each book – even if the lesson is “do not ever read it again”).
I aim high in my current novel. We’ll see how it goes.
Thanks Vlad, I think we would all hope to be somewhere between the two but it helps to have a goal. Mine is not the Pulitzer
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