How Many Books Should You Put Out in a Year?
post by Michelle Griep
Which would you rather have your favorite author do . . .
Pump out three books a year, maybe a little lighter in content, the characters aren't quite as complex, and the plot is a bit predictable.
And no, you can't have it both ways, not consistently. So pick one. Go ahead. I won't judge you . . . leastwise not on this issue. On your shoe choice, however, I'm not making any promises.
Personally, I like a meaty, heavy-fisted book that whacks me upside the head. But that's just me. If you answered differently, then more power to ya, Scooter, because here's the deal . . . there are two distinct types of readers. There are those who devour books like there's no tomorrow, who are satisfied with an entertaining story that's not necessarily profound. Then there are those who like to dig into the what if's and how come's of life in a story format.
And that's great news for a writer, because it gives guilt the big beat down.
Writers are psychotic little mammals, all worried about if they're putting out enough books in a certain amount of time or if what they're putting out is too fluffy. But because of the diversity in readers, open your arms wide writer, because there's a place at the readerly table for you.
If you're a writer who loves to pound out words at high speed and have so many plot ideas you could type your little fingers to nubs, then do it and quit worrying about not having themes that vibrate a reader's heartstrings for months afterward.
Or if you're a writer who's slow but sure, anguishing about word placement and choice, and the thought of finishing two books in a year is not only exhausting but devastating, then listen to this round of applause. It's okay to not work at lightspeed.
Newsflash: there is no magic number of how many books you need to put out in a year, despite what marketing gurus say, because readers are as diverse a group as writers.
Guilt about what you create and how you create it will suck the joy right out of your bones -- and ain't nobody got time for that.
Pump out three books a year, maybe a little lighter in content, the characters aren't quite as complex, and the plot is a bit predictable.
-- or --
Write one book in a year with multi-faceted characters, a twisty-turny plot, and a theme that makes you wonder about life's big meanings.
And no, you can't have it both ways, not consistently. So pick one. Go ahead. I won't judge you . . . leastwise not on this issue. On your shoe choice, however, I'm not making any promises.
Personally, I like a meaty, heavy-fisted book that whacks me upside the head. But that's just me. If you answered differently, then more power to ya, Scooter, because here's the deal . . . there are two distinct types of readers. There are those who devour books like there's no tomorrow, who are satisfied with an entertaining story that's not necessarily profound. Then there are those who like to dig into the what if's and how come's of life in a story format.
And that's great news for a writer, because it gives guilt the big beat down.
Writers are psychotic little mammals, all worried about if they're putting out enough books in a certain amount of time or if what they're putting out is too fluffy. But because of the diversity in readers, open your arms wide writer, because there's a place at the readerly table for you.
If you're a writer who loves to pound out words at high speed and have so many plot ideas you could type your little fingers to nubs, then do it and quit worrying about not having themes that vibrate a reader's heartstrings for months afterward.
Or if you're a writer who's slow but sure, anguishing about word placement and choice, and the thought of finishing two books in a year is not only exhausting but devastating, then listen to this round of applause. It's okay to not work at lightspeed.
Newsflash: there is no magic number of how many books you need to put out in a year, despite what marketing gurus say, because readers are as diverse a group as writers.
Guilt about what you create and how you create it will suck the joy right out of your bones -- and ain't nobody got time for that.