Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary » Poll

Will the length of a story affect how much you are willing topay?

Jane — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:58:43 +0000

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Robin (aka Janet here) wrote a great piece for Access Romance Readers’ Gab blog about value and creative content.

In the commercial world, we are used to thinking of value in the context of price. A “good value” is often defined by some quotient of quality and price, specifically as relatively high quality for a relatively low price. But the value of books, while commercial art and commercially marketed products, is not so easy to define.

I admit to be one of those people who equate value to length (among other things). Going into a purchasing situation, I will be willing to pay more for a longer work than a shorter work even if at the end of the reading both, my positions would have flipped because the shorter work was of higher quality than the longer work. But buying decisions are made on the front end so I balk at paying a higher price for novellas or short stories than I would for full length novels.

Does the length of a story affect how much you are willing to pay for it?

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POLL: How long does it take to read a book?

Jane — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:56:33 +0000

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I know that this will vary from book to book but generally I finish a book in one day if not in one sitting. I generally start a book after I’ve put the tot to bed and finish it before I go to sleep. If it is a particularly good book, I’ll read into the wee morning hours. Who needs to sleep when you can read right? Libraries give people 21 days to finish a book (which is why it is the high end of the poll). I’m curious about your general reading habits, knowing that occasionally you’ll spend longer or shorter depending on the book.

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For whom should the author write?

Jane — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:58:57 +0000

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Keishon, avidbookreader.com, linked to a discussion at copyblogger which debated whether the theorem that talented authors write badly when they are trying to express an idea and conversely write well when they are trying to touch an audience.

Now, the qualification in the copyblogger post is the term “talented” which can have a whole gamut of interpretations. But setting aside that term, should the author be writing for the reader or writing for herself? Unlike many of the commenters at the copyblogger forum, I believe an author should write for herself.

Interestingly, I think that there is a big difference between “writing for the market” and writing to touch an audience. The commenters, to me, are discussing creating an emotional connection with the readers (which I think is very important, thinking back to the post by Chloe and why she reads). So I’d ask you when voting that you think about the poll in terms of the development of a relationship with the reader through writing and not writing to the market.

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Con Artist Protagonists

Jane — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:00:03 +0000

JMC posted last week about having problems with con artist protagonists. I’ve enjoyed the occasional assassin book such as Kelley Armstrong’s Nadia Stafford series or Barry Eisler’s John Rain series. Jenny Crusie seems to love the morally ambiguous protagonist with books like Welcome to Temptation, Faking It, and Agnes and the Hitman.

I voted in the poll that I sometimes like the con artist or criminal protagonist, but you know, I prefer the non criminal heroes and heroines. What about you?

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Poll: Reading in the Bathroom

Jane — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:39:36 +0000

There was a person who mentioned that the idea of a book or a phone or a laptop in the bathroom is pretty disgusting to them. I confess, in a manner of TMI perhaps, that I read in the bathroom. Do you?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Can the locale of a book affect your interest in reading it?

Jane — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:54:44 +0000

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I was emailing with someone yesterday about books set in Minneapolis such as Sunshine by Robin McKinley, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, contemporaries from Susan Johnson and Connie Brockway; the super fabulous Monkeewrench mystery books by PJ Tracy (they have a new one coming out next year!). Some authors really imbue their love for their towns in their books (Beth Kery’s Ode to Chicago aka Daring Time is one of those). One of the fun things about urban fantasy is the re-envisioning of these noted urban areas like Atlanta in Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniel series.

I loved seeing the places that I know reincarnated in fiction works. But there are other areas of the country that don’t interest me as much, like um, the state I currently live in and other nearby cities.

I don’t know that I would be more interested in reading a book set in a particular area but it could turn me off. You?

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Are you planning on buying an ebook reader this Christmas

Jane — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:14:44 +0000

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Forrester researchers are estimating that close to a million new ebook readers will be purchased for the holidays. I am planning on buying one depending on what comes out from Barnes and Noble. How about you?

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What Is Your Definition of Immortal?

Jane — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:43:32 +0000

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In reading a book recently involving a group of “immortals” killing each other, I wondered what immortal meant anymore. To me, immortal means to live forever. Immortal is the opposite of mortal or death. But immortal beings can often be killed by other immortal beings so long as you burn them, cut off their head, pull out their heart, etc. What does immortal mean to you?

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POLL: Is it important that you can pronounce character names?

Jane — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:00:31 +0000

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There is so much I could write about in terms of names in books (and maybe that will be an upcoming Tuesday post) but for today, we have a poll inspired by author Christina Dodd who tweeted today:

“For you as a reader, is it important that you can pronounce character names?”

Yes is my reply. I will stop reading a book just because of the character’s name.

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POLL: Bodice Ripper Definition

Jane — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:02:23 +0000

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From Jessica at Racy Romance Reads: We’ve been talking about the term “bodice ripper”. I see that different folks use it differently. Can you think of any other ways it is used? to refer to “any historical romance”?

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Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary » Poll

Will the length of a story affect how much you are willing topay?

Related Posts:

POLL: How long does it take to read a book?

Related Posts:

For whom should the author write?

Related Posts:

Con Artist Protagonists

Related Posts:

Poll: Reading in the Bathroom

Related Posts:

Can the locale of a book affect your interest in reading it?

Related Posts:

Are you planning on buying an ebook reader this Christmas

Related Posts:

What Is Your Definition of Immortal?

Related Posts:

POLL: Is it important that you can pronounce character names?

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POLL: Bodice Ripper Definition

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