Is Writing to an Audience "Selling Out"? - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T08:54:05Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/is-writing-to-an-audience-selling-out?id=537324%3ATopic%3A366554&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThere's an important distinct…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-02-10:537324:Comment:3674742013-02-10T12:14:57.605ZDave Workmanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DaveWorkman
<p>There's an important distinction between "writing to an audience" and "knowing your audience."</p>
<p>There's an important distinction between "writing to an audience" and "knowing your audience."</p> I dont think 'writing for you…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-02-10:537324:Comment:3673262013-02-10T00:51:02.184ZM.E. Purfieldhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MEPurfield
<p>I dont think 'writing for yourself' and not for an audience makes you not a sell out.</p>
<p>If you want to have an audience you have to be able to communicate to others besides youself. True, I do write for myself, but if a majority of others do not understnad what I wrote and only I do, I think I failed as a writer in some respect.</p>
<p>I always associated a Sell Out to be someone that chooses money over their art, anyway. Not one that writes to an audience. All writers should be able to…</p>
<p>I dont think 'writing for yourself' and not for an audience makes you not a sell out.</p>
<p>If you want to have an audience you have to be able to communicate to others besides youself. True, I do write for myself, but if a majority of others do not understnad what I wrote and only I do, I think I failed as a writer in some respect.</p>
<p>I always associated a Sell Out to be someone that chooses money over their art, anyway. Not one that writes to an audience. All writers should be able to communicate with their audience, maybe not all, but most.</p> Well said, Stacy!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-31:537324:Comment:3667812013-01-31T05:33:06.486ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
<p>Well said, Stacy!</p>
<p>Well said, Stacy!</p> I think selling out is when y…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-31:537324:Comment:3667422013-01-31T04:39:29.763ZStacyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StacyDeanne
<p>I think selling out is when you write the type of stories you don't like or even hate just because you think they will sell. I can't write something I don't like, sorry. I have to be emotionally invested and excited about my work that's why I only write what I enjoy and I don't write according to a trend. To me whenever you aren't writing from your heart, it's selling out.</p>
<p><br></br>I know a writer who switches genres when the wind blows and she makes no bones that she does it to try to…</p>
<p>I think selling out is when you write the type of stories you don't like or even hate just because you think they will sell. I can't write something I don't like, sorry. I have to be emotionally invested and excited about my work that's why I only write what I enjoy and I don't write according to a trend. To me whenever you aren't writing from your heart, it's selling out.</p>
<p><br/>I know a writer who switches genres when the wind blows and she makes no bones that she does it to try to get sales. The funny thing is that her books are <em>not</em> selling. she's written romance, erotica, paranormal and Historical romance because she felt these genres would get her books to sell. Nope. She's finally learned that just because you write to a trend does not mean your book will sell. Look at all the Twilight knockoffs but how many of them have come close to the popularity of Twilight? I can't name any. Some of them might sell well, but I haven't heard of one of the Twilight copycats becoming a phenomenon.</p>
<p>Every author has his or her own audience. So no matter what you write, whoever reads your books is your audience. You might as well write what makes you happy because if you don't then you won't last in this business. You'll get discouraged and upset if you write to trend then realize it takes more than bandwagon hopping to sell books.</p>
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<p>When someone writes only for sales and takes nothing else into consideration, well in my opinion that's selling out.</p>
<p><br/>And yes all writers need editing! I don't care who you are and how long you've been writing. Stephen King has, needs and uses editors. Editing has nothing to do with selling out. Editing is making your product better. I always cringe when I hear authors use "not getting their work edited" as an excuse, claiming they are just being true to themselves. Please. If you put a book out there that you expect readers to buy you should put out a quality product. Also I see so many authors claim they write for themselves, only. We all write for ourselves but if we're published we write for our audiences too. It does not mean our audience controls what we write. But people who claim they write for themselves are full of it because if that was the case, why would you get your work published? You wouldn't. If you are putting books out for others to read then no, you're not writing just for yourself.</p>
<p><br/><br/>Best Wishes!<br/><a href="http://www.stacy-deanne.net" target="_blank">http://www.stacy-deanne.net</a></p> Or Wilkie Collons
Or Edgar Al…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3664992013-01-26T23:44:00.029ZBrian Hoffmanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianHoffman
<p>Or Wilkie Collons</p>
<p>Or Edgar Allen Poe</p>
<p>Or Fyodor Dostoyevsky</p>
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<p>Okay, Okay, I'll lighten up a little.</p>
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<p>Or Wilkie Collons</p>
<p>Or Edgar Allen Poe</p>
<p>Or Fyodor Dostoyevsky</p>
<p></p>
<p>Okay, Okay, I'll lighten up a little.</p>
<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en" xml:lang="en"><span dir="auto"> </span></h1> I will do that. I guess my w…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3666672013-01-26T19:19:44.893ZCammy May Hunnicutthttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CammyMayHunnicutt
<p>I will do that. I guess my whole idea on him is from the stuff they make you read, which I guess I saw as best seller stuff. really. </p>
<p>Thanks, guys. </p>
<p>I will do that. I guess my whole idea on him is from the stuff they make you read, which I guess I saw as best seller stuff. really. </p>
<p>Thanks, guys. </p> I know Dashiell Hammett was a…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3666662013-01-26T18:58:08.362ZEric Christophersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/datahog
<p>I know Dashiell Hammett was a big Hemingway fan and was influenced by him, and Hammett himself was hugely influential in crime fiction, more influential than anyone I can think of, in fact. Hemingway influenced nearly everyone for awhile.</p>
<p>I know Dashiell Hammett was a big Hemingway fan and was influenced by him, and Hammett himself was hugely influential in crime fiction, more influential than anyone I can think of, in fact. Hemingway influenced nearly everyone for awhile.</p> Yes, Hemingway's 'reporter-st…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3664102013-01-26T18:57:03.952ZJohn McFetridgehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JohnMcF
Yes, Hemingway's 'reporter-style,' terse (matter of fact?) prose style had a huge effect on writers like Hammet and Elmore Leonard. Leonard and George V. Higgins (and by extension their whole school of crime fiction) really came from Hemingway.<br />
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Looks at a Hemingway story like "Fifty Grand" or "The Killers."
Yes, Hemingway's 'reporter-style,' terse (matter of fact?) prose style had a huge effect on writers like Hammet and Elmore Leonard. Leonard and George V. Higgins (and by extension their whole school of crime fiction) really came from Hemingway.<br />
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Looks at a Hemingway story like "Fifty Grand" or "The Killers." That question startled me, Jo…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3665882013-01-26T18:46:57.670ZCammy May Hunnicutthttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CammyMayHunnicutt
<p>That question startled me, John. You consider Hemingway a major crime fiction influence? </p>
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<p>That question startled me, John. You consider Hemingway a major crime fiction influence? </p>
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LIKE!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2013-01-26:537324:Comment:3664042013-01-26T17:28:12.602ZBrian Hoffmanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianHoffman
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<p style="text-align: center;">LIKE!</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">LIKE!</p>