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Friday, April 19, 2013

Q is for Quantity vs Quality

Can we have both? Maybe. I do know authors that can put out books a lot faster than I can, and they're good too.  But I've also come across talented authors that are so busy churning out the books that they don't take time to really dig deep and question everything.  They don't challenge themselves or grow and while their books are good, after awhile they start to be repetative.  Maybe not the plot, but the style, the characters, the themes all blend together.  Sometimes even the situations seem cliched.  Is it because they're hurrying to meet deadlines?  I don't know.  But I do know sometimes I wish they would take just a little longer.  I'm willing to wait for a stellar book rather than have a quick but less satisfying read. 

What do you think? 

20 comments:

  1. I am willing to wait for a good book but market forces push authors to churn out books. I guess that is one advantage of being unpublished - I have all the time in the world to get it right.

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    1. I'm very aware and sympathetic to deadlines. I know that authors are under contract and sometimes you just have to be done. But I've read some very well to do authors that are putting out two books a year and I'm sure they make enough money to haggle a little on deadlines if they wanted to. But they're too entrenched in their niche and wont' break free of the mold they're writing in.

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  2. I agree wit Elizabeth on this one.

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    1. I get the whole deadline thing but see my response to her.

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    2. Actually my two book contract the deadline was 18 months. No wiggle room. Even years after those first two, it dropped to twelve months after the prospective was accepted.

      If the formula sells then change the names and location staying with the same formula. It's the thinking of mid-list authors who earn the nickles and dimes for the publishing empire. Now best sellers get as much time as they need. But that's less than 5% of the publishing world.

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  3. 'I'm willing to wait for a stellar book rather than have a quick but less satisfying read.'

    Well said. All things considered, writing a good, cohesive novel is enormously challenging and requires a huge mix of the right stuff.

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    1. There are a lot of things that go into making a novel and they are not all under the author's control. But when an author chooses to use MCs that are interchangeable it gets a little old.

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  4. I much prefer quality to quantity everyday!

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  5. I prefer quality. If I feel an author is becoming cliche I usually look for something else. Simply Sarah

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  6. I don't know of many examples where quality and quantity go hand in hand, unfortunately.

    I think it's either one or the other.

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  7. Definitely quality. I have told my family and friends who expect quick results from me, that I would rather write one great novel, than multiple mediocre novels. Great post, Sara.

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  8. I wish I could crank them out, but I'm way too slow. But I know what you mean - they start to all sound the same. Quality is better than Quantity :)

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  9. There are several authors, whom I loved, that without checking the title I couldn't be sure which book I was reading :/

    I would prefer quality, but sometimes quantity pays the bills.

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  10. I think someone can still be a quality writer in spite of an intense output of work. For some writers, the words just flow.

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  11. I do prefer quality. I also wonder how some writers can pour out the books so fast. They must have maids, housekeepers, and cooks. I would love that! I'd write all day, eat at my desk, get fatter... okay, maybe the way it is now is better for me.

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  12. Yeah, I have no idea how some writers can crunch out so many books (and have a life too). I wish I could be that kind of writer, but I think the quality writing would be lost. Yet, lots of editing helps clean up the kinks. Like Cynthia stated, some writers just have the gift to write fast, yet still provide quality stories.

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  13. I have a tendency to fall on both sides of this one. Either I'll churn out reams of rubbish in a very short time, or I'll spend weeks or even months obsessing over a couple of pages.

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  14. Quality is to be preferred, but I think that since the industry is in such a state of flux, authors may be worried that if they go too long without a release, readers will forget them. Of course, if readers don't like what you're putting out, they'll forget you regardless of how many books you release a year. Kind of a catch-22...

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  15. I've noticed that trend with authors who have several books published all near the same time...

    Since it's taking me so long to finish this one I'm hoping that it's well worth the wait :)

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