Here’s a thought I’ve been pondering for a while:

What is a writers (or, I guess, any artist) duty to their fans and/or the general public. I was having one of those arguments that you have in your head, I was trying to figure out how I could respond if I ever got a very rude letter from a fan.

Then, I suddenly thought “The customer is always right,” but I said to myself that it’s not like I’ll be selling my wears in a shop.

But, writers do sell their wears in a shop!

Ok, so they’re not selling directly. They’re the creator of a piece of work. But then, they’re publishing something to earn money from it, therefore they are entering into the economy (this is regarding publication from purley a business point of view).

I always like how Neil deals with weird or snotty letters, and as he states on the blog “This is not a democracy.”

But, how much can you give back to someone who’s being rude, and still be in the relmes of responsible published author? Should you even be bothered? Is there such a thing as writer-fan etiquette?

I really do hope I can actually give back as good as I get. One of my pet peaves in working with the genteral public is how much I want to tell some of them how stupid and petty they are and how I don’t want to spend my time on them. But I can’t because that would be bad customer service.

This is a good question, and I think it really depends on a case by case basis. Caitlin Kiernan wrote on her blog a while back that when you become a published writer, a big part of the job is hearing from people (fans and non-fans alike) that you are wrong, that you suck, and so on.

On the other hand, you have people telling you that you're a genius, that your work has profoundly changed their life, and they would gladly bear your love child.

Given these two extremes, I think a writer owes it to his fans (and himself) to take everything he hears with a grain of salt, and try to be good-natured about it. Neil seems to be a master at this.

No writer or artist of any sort owes anybody anything. If someone crosses the line feel free to tell them off. But be prepared to see your sales drop.

I think the best artists have to write/compose/paint for themselves, and not for the public. As soon as you think of writing what the public wants to read/listen from you, you fall into the commercialism trap.

As far as answering people in a blog kind of thing, it's true you have to be somewhat polite with your public, without letting them influence your artistic decisions. Who knows, maybe Neil doesn't even bother answering the worse questions he gets from the fans.

quote:

Originally posted by chimeer:
I think the best artists have to write/compose/paint for themselves, and not for the public. As soon as you think of writing what the public wants to read/listen from you, you fall into the commercialism trap.

As far as answering people in a blog kind of thing, it's true you have to be somewhat polite with your public, without letting them influence your artistic decisions. Who knows, maybe Neil doesn't even bother answering the worse questions he gets from the fans.

he doesnt answer mine, thats for sure. haha.

Well, there's writing, and there's writing.

If you're writing for a newspaper or a magazine, then you damned well better make sure you're writing what your audience wants or you'll stop being a writer and just be unemployed with ink-stained fingers. That's one kind of writing.

If you're writing for comic books, fanzines or publication in genre magazines, then you need to write for your audience, but you've got more freedom. If you write a great elves in L.A./steampunk/Cthulhu short story but can't find a 'zine for it, that shouldn't surprise you, but I'm sure there's someone willing to publish it online, for free. If you're writing a young adult story and decide to include a graphic depiction of a blowjob, don't be offended when HarperCollins and Random House turn you down. There might be a market for that kind of story, but expect editors to tell you that the scene needs to be removed if it's to be published as young adult.

That said, there are things you write that you just simply enjoy writing. Those are your own, and if they publish, then great.

Neil covers all three of these . . . areas? of publishing even now, writing introductions and blurbs for friends and fellow artists that have to meet fairly exacting standards, and writing comic books that have to follow certain conventions, and writing short fiction and novels that simply suit his fancy.

See, it's all very well in saying that you should only write for yourself, which is true in a way.

But when you publish to get paid, you're hoping other people are gonna buy your item.

So, how do you stand towards arguing back with snotty fans, who are in fact still buying the stuff you're selling?

As long as you do it politely, I think you can argue back with anybody about anything. You shouldn't say something you don't believe just to make people buy your stuff. See the Democrats and especially Kerry in the last election - he tried to be nice, to please everyone, and he still lost.

If fans have things to reproach concerning the stuff you write, then you can listen to them and maybe take in some of it if many people argue for the same thing. I imagine that if there are serious issues regarding the writing, the editor/agent/whoever picks it up too and points it out in a more professional way.

You also have to keep in mind that no matter what you do there will always be someone to disagree with you and even be upset about it.

Thats what I'm saying. theres always going to be someone out there who calls you names and who wants to burn your book. it doesnt matter who you are. So blow em off.

I guess I'd go for the humour route.

Something like a form letter supposedly written by an assistant that agrees with the negative nelly and then lists some even more horrible and outlandish things about me and my works.

They may not get the joke, but it would make me laugh.

write what you like and what you find interesting. Your work only can suffer by trying to fit it to fan tastes. Probably why most sequels suck. Once you start losing sight of what you enjoy, you lose your narrative thread. A good writer should be able to make someone who is not fan and convert them.

I'm wondering... Aren't some authors even more appreciated by their fans, and getting more and more of them, BECAUSE of the violence of their reactions to criticism ? I mean, would Houellebecq sell that many books if he weren't the asshole he is ?(sorry, I'm getting a Frenchy for example, but he's the first one that came to my mind and he won't get out. But I guess he's not unique)

Depends on what people get to expect of you while reading what you've written, I guess. Also depends on what's in the criticism. If it's just dumb "I-don't-like-you-therefore-you-should-stop-writing" talk, nobody could seriously hold a ferm reply against you. And readers who keep saying you're worthless and at the same time keep reading you won't stop buying your books because you tell them to fuck off. They'll more likely be flattered you noticed them and carry on.

As for myself, I've already felt some kind of jubilation reading/hearing my favourite author's replies to rude readers... Made me like him even more, in a way, and I would have been so disappointed by him if he did just let go.

Other than that, I'll just repeat what the others said. You're not writing to please everybody. You can never write something that will please everybody. And the more you'll try to, the more you'll loose yourself and what was worth in the things you had to write at first.

Just write what pleases you. What IS you. If it also pleases a lot of people, become a writer. And answer what you feel like answering.
If it doesn't... try to see if there's not something else you'd like to become...

Oh yeah, writing what pleases you goes without saying.

I just like to ponder, when I'm having to be nice to a real asshole at work, how much I can fight back if I were a writer.

But then, on thinking about it, you're unlikley to get most of the complaints you get with a usual customer service role.

quote:

Originally posted by parrotslave:
I guess I'd go for the humour route.

Something like a form letter supposedly written by an assistant that agrees with the negative nelly and then lists some even more horrible and outlandish things about me and my works.

They may not get the joke, but it would make me laugh.

that would be hillarious.

quote:

Originally posted by St.ßøudïcca:
Oh yeah, writing what pleases you goes without saying.

I just like to ponder, when I'm having to be nice to a real asshole at work, how much I can fight back if I were a writer.

But then, on thinking about it, you're unlikley to get most of the complaints you get with a usual customer service role.

You might. I mean if you read reviews and such.

I see three real options when answering obnoxious mail:

• Circular File
• File 13
• Birdcage liner