This may sound self-contradictory given what I do for a living

[james_davis_nicoll]

But I do not believe that good things result from authors replying to negative reviews.

Comments

[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

In my opinion, LMK has become something very odd: an author writing Mary Sue fan-fiction in her own universe. Without benefit of copy editing.

[duncatra.livejournal.com]

Aww, she Anne Riced herself in the foot. How adorable!

[eukarya.livejournal.com]

1) Why do people keep buying her books? Do they really think there is actually any possible improvement for that series?

2) The characters aren't real to you. They are real to me, and to a lot of other people. ie, She's nuts.

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

... or even to "negative readers."

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

"Make you think hard?" My problem with the books was that the characters were about as complex as characters in porn novels--going from sex scene to sex scene. No problem with that, if that's what readers want. Hey, I'm all for enjoyment. But I didn't detect any thinking involved, much less hard thinking.

[wizwom.livejournal.com]

Well, as I see it, there are the following possibilities:

1) Readers who liked her early work will finally believe she won't write anything like that again, and stop bothering, thus she gets a drop in sales, and in check-outs, and the snowball effect takes over, and sometime about 2010 or so, drops into obscurity. Or On-demand, which is the same thing.

2) It really makes no significant difference, as the higher sales are indicative of a fan base that is really growing because they like her style and content.

3) It draws more readers, who like chutzpah and they stay with the series.

I suspect #2 the likely. Those literate readers who liked the mood and style of her early work will almost definately jump off the sex-crazed vampire series it has becmoe. But it doesn't matter, because sex sells, baby. America and Europe love sex-filled stories more than stories with no sex. Rational explanations not needed, put those characters in the sack! Insult the reader's intelligence, give no thought to plotting, open can of worms afrter can of worms, tie nothing off. No one cares, it won't hurt sales, and each new character adds more opportunities for a new person to relate. Like life, such stories never end.

Unfortunately, I don't like such stories that never end. I think a core group of characters can be used in sequential stories, but even in life, stories end.

[stevendj.livejournal.com]

You don't think that snarky comment threads count as a good thing?

[cliff_s.livejournal.com]

Hasn't she essentially crossed genres from Fantasy (vampire hunter/detective) to Romance (kinky sex! s&m! pointy teeth! more kinky sex!)? Check me on this, but isn't Romance much, much bigger than both Fantasy & SF combined?

If so, it's not exactly surprising or brag-worthy that her sales have increased. She's just switched to the Wal-Mart of fiction genres.

[pameladean]

The bit where she slipped into assuming that the only reason people don't like her stuff is that they just can't take its edginess was unfortunate, but you know, she really has a point about negative fans. I've talked to some myself. They won't let GO. Something other than mere dislike has to be going on in their heads or they would just walk away if they are so darned fed up. They act like a rejected lover. It's creepy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously talking to them does no good, but marvelling at the phenomenon is something I can absolutely relate to.

Then again, I had a lot of sympathey for Anne Rice's remarks, too.

I am very lucky to be obscure, or Lord knows what I'd end up saying in public.

P.

[matt-ruff.livejournal.com]

My eyes, they burn.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

I think she misspells ‘ordure’.

:)

[morchades.livejournal.com]

I'm not an LKH reader, but I find the whole idea though tat the negative reader just doesn't like being "pushed out of their comfort zone" -- the idea that they dislike the books because they are cowardly -- a horribly condescending thing to say.