View Full Version : Which would you prefer?
TwentyFour
10-29-2007, 12:13 AM
A story beloved by many, with little to no payback
or
A story you sold for a six figure deal and it flops?
Voyager
10-29-2007, 12:15 AM
Beloved by many, definately.
Voyager
10-29-2007, 12:16 AM
Ha! Which is never going to happen if I don't learn how to spell.
maxmordon
10-29-2007, 12:16 AM
The one that is beloved by many, because at least is something I write with love and people love
Now I am saying it, but let's wait how does it work in the world...
Shadow_Ferret
10-29-2007, 12:16 AM
Personally, I don't see how something can be loved by many and you get no money back.
RLSMiller
10-29-2007, 12:17 AM
A story beloved by many, with little to no payback
or
A story you sold for a six figure deal and it flops?
The second one, but with a seven-figure deal and movie option to boot. Six-figures ain't enough to retire on. :D
The_Grand_Duchess
10-29-2007, 12:18 AM
Well I really need money right now.
But I agree with Shadow Ferret. I don't understand how that could happen.
WendyNYC
10-29-2007, 12:18 AM
Beloved by many.
Wraith
10-29-2007, 12:21 AM
If it's beloved by many, the payback will come, I should hope.
But supposing I had to choose, I'd take the first, at least as long as I'm not a full-time writer :D. Although I seriously doubt I'd be able to please "many" with my writing (and i don't really try), reaching people is important, and I doubt a big advance would help my feelings a lot when the story flops.
preyer
10-29-2007, 12:45 AM
my stories are already beloved by many. mom, grandma.... that being the case, it might be an interesting change of pace to have money for once.
besides, i'm a complete sell-out, so show me the money.
Garpy
10-29-2007, 12:47 AM
Seven figures....then I can stop writing, kick back and relax.
Beloved by many with little or no remuneration sounds like posthumous recognition to me. In that case, I'd take the six figures... ;o) I could invest the money and write with no pressure after that.
WriterInChains
10-29-2007, 01:00 AM
Definitely the love.
If it's so beloved, at least some will have bought a copy -- or they'll buy the next one.
JohnDavidPaxton
10-29-2007, 01:06 AM
I'll take the second one first and the first one second.
veinglory
10-29-2007, 01:08 AM
A six-figure flop would be income for a year or two and I plan to live rather longer than that. But I really am not worried about having beloved work either. So c) neither of the above.
Storyteller5
10-29-2007, 01:20 AM
Beloved would be good because maybe that will help my second book become a bigger success.
(Now if I could just finish getting my first novel polished so I could start the agent hunt.)
mirrorkisses
10-29-2007, 01:26 AM
Book on oprah.
WittyandorIronic
10-29-2007, 01:32 AM
six figures...thought really I agree with Paxton.
Khazarkhum
10-29-2007, 02:19 AM
Gimme the money. If it flops, I can change my name & try again.
It's amazing how hard it is to make a decision concerning a scenario that can and will never exist. ;)
JoniBGoode
10-29-2007, 02:36 AM
Beloved by many. Partly (but only partly) because then I would expect to make big bucks on my next book. But I would still pick beloved by many even if I never made a penny from it. (Heck, I'd pick read by many, even if no one loved it!)
RLSMiller
10-29-2007, 02:44 AM
Beloved by many. Partly (but only partly) because then I would expect to make big bucks on my next book. But I would still pick beloved by many even if I never made a penny from it. (Heck, I'd pick read by many, even if no one loved it!)
Egotist.
(kidding! :D)
TwentyFour
10-29-2007, 03:48 AM
I liked most all the answers, but the question was simple so not to say two pages on each statement, just a straight out question :). As for me, I'd like one. But I could live with two ;).
A story beloved by many, with little to no payback
or
A story you sold for a six figure deal and it flops?
no contest. Beloved by many.
TwentyFour
10-29-2007, 03:52 AM
Now had I given you a huge list of drawn out reasons to stay with either one, where would you get the imagination to come up with why to choose the one you did? hehehe...
Now had I given you a huge list of drawn out reasons to stay with either one, where would you get the imagination to come up with why to choose the one you did? hehehe...
I can't figure out what that means, but I stay with my original answer. Keep the money, I want my work to have impact on readers. Period.
ishtar'sgate
10-29-2007, 04:34 AM
A story beloved by many, with little to no payback
or
A story you sold for a six figure deal and it flops?
Well, I have the first with a modest income and it's quite a thrill. A huge amount of money would never make up for a flop.
Linnea
TrickyFiction
10-29-2007, 04:45 AM
I would not want it to flop because I want to sell more than one book.
So, I would choose the first option.
Khazarkhum
10-29-2007, 05:46 AM
Now had I given you a huge list of drawn out reasons to stay with either one, where would you get the imagination to come up with why to choose the one you did? hehehe...
Huh? I don't get it...:Huh:
NeuroFizz
10-29-2007, 07:29 PM
Six figures would give me a year or two to go to Sears Refrigeration School so I could spend the rest of my life showing my upper butt crack to housewives while I get their meat back to cold.
A six-figure advance for a commercial flop probably would be the end of a writing career, at least as far as the major publishers are concerned.
Khazarkhum
10-29-2007, 11:48 PM
Six figures would give me a year or two to go to Sears Refrigeration School so I could spend the rest of my life showing my upper butt crack to housewives while I get their meat back to cold.
A six-figure advance for a commercial flop probably would be the end of a writing career, at least as far as the major publishers are concerned.
Isn't that why God invented pseudonyms??
NeuroFizz
10-30-2007, 12:06 AM
Isn't that why God invented pseudonyms??
Yes, but I'd feel a creeped out enough taking another identity under these circumstances, but even more so by leaving published works out of the writing credits part of any subsequent queries. The first seems to be convention while the second seems dishonest (a sin of omission) since I'd have to level with any interested agent before signing. To me, honesty should stand tall in this business, as it should in all others.
Besides the original post gave a choice, and by declining one, I accepted the other.
Notebook
10-30-2007, 12:16 AM
I like to write. I enjoy it immensely. Being published would be phenomenal. That said, I'd take the money. I like to write but I write for the money so I can quit my nine-to-five job.
I prize freedom of my time more than the need to be popular (of which I have no need). I'll take the money. Keep the fame.
maestrowork
10-30-2007, 12:17 AM
A story beloved by many, with little to no payback
or
A story you sold for a six figure deal and it flops?
How about a story beloved by many and made millions?
The thing is... if it's beloved by many, that means a lot of people would have bought and read it, and that means it's doing well financially? No?
But anyway... to answer the question, as a writer, I would prefer love over money. I don't really need to write to make a living, and I certainly can live without a fat paycheck. I've made six-figures, so that doesn't even register anymore. The reason why I write is that I have stories to tell and entertain and I'd like to be read and my readers love my stories. That would really float my boat.
Shadow_Ferret
10-30-2007, 12:23 AM
Show off.
*Mimics in snotty voice:* "I've made six figures, so that doesn't even register any more."
But I agree, if it's loved by many, you must be making money.
But six figures, I'd love six-figures. I could finally start that retirement fund I've been putting off for silly things like food and necessities to live today.
Mr. Fix
10-30-2007, 12:27 AM
I like to write. I enjoy it immensely. Being published would be phenomenal. That said, I'd take the money. I like to write but I write for the money so I can quit my nine-to-five job.
I prize freedom of my time more than the need to be popular (of which I have no need). I'll take the money. Keep the fame.
I second this sediment.
I write because I like to write. I love sharing Ideas with people and getting into discussions about... pretty much anything.
That said I would love to make money. The more money I could make off writing the more writing I could get done. I hate 9 to 5! I'm a nightowl and I do my best writing in the wee hours of the morn. This is difficult when your time is actually someones elses (employers.)
PS: I also agree with Maestrowork - he makes a good point... as usual.
:e2writer:
CaroGirl
10-30-2007, 12:29 AM
I'd go for beloved by many. I just want to be able to pull a Sally Field. You like me. You really like me!
I'd go for beloved by many. I just want to be able to pull a Sally Field. You like me. You really like me!
I'm using her line in my Giller acceptance speech. I don't care if it's wrong.
maestrowork
10-30-2007, 01:12 AM
Or her "g*d damn" speech at the Emmy's.
Or her "g*d damn" speech at the Emmy's.
Let's not go there, shall we, Chocolate Pants Man.
Or her "g*d damn" speech at the Emmy's.
And just a small p.s. Whenever I see your avatar these days, I just wanna sing, "Whenever I see your smilin' face..."
Simple Living
10-30-2007, 02:20 AM
I write to escape ... to escape poverty.
-- Edgar Allen Burroughs
I concur.
Spiny Norman
10-30-2007, 02:24 AM
If it's beloved by many the paperback rights are sure to be ridiculous. That and the second book will sell like hotcakes becuase everyone will think you're God with a pen.
If an expensive book flops your career's basically over.
And I don't mind the nine to five. I need something to do. If I just had all day to write I probably wouldn't do it. The days that you have the least free time are the days when you get the most done, and vice-versa.
TwentyFour
10-30-2007, 04:05 AM
Ah, but no one seems to realize that many authors are beloved by many only after their death. Maybe you made millions on one book and the whole world hated it? Maybe the book is beloved by many and you die two years later, maybe the paperback rights are sold by your heirs? See you didn't think of that? LOL!
Spiny Norman
10-30-2007, 04:14 AM
Well, I just assume we're thinking short term here. Pretty much the only way to be poor but loved by many is either if you horribly mismanage all subsequent work and money managing, or if you croak and take a dirtnap right before your career fires up the jets and lifts off. If the latter is what's happening, hell no, I'd jump for the money. I'm not even sure how long the whole world's going to stick around let alone me, so I better get my kicks while I can.
WendyNYC
10-30-2007, 04:21 AM
And just a small p.s. Whenever I see your avatar these days, I just wanna sing, "Whenever I see your smilin' face..."
Is that because you have to smile yourself? And you love him?
TwentyFour
10-30-2007, 04:23 AM
Very good answer Spiny Norman!
TwentyFour
10-30-2007, 04:26 AM
But of course, you can add any number of "what if's" to the mix and find yourself on a different side.
What if the six figure deal is for a pen name? You might use your real name next time? And the beloved by many is only for one novel that was mismanaged by some bad agent who sold it for a pitiful amount and you recieved little to no compensation? Bankrupt companies published it? Whatever the problem, would you chose the latter?
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