My editor wants me to grow a new personality

Tell them your favorite TV show is Murder, She Wrote and that your favorite book is Flowers for Algernon.

;-)

For the purposes of this post, I shall answer as Keanu Reeves. "Dude. That is major harsh." I say grow a new personality and laugh at everybody as you make your witty, heartfelt posts that are utter garbage while patting yourself on the back for being such a great character actor.

Or consider the fact you are a jerk and read more Anne Landers and Dear Margo until you feel like playing on the swings with the rest of the boys and girls. You could go either way.

Palmfrond said:

My publisher has a new feature on their web site that tries to increase reader involvement with the authors by having the authors answer a bunch of personal questions and make blog posts about their daily lives. I'm naturally reticent about sharing much of my personal life with the world, but I want to be a good sport and do my part to help market the book, so I answered the questions. But . . .

Apparently my actual personality is too cynical and arrogant for public consumption, and I'm supposed to make myself look like a nicer person for the purposes of marketing. I'm inclined to just answer one or two and leave the rest blank. Thoughts?

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From a strictly PR position, I honestly think you are better off not interacting with your readers. If your personality(and I'm not saying it myself, I dont know you.) is not appreciated by your audience, interacting with them will cause more harm, than the publisher hopes to gain.

I think its better not to interact with them, than pretend to be something you are not. As a reader, I would respect the honesty over a fake persona.

I'll bet that you, like most people, put on a facade when you go to work at your non-author job. You just can't show up and interface with customers/coworkers/bosses as a crusty curmudgeon, not if you want to keep your job. Even if the real you wants to rant and rave about the wretchedness of the world, you smile and say 'How can I help you?' Most people wear a bunch of different masks to get through life.

Maybe you should just think of it as another instance of putting on a different personality in the name of getting the job done, and not a total baring of your cynical soul. It's the happy smiley genius author persona. While you're doing so, it also means you don't have to share your innermost thoughts. On the other hand, you could make it up!

... don't do it. Be yourself. And get a new publisher if they keep on insisting that you be deceptive and lie.

Ken said:

... don't do it. Be yourself. And get a new publisher if they keep on insisting that you be deceptive and lie.

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QFT.

The more authors bow to the absurd demands of publishers to self-promote beyond our own comfort levels, especially when it comes to sharing private information with readers, the more writers should tell them no. Politely, professionally, but firmly.

Look, once info on you is out there on the Internet, it's there, and as we all know, it can come back to haunt people. Some of our readers are, to be blunt, borderline dangerous or ill people, and to provide a forum where they can at least believe they have a personal relationship with us is asking for trouble.

That's one point. The other is that there used to be a sort of mystique about writing and writers, and it's a shame we're losing that. Blogging about trivial but possibly humorous stuff like the time your car broke down and you were rescued in the best romantic tradition -- only by Bobby Joe Jim Bob in dirty overalls, may indeed be humorous, but that might not be the image you want in your readers' minds when they pick up your next book.

Just sayin'.

Be yourself. And guard your privacy whenever you possibly can. Because it's your right; don't let publishers take that away.

I agree with CC. But I also want to point out that maybe it's simply the way in which your written answers came across. It may be your personality isn't shining through. That the way in which you crafted your answers makes you appear less like you. There are times when I think I am being hilarious, and I come across as cynical and pessimistic. Or sometimes I think I'm being clever, and it actually reads horribly cutesy. Even as writers sometimes our tone simply does not come across as we wish it to. That happens to me ALL the time here at AW.

I'm not suggesting you change yourself, or your answers. But maybe just read them over and see if they truly get across your personality or not.

Think of it as a character exercise. You are a writer, aren't you? Create an author persona, same as you would a character in a book, and roll with it. No one's asking you to bare your true soul, only a little interaction with readers to help grow a fanbase for your books.

In this day and age, with the glut of books by writers, self-published writers and wannabe writers, unless your book is a sparkling gem that absolutely wows people at first glance, a little PR and marketing is gonna be necessary.

brokenfingers said:

Think of it as a character exercise. You are a writer, aren't you? Create an author persona, same as you would a character in a book, and roll with it. No one's asking you to bare your true soul, only a little interaction with readers to help grow a fanbase for your books.

In this day and age, with the glut of books by writers, self-published writers and wannabe writers, unless your book is a sparkling gem that absolutely wows people at first glance, a little PR and marketing is gonna be necessary.

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It's that kind of attitude that results in never knowing who to trust or believe in.

Whether it's writers, publishers, politicians, etc.

If you can't be honest with yourself or your publisher, than it's not worth it.


That said, there are a couple well-known authors I follow and listen to various interviews they give. I seriously don't gravitate to their world views and how their views on the world mirror what they write.

But I value that their honest about what they believe, and when you give as many interviews as the authors I'm thinking of over a ten year period, you notice an underlying theme, and you can only put up a "facade" for so long before your real feelings about something comes through.

That's what the best interviewers do, get their guest to admit how they really feel.

While it's true that the truth can hurt, lies can hurt a thousand times more.

Sometimes I think marketing is a crutch people use to be dismissive and degrading and nothing more.

How else can you explain those inhumane smear campagins during major election years. Whether it's for mayors, presidents, whatever.

I still have nightmares about the heartbreaking horror that was-

The 2004 presidential race, and the smear campaign that followed.

I'd PREFER to read someone who's cynical and curmudgeonly! I guess it depends on what your narrative voice is like, IMHO. If you write snarky, dark books and your blog posts and daily life are all dancing flowers and happy rainbows, I'm gonna feel ripped off. It's not really fair, I suppose, but I think that the narrative of the blog should be close in style/ tone to the books. It's expected to some degree.

I refute the notion that "Everyone" wants to read happy, fluffy, optimistic stuff all the time. Perhaps a compromise is in order-- lighten up your blog prose at first, like you would do when you first meet someone, but sprinkle in some of your own cynicism. See which "sells" or is more popular. (Though arrogance is a hard sell, no matter what.) And maybe short posts are going to better-- cynical observations or commentary.

Just my thoughts.

Kitty Pryde said:

I'll bet that you, like most people, put on a facade when you go to work at your non-author job. You just can't show up and interface with customers/coworkers/bosses as a crusty curmudgeon, not if you want to keep your job.

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So that's why I have so much trouble in the office.

Do people seriously 'interface' with each other?

scarletpeaches said:

Do people seriously 'interface' with each other?

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Outside of work, I don't interface. I interact. At work, interface all the way!

Interface: a common boundary or interconnection between systems, equipment, concepts, or human beings.

Interact: to act one upon another

Wow, feel free to riff on the multitude of euphemism jokes suggested by the above.

Kitty Pryde said:

Wow, feel free to riff on the multitude of euphemism jokes suggested by the above.

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Deal.

scarletpeaches said:

Do people seriously 'interface' with each other?

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That's what they're calling it these days. You know, it.

brokenfingers said:

Think of it as a character exercise. You are a writer, aren't you? Create an author persona, same as you would a character in a book, and roll with it.

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Creating a character and being a character are two different things. I'm all for falsified author bios, mine sure is (glaringly so) but I don't think I could handle having to pretend to be someone else for a select group of people. Too much work and not worth the effort.

If you're a grumpy coot, be a grumpy coot.

It could be you appeared more cynical/arrogant because you found the questions a bit personal? To me, that's a sign that you shouldn't answer them. You got pushed out of your comfort zone because you felt you should answer.

It's the same tactic interviewers use when they want to know the personal lives of celebrities... most people are eager to make a good impression on the interviewer, so the celebrity often answers questions they otherwise wouldn't.

Personally, I think it depends on what kind of stories you write.

If you write humorous stuff, readers would expect funny answers from you.

If you write serious stuff, readers would expect serious answers.

If you write erotica, well--you get the idea.

rhymegirl said:

Personally, I think it depends on what kind of stories you write.

If you write humorous stuff, readers would expect funny answers from you.

If you write serious stuff, readers would expect serious answers.

If you write erotica, well--you get the idea.

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While I can understand the reasoning behind this, you do run the risk of seeming a bit one dimensional. Plus, I've seen some erotic romance writers give up way more info than I ever need about an author. *shudder*

If it makes you feel any better, we had to have personality tests at work. Mine indicated that I was "aloof".

In the past few years--through two memoirs, I say screw them and be true to yourself. Do what you know is right.

Anyone who thinks an entire personality can be distilled into one web page, one personality test, one brief paragraph, is very much mistaken.

If I ever get published, I'll hire someone else to be me. I'm notoriously shy and can't stand to go out in public, don't want any attention focused on me, and don't like interacting with people. I'd rather stay hidden forever than have to let people see/meet me. Since I stopped working (which was a chore), I stay in my house as much as possible and try to only go places when there are plenty of people with me so I can hide in the crowd.

Maybe that's why I can't get published: I can't promote myself or my writing.