Reader reaction

Any reaction that results in the reader buying the next book by the same author is good.

All other reactions are bad.

Okay, this answer probably says something about my reading/purchasing habits.

I want (when not if , I get a book accepted and published) readers to want to reread it. That means no borrowing from the library - my books become one of those buy books.

Yeah, I know it's letting down the team, but I have "buy" authors and "borrow" authors. If I'm ever rich, that may change. I know no one's interested, but "buy" authors include Terry Pratchett, Patricia C. Wrede, Hambly and the brain goes blank. I reread Pratchett enough times I can quote lines. Oh, sad, sad.

Jenny, I like your "buy/borrow" designation. My "buy" authors are, in no particular order: R.A. Heinlein, A. Asimov, L. Niven, G. Bear, R. Bradbury, V. Vinge, O.S. Card and O. Butler. That doesn't mean I wouldn't buy books by the others (I have done--used), but for those listed, I go in search of hard covers.

Readers

Don't forget equal numbers of readers hating what you write. I don't care who you are or how well you write, at least thirty to forty percent of all who read your book will hate everything about it.

For me, reader reception is meaningless. There's nothing I can do about it. All I can do is write the best book I can and then turn it loose. We all want readers to love our books, but worrying about it is always counterproductive.

I had two reactions to "Angels Among Us" that I really loved. One was a reader who changed her homophobic viewing of gays and lesbians, saying to me "I never understood them but I understand Daffyd.", and the other was a 60 year old man, set in his ways, who often made homophobic jokes and comments (I heard this from his sweetie who gave him a copy of my book). After he read it, he stopped making the comments. THAT'S the kind of reaction I like to get.

Chris

DaveKuzminski said:

I know that even in some circumstances a universal disapproval can also create some success for a book provided the book is so bad that others simply have to buy and read it just to satisfy their curiosity.

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That only works if the author has previously had a great success, I would think.

DaveKuzminski said:

What kind of reader reaction do you think is acceptable?

I know that even in some circumstances a universal disapproval can also create some success for a book provided the book is so bad that others simply have to buy and read it just to satisfy their curiosity.

Anyway, I'm just trying to get some ideas on what others think.

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To be honest, I don't know of any instances where this has happened - where a lot of people have said a book is so bad and as a result, people ran out to buy it - in the sf/f field or any other field, unless it's a backlash reaction where the book has already reached critical mass and a lot of people are then saying it doesn't deserve it.

As for my book - I want only one reaction:

I want them to love it and then tell their friends, family and co-workers about it. I want them to buy every book in the series. I want them to buy the games - not just the PC ones, but the PS2 and XBox versions too. I want them to not only see the movie, but all the horrible sequels also (that I will, of course, have no hand in scriptwriting.) I want them to name their offspring after some of my characters. I want groupies (lots of 'em) and I want my kids to lead well-off lives off the proceeds after I'm dead.


Anything less is just unacceptable.

Ask Salman Rushdie.

I would love for everyone to like my book, but I know that isn't going to happen. Some people are probably going to hate it, (hopefully not the publishers and agents I send it to) some people are going to misunderstand it, some people are goind to tell me what I could have done better... the list goes on. No book is loved by all people, but I know that all I'll be able to do in the long run is do the best job I can, ignore the comments that are irrelevant, take note of the comments that make good points about my writing, and bask in a happy glow from the positive remarks.

The reaction I want is for people to give their souls to Jesus. As I write cookery books, I'm mostly dissappointed.

Ideally, I'd like people to either love it or hate it. I'd be heartbroken if the majority of responses were lukewarm.

I've had great reaction to my novel so far, with no negatives whatsoever. (When I say great, I mean feedback containing lines like 'I loved every page', 'just finished book one and can't wait for book two' and things like this)

I'm sure there'll be people out there who don't get the humour, don't like the characters or think the book is too close to HHG, Red Dwarf or whatever. They just haven't been in touch yet.

Cheers
Simon