Are You Obsessing Too Much About Making your Novel Perfect?

Can you hear it? That sound . . . it's my ego deflating.

Actually I have been obessing overly much, and it stalled me out for a few months. Now I think I'll hit the bottle (well, right after lunch).

I don't care what their reasoning is as long as they buy my book.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL Shadow Ferret...I'd like to say the same. However, I want people to not only buy my stuff, but read it and fall in love with my writing. hahahahahahaa

Well, the Ferret makes a good point. Maybe I should strive for an attractive book, so it'll be desired among the decorators?

Have it bound in cool antiquey faux-leather.

On the other hand, the survey could mean that people buy some books as decoration without intending to read them (the classic "coffee-table book"), but not that this is the only reason they ever buy books.

I've always regarded my books as small furniture but up to about two years ago, I also read every one I ever bought. I don't know what happened to my reading habits but now they just accumulate in a pile in the living room and I dread people picking one up and asking, "Is this any good?"

BTW, I keep them in a wicker basket for appearance sake. They do look lovely. I feel all intelligent everytime I pass by.

Well, yeah, but you have to have a damn good book for the publisher to put that special, attractive spine on it. Come on! It's all about the spine!

You know you want one.

Maprilynne

That can't be true can it? Rugcat? I hope those statistics are wrong. Not just because I want someone to read my book but because I don't think it is good for our society to be Aliterate. Okay so I guess when I think about it, we are becoming Aliterate. I did a paper on it last semester but for decoration? That is pretty bad...if you ask me.

All statistics can be wrong, we've learned. But I bet it's somewhat true.

I own lots of books I haven't read, and they do make for nice decor, but I want to read them. Some day! Buy a book purely for decoration? Eek. Like Shaddow Ferrett said, however, if they're going to do that, I don't mind if it's my book.

Books

This has always been true of literary books, only much more so. So much so that I imagine the numbers are skewed.

I doubt anyone, for instance buys Stephen King for decoration, and I seriously down many buy paperbacks for decoration, or romance novels for decoration, etc.

Yes.
It is also amazing how many books get published that are complete garbage. So there is hope for all of us!!

ccarver30 said:

Yes.
It is also amazing how many books get published that are complete garbage. So there is hope for all of us!!

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*sigh*

Unfortunately, there's some truth to the original survey. Years back, there was an HGTV episode where the decorators were explaining how to make a faux bookcase. How did they accomplish this? They went to a garage sale, bought a bag of used books, cut off the spines, and glued the spines to the surface they wanted to resemble a bookcase. I was apalled.

It's why I never understood designer bookcases, those cutesy ones they show where the whole thing has maybe six books on it, and little statues and picture frames....

....and I'm thinking "THat won't hold half my Stephen King books. What a stupid looking shelf!"

Well I guess the key is to write your book for those people who will read it. If some people just buy your book for decoration, eh, I guess at least you get the royalties. I doubt there is one author who has only sold books because they are pretty and not a single person has read what is on the inside.

Though I blush to confess that one of the reasons I bought all 13 Lemony Snicket books was because they looked so nice. I did read them though, but the motivation was entirely superficial!

I admit that I own books I haven't read, but the books were not bought for decoration. They were either bought for a class that I ended up dropping, but I kept the books to read later, or they are books I've picked up to read "one day." And, one day, I will read them.

rugcat said:

From Publishers Weekly:

Books as Wallpaper
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports on a UK survey that underscores the importance of books -- often bought but not read -- as symbols. Fifty-five percent of the 4,000 adults polled by Teletext said "they buy books for decoration, and have no intention of actually reading them."
Guardian

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This isn't as bad as the USA where interior decorators (did you know that in Georgia you have to have a license from the state to call yourself an interior decorator and sell your services? Anyway...) buy Reader's Digest Condensed Books (RDCB's) by the shelf-full to "decorate" clients' bookshelves. This is SO bad... most thrift stores are GLAD to sell RDCB's at less than their usual book prices, because they sell so slowly. These people (Interior Decorators and The Women Who Hire Them: next week on Oprah) have no clue about books or reading for pleasure or for information or reading at all. The USA TV show "Entertainment Tonight" was made for those people.

Not that I'm being judgemental or anything...

I must admit that I collect antique books 'cause they're pretty. I read everything else I buy, though. Honest!!!

This makes me wonder whether i should ask if my books could be printed with several different colours, you know, check out the crown paint range and print different books covers to fit with each range.

This is the lilac green cover, and looks very nice against a backdrop of autumn peach or even the summer yellows range...

Could they be speaking of antique tomes? I have many of these beauties and love to collect them. As for reading them - well they'd fall apart if I dared open the pages. I just love to look at them, touch and smell them - sad, I know but they are a part of history and should be handled with care!

And here I thought this would be a good place for me to admit that yes, I've ceased writing because of the whole stigma of wanting it to be *perfect* and being sadly disappointed when it is not.