Big bucks or literary respect?

Both. In my mind, it's a false dichotomy.

But if I had to choose, I'd pick the bucks. I'm practical that way. And reaching as many readers as possible is important to me. Besides, I'm the type of person that will write to the best of my ability no matter what, and if my personal best means being critically dissed by the literati, so be it.

Like a well-respected actor would say: "I make the big bucks with big budget popcorn movies so I can go off and do the critically acclaimed indies and earn an Oscar."

That's my career aspiration.

I'm with Ray

Jack Nicholson?

I want neither of these options. I want to have a mid-lister's readhersip and make a mid-lister's money. And my reviews will be decent, but I won't win any prizes.

Aahh, the quiet warmth of the middle road...

Choice

I suppose I'd rather have both, but since I place far more stock in the opinion of the reading pubic than in any panel of judges, if I had to choose, I'd take the bestseller.

I don't even read opaque literary masterpieces, much less write them, so I guess I'm out of the running for that.

I'll take the money. Call me a hack, I'll still write to the best of my ability whether the literary fame comes my way or not.

Money? Yeah. I'll take that.

I have no grand aspirations. Don't want to make a statement.

Nakhlasmoke said:

I'll take the money. Call me a hack, I'll still write to the best of my ability whether the literary fame comes my way or not.

Click to expand...

You're a hack, Nakhla. Welcome to the club.

I don't generally consider literary works to be "opaque" and I usually enjoy reading them, so I'll take the National Book Award.

I'll take the money, please. If the public likes me, I don't give a rat's ass whether some small group of critics like me.

Money first, respect later. Call it a business decision.

money

I've always felt better being in the trenches. Walking around with my nose in the air, critics swooning over me telling me what a great author I am, does'nt pay the bills. Sure, it's good for the ego. So what.

Give me a yellow tablet,pencil, tobbacco for my pipe, a glass of bourbon, and let me write something that people want to read. Yeah. I'll take the money.

Yeah, I'll take the money. I'd rather read Robert Howard or Robert Asprin or Dave Barry than Hemingway any day, and Faulkner just bites (personal preference; maybe I'm just not smart enough to get the work of the giants).

Give me something that sells from a practical standpoint; baby needs a new pair of shoes. Give me something the public enjoys from an ego standpoint; I respect education as much as anyone- I'm working on a PhD as we speak (dodging a paper I have to write as I speak), but I'd rather be doing something accessible to everyone rather than something so esoteric or vague that only the very elite of intellectuals realize that my mountain range is actually a juicy, ripe set of breasts.

I want people to read my work, I want to be popular with the book-buying public. I'd go for money over the prize because the money means more people are reading and enjoying my work.

I don't care enough about the prizes.

My daughter's starting private high school this year. Four years of that, followed by who knows how much college... give me the money.

Norma

Show me the money.

No, not really. Give me the money.

No, wait, that's not it either. Seriously, I want to still be read 100 years after I'm dead. Maybe 1000. Why not?

ROFL--I want the $$, too...that means I could quit my day job.

Show me the money-I get paid for writing-don't give a damn about art of any kind-literarty or otherwise!

I don't consider good literary fiction to be opaque. I've liked some NBA winners and detested others, but I don't rush out to read award-winning books of any kind, and I don't rank opacity as a literary virtue.

I can't read Faulkner, and I find Hemingway's novels boring and pompous, but both authors are poor examples in the hackwork vs. literary argument. For one thing, they sold very well (and continue to); for another, these guys were Nobelists, which puts them in a different category from the author who lands an NBA for reasons nobody can figure out.

Besides, though an NBA doesn't necessarily guarantee bestsellerdom, it generally helps sales a great deal; the prize money would be nice; and it sure would make a nice addition to any query letter I've written. Hell, I'll take the NBA and have it both ways.

Hi, Bell Canada! Will you accept some of the prestige of the National Book Award as payment for this month's phone bill?

I'll take the money, thanks. I'm just here to entertain the masses...I have no grander aspirations. To hell with the critics. I'm a hack and have no problems with that.

The money, because it would allow me to continue doing what I enjoy - writing. Admiration won't pay the mortgage.

I write the best I can, and get neither of these choices.

caw