Author's Notes #4 (November 2023)
Tackling review bombing, AI reading audiobooks, respecting women's fiction, prioritising writing, and trying to burn The Handmaid's Tale
Welcome to my monthly Author Notes, where I highlight some things that have caught my attention in the writing and publishing industry over the last few weeks.
1.
A few months ago, Elizabeth Gilbert decided to pull her Russian-based novel from publication after a strong protest from readers who felt it was inappropriate to glorify Russian themes and stories during the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. It would take a long time to unpack the subsequent commentary around whether writers should be censored – or self-censor – in this way, although I would back any author for making decisions that alleviate their anxieties and protect their personal wellbeing. We should not require individual authors to throw themselves onto a moral pyre for the sake of our collective cultural progress! Bearing in mind Gilbert’s experience, it was good to read a recent Publisher’s Weekly article that revealed there are steps being taken by GoodReads to tackle ‘Review Bombing’, which is when readers take some kind of exception to an anticipated release, or the theme of the book, or an author’s viewpoint, and bombard the book with awful reviews to try to kill its hopes of success (and the author’s self-worth). The company says they are doing this, ‘in the hopes of helping keep GoodReads a place where people can come together to share authentic reviews and enjoy interacting with readers and authors of books they’ve loved.’ I had to smile at this, because it makes GoodReads sound like a cosy online bookshop café where readers and authors can all gather for a cuppa, whereas I approach many of my sojourns to GoodReads knowing I’m as likely to receive a swift punch to the gut as I am to be offered toasted marshmallows.
Seriously, plenty of reviewers don’t bother to cushion their blows, and that’s hard enough when it’s legit, so I’m glad there’s at least an effort to weed out this horrible practice. If you don’t like an author or book, just don’t read or buy it and move on.
2.
Authors on KDP can now get their audiobooks read by virtual narrators. I am trying to find something positive about this development – around accessibility/affordability perhaps? – but I still find this disconcerting, and it’s yet another worry for authors’ and audiobook narrators’ livelihoods in our already flooded marketplace. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.
3.
Does women’s fiction get the respect it deserves? asks Eleanor Black in a NZ article for stuff.co.nz. In a word: NO! Oh how I wish we could reshape the world and unashamedly celebrate rather than denigrate all the wonderful aspects of women’s writing. One problem we have across the literary spectrum is that terminology is so easily degraded and turned against us. When I first began working in publishing in the early 2000s, ‘chick lit’ was on trend, and it was an exciting and celebrated genre of savvy women writing funny and insightful stories that I – and many others – loved. However, Black’s article notes that every writer approached now has a strong distaste for the phrase ‘chick lit’, as it’s seen as ‘dismissive, derogatory and just too damn cute’. I have a similar issue around the genre I often work in, because psychological suspense suddenly became ‘domestic noir’ - as though we’d decided the most interesting way to write about crime was from the perspective of murderers doing the dishes. I have tried to get on board with it, but I always feel the term diminishes these sharp, dark family stories, like there’s a joke being whispered behind hands that’s somehow on us. All in all, this is a very interesting article, in which I also learned that Jennifer Weiner deserves an extended round of applause for calling out Jonathan Franzen on his acerbic response to her statements around inequality.
4.
In a Medium piece called, ‘This is Why Nobody is Reading Your Content’, Adrien Drew makes a compelling case on why we should all focus on becoming better writers. I’m not arguing with any of that, and I appreciated this article, but I have also been in the industry long enough to know there are many great books that do not get the attention or longevity that they deserve. Publishers are stretched, and many brilliant writers don’t have the means or resources to get their work into people’s hands. Money and marketing matter. Strategy matters. As does telling the right story at the right time, when it taps into a cultural need or a zeitgeist topic. However, I agree that none of this will make a difference if you don’t have a great story to share.
5.
I know I’ve already told you how much I love
in my last Notes. But let me tell you again, in photographic form this time:
To quote from the brilliant Mighty Girl team (I found this photo on their Facebook page): ‘she is pictured here attempting to burn an “unburnable” copy of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" with a flamethrower. A single unburnable copy was created last year to raise awareness about increasing censorship’. Happy 84th birthday Margaret Atwood, and bravo!
SHORT NOTES AND SHOUT-OUTS
Vale Dale Spender, beloved Aussie feminist author whose work on language has been invaluable to me throughout my career and during my PhD. Until I read this obituary in the Guardian, I didn’t know she also suggested a curfew on men, no management employment without the experience of running a household, and that football stadiums should become vegetable gardens! Nor did I realise she has written 70 books! I need to find more of them.
Published yesterday on Anita Heiss’s blog, this piece by Kacie Heath is an interesting read about the under-discussed issue of feminism in the recent Australian vote on the Voice to Parliament. I loved learning about the way traditional Indigenous culture has always been matriarchal and celebrated gender equality. Imagine what that could have reaped if those seafarers centuries ago had arrived prepared to learn rather than determined to conquer. Heartbreaking.
My Writers of the North group had a brilliant time talking to writers and readers at our local Clarkson library’s morning tea event. Here’s a very happy photo of the four of us (from left to right: Holden Sheppard, me, David Allan-Petale and Josephine Taylor).
COMING UP
Christmas! Arrgh! I was doing my usual last day of November thing last night and up at 3 am madly ordering stuff online. I have no author events left for 2023, but I can tell you that I’ll be launching Dervla McTiernan’s new thriller What Happened to Nina? at a WA event with Joondalup Dymocks next February and I cannot wait - it’s a cracking read (perfect for your Christmas stocking preorder!)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THIS MONTH ON MY SUBSTACK
And that’s it for my November Author Notes. As always, thank you for joining me, I really appreciate your support and hope I’m providing you with lots of creative value. I’ll be keeping my entire Substack paywall free until February 2024, and there will always be plenty of options for those who’d like to read my work but can’t afford to subscribe. I’ll also be working out some great bonuses for those who would like to pledge their support in future. And if you’re reading this and haven’t yet subscribed, hit the button below to get my posts sent straight to your inbox.
This post resonated so deeply with me, Dr. SF, both as a reader and a writer. The Elizabeth Gilbert GR imbroglio really pissed me off. Her story has nothing to do with modern-day politics or Ukraine. Had I been her publisher (or friend) I would have pushed her to publish it and to ignore the bombing.
And this: "...psychological suspense suddenly became ‘domestic noir’ - as though we’d decided the most interesting way to write about crime was from the perspective of murderers doing the dishes," was so spot-on, so brilliant. And so damn funny!! (Um, unfortunately, I have to admit that the MC in my upcoming psychological thriller (sorry: domestic noir) novel does indeed wash dishes in more than one scene. Alas.)
Finally: GO MARGARET!!! She is FIERCE.
Thanks for this. You are a star.
SO much I agree with here.