What Are You Reading? July 2013

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 12:02 pm

But then how did Rowling become a name in the first place? She was an unknown who was given a small publishing contract for a children's book about a boy wizard. No marketing budget, no big advance, no taran ta ra. At the outset it was purely word of mouth by the readers that gave her first novel its platform and things moved on from there. I think she's a darned good writer too. I shall read the Gailbraith. My only quibble is that inventing Gailbraith's background in such a pointed way was a step too far - IMO

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 2:40 pm

I got sick-tracked from the Costain and worked through a couple of romances, Mountain Angel by Patricia McAllister was such a dog I had to go back to my read books to recall the title from what I read yesterday. I'm almost done with Tiger's Eye by Karen Robards. Regency with an interesting twist to get the Lady of the Manor with the raised from the gutter hero together. Really enjoying it.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 5:22 pm

[quote=""EC2""]But then how did Rowling become a name in the first place? She was an unknown who was given a small publishing contract for a children's book about a boy wizard. No marketing budget, no big advance, no taran ta ra. At the outset it was purely word of mouth by the readers that gave her first novel its platform and things moved on from there. I think she's a darned good writer too. I shall read the Gailbraith. My only quibble is that inventing Gailbraith's background in such a pointed way was a step too far - IMO[/quote]

The point made in an interesting blog post that pointed out the book was doing exactly as well as expected for this kind of book by a debut author and regretting that she didn't get to finish the experiment: http://kriswrites.com/2013/07/17/the-bu ... he-writer/

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 5:48 pm

Posted by EC

[Rowling] was an unknown who was given a small publishing contract for a children's book about a boy wizard. No marketing budget, no big advance, no taran ta ra.

True - but how often does this happen? The odds must be greater than winning the national lottery, surely - though the occasional one like Fifty Shades of Grey bucks the trend. So many books are published and never sell more than a few thousand copies, if that. And as we get swamped with more and more books coming onto the market, surely it won't become any easier.

I can definitely understand Rowkling's desire to write without the heavy weight of expectation hanging over her - just for once.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 8:11 pm

I sympathize with JK Rowling. After all, she doesn't need to have her books be a smash success. She doesn't need the money, and she's had her fill of adulation. At this point in her career, anonymity must be rarer than a snowball in July, and twice as welcome.

I think that, once a writer has reached a certain level of competence in mechanics and can tell a story that engages their chosen reader, then whether a book takes off or not is entirely a crapshoot. It was that way in the old publishing days, and it's ten times more so now, with the publishers' clout reduced and a level -- but very crowded -- playing field.

Rowling was blessed by controversy with Harry Potter #1. That's what put it on most people's radar. And many writers have tried to imitate that by trying to be 'controversial' -- unfortunately, you can hardly shock enough of today's audience. Unless you are writing sexy stuff about Muhammad, and few want fame enough to risk a fatwa.

JenniferLovesRoxi · Post by **JenniferLovesRoxi** » Mon July 22nd, 2013, 11:37 pm

I am reading The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas. I just started it this morning, so I am only about 10% of the way in right now, but I am enjoying it so far.

princess garnet · Post by **princess garnet** » Wed July 24th, 2013, 12:37 am

Blood & Beauty by Sarah Dunant
Snagged this when it arrived at the library so I've checked it out. (No holds showed when I processed it) Ah, the perks of being a librarian.

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Wed July 24th, 2013, 2:18 am

Queen of the Conqueror by Tracy Borman

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 12:55 am

YA book In the shadow of Blackbirds and I really really like it! HF too!

Berengaria · Post by **Berengaria** » Thu July 25th, 2013, 4:07 pm

I'm speeding through The White Princessby Philippa Gregory. It is interesting to read about the gradual respect and love that grows between Elizabeth and Henry and the paranoia of the Tudors. It isn't the engrossing read that I found with The Summer Queen, but enjoyable all of the same. Now that Gregory has written about all of the main female players of the Wars of the Roses, I wonder what era she'll tackle next?