Similar situation. I'm an author, yet read and write books she would never open, while she reads books that I often find pretentious and overwritten. :) And yes, we are alright, too. She loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and harried me to read it. Her hook was the video game business since I spent some years in both distributing and designing online games. I enjoyed much of the book though I found it wandered around a lot more than I would have liked. As I reached the middle of the book, I began to see where this was going and put it down. I was encouraged to pick it up again, and while I liked the writer's style, missed the point of the characters' journey.
I might include Ready Player One, as a better book about video game design as a theme though it may not have had the literary panache of this one. I would also mention a similar sort of book that I found interesting, Now Is Not The Time To Panic, by Kevin Wilson which is getting a lot of run. I think this is very much in the same vein though I must admit I felt a bit let down by the ending.
This was my favorite novel of 2022 and it's been SO satisfying to watch the hype because it's so well-deserved! I think this novel is the antidote to A Little Life. It has the emotional highs and lows but without ruining the reader's life
Came here to say I have the same relationship with my husband re book recommendations, and I also don’t like to be told what to do. I’ll tell him about a great book I read that my girlfriend recommended and he’ll be like, “I told you about that book last year.” 😂
Loved your insights here re how to consider comps.
My college advisor, a history professor and now a friend (who reads a lot for fun too) gifted me this book along with a few ones over the holdiays. It surprised me at first that he read YA novels but a good book is a good book! I can't wait to read it soon!
I just started a new online book club for people who subscribe to my newsletter and I wanted to choose this book, but I didn't because EVERYBODY is reading it and I wanted to be different! In the end I chose one of Zevin's previous titles because I had just read it and thought it was fun. Now I wonder if I should have been less contrary and gone with a sure winner.
That aside, I often get frustrated when people say they won't read a book because they aren't interested in the topic. I agree that most subjects can be fascinating if the writing is good enough and the characters are people you are about. I enjoyed The Verifiers by Jane Pek which is about online dating, even though I have never been involved in online dating and probably never will be. It's a fun book which raises some interesting questions about how are choices are narrowed by algorithms, but we are often not aware that this is happening.
I can't lie, it did not appeal to me AT ALL. But I never heard of this author until you mentioned the book. Hype really does sell books. I think it takes an agent who thinks like you do, then a publisher who does. But this post doesn't give much hope to us older writers. Since every agent out there is twenty-thirty something or just entering their 40s. I don't see a path for trad now.
As a new subscriber (but a very old writer) I'm binge-ing through your straight-from-the-heart advice-posts and every now and then a single phrase really hits home like a, uh, dart in the face. Ouch. But in a positive way.
Here you note that the essence of Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow was "not-typically-literary subject matter."
Well, I just spent two years researching and writing (and another year pitching) a fictional biography of person/time/place that revels in "not-typically-literary subject matter." And that has led to much doubt and self-reproof. How could I "waste" so much time and effort on an epic tale that no "literary person" (ie, agent/editor/publisher/modern reader) will be interested in? Even though the writing might be great (you'll have to judge for yourself), the whole topic/era/premise (pious New Englander spends 20 years getting rich but losing his soul as fur trader in far Northwest, then finds redemption through a freed slave woman back in Vermont) well it's all just too far removed from today's world to draw readers in. A book about a fur trader? Sorry, that doesn't fit our catalogue.
But, Kate, you've given me Hope.
I'm not interested in video gaming, but the quality of writing in that Tomorrow won the day.
So even though most people aren't interested in early 19th century fur traders, maybe the quality of writing just might win the day. You give me hope.
I'm very glad I found your Substack newsletter. I don't need writing advice (well, probably I do) but I definitely need how-to-deal-with-the-trauma-of-the heartless-publishing-industry advice. And I'm finding it here. Thank you.
Will definitely pick this up. Sounds wonderful. Your husband-wife story echoes mine as well. I'm not sure how you feel about TV shows, but I can use the same analogy for "Reservation Dogs." Unique story about subject matter that I had no prior interest in, but so well written and a fascinating peak into a world I didn't know, with rich characters, laugh out loud moments, and episodes that will have you seeking a towel to sob into.
I'm being a little ageist? I guess. I was open minded at a young age so I should assume everyone else is too unless they prove me otherwise. Thanks for humoring my little rant, it's appreciated.
Thanks. I hope so, cause even though age shouldn't have anything to do with it, It's still hard to relate my 58 yo brain (even though I'm still 25 in my head, until I look in the mirror) with what a younger agent wants. I simply can't put myself in their shoes. I'm not exactly normal though, I was living in a car in the projects of San Francisco at 12 in the late 70s! Needless to say I didn't have a cell phone, only the Jetson's did back then, :)
Attention all: read this interview with Gabrielle Zevin from Kirkus. It's excellent. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/gabrielle-zevin-understands-the-romance-of-work/
My favorite read of 2022. The structure (largely following the format of the game Sam/Sadie are working on) kind of blew my mind. A treasure for sure.
Similar situation. I'm an author, yet read and write books she would never open, while she reads books that I often find pretentious and overwritten. :) And yes, we are alright, too. She loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and harried me to read it. Her hook was the video game business since I spent some years in both distributing and designing online games. I enjoyed much of the book though I found it wandered around a lot more than I would have liked. As I reached the middle of the book, I began to see where this was going and put it down. I was encouraged to pick it up again, and while I liked the writer's style, missed the point of the characters' journey.
I might include Ready Player One, as a better book about video game design as a theme though it may not have had the literary panache of this one. I would also mention a similar sort of book that I found interesting, Now Is Not The Time To Panic, by Kevin Wilson which is getting a lot of run. I think this is very much in the same vein though I must admit I felt a bit let down by the ending.
This book made me realise how much I love coming-of-age stories about characters in their 20s!
This was my favorite novel of 2022 and it's been SO satisfying to watch the hype because it's so well-deserved! I think this novel is the antidote to A Little Life. It has the emotional highs and lows but without ruining the reader's life
Came here to say I have the same relationship with my husband re book recommendations, and I also don’t like to be told what to do. I’ll tell him about a great book I read that my girlfriend recommended and he’ll be like, “I told you about that book last year.” 😂
Loved your insights here re how to consider comps.
My college advisor, a history professor and now a friend (who reads a lot for fun too) gifted me this book along with a few ones over the holdiays. It surprised me at first that he read YA novels but a good book is a good book! I can't wait to read it soon!
Beautiful and inspiring. Thank you.
I just started a new online book club for people who subscribe to my newsletter and I wanted to choose this book, but I didn't because EVERYBODY is reading it and I wanted to be different! In the end I chose one of Zevin's previous titles because I had just read it and thought it was fun. Now I wonder if I should have been less contrary and gone with a sure winner.
That aside, I often get frustrated when people say they won't read a book because they aren't interested in the topic. I agree that most subjects can be fascinating if the writing is good enough and the characters are people you are about. I enjoyed The Verifiers by Jane Pek which is about online dating, even though I have never been involved in online dating and probably never will be. It's a fun book which raises some interesting questions about how are choices are narrowed by algorithms, but we are often not aware that this is happening.
I can't lie, it did not appeal to me AT ALL. But I never heard of this author until you mentioned the book. Hype really does sell books. I think it takes an agent who thinks like you do, then a publisher who does. But this post doesn't give much hope to us older writers. Since every agent out there is twenty-thirty something or just entering their 40s. I don't see a path for trad now.
As a new subscriber (but a very old writer) I'm binge-ing through your straight-from-the-heart advice-posts and every now and then a single phrase really hits home like a, uh, dart in the face. Ouch. But in a positive way.
Here you note that the essence of Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow was "not-typically-literary subject matter."
Well, I just spent two years researching and writing (and another year pitching) a fictional biography of person/time/place that revels in "not-typically-literary subject matter." And that has led to much doubt and self-reproof. How could I "waste" so much time and effort on an epic tale that no "literary person" (ie, agent/editor/publisher/modern reader) will be interested in? Even though the writing might be great (you'll have to judge for yourself), the whole topic/era/premise (pious New Englander spends 20 years getting rich but losing his soul as fur trader in far Northwest, then finds redemption through a freed slave woman back in Vermont) well it's all just too far removed from today's world to draw readers in. A book about a fur trader? Sorry, that doesn't fit our catalogue.
But, Kate, you've given me Hope.
I'm not interested in video gaming, but the quality of writing in that Tomorrow won the day.
So even though most people aren't interested in early 19th century fur traders, maybe the quality of writing just might win the day. You give me hope.
I'm very glad I found your Substack newsletter. I don't need writing advice (well, probably I do) but I definitely need how-to-deal-with-the-trauma-of-the heartless-publishing-industry advice. And I'm finding it here. Thank you.
Will definitely pick this up. Sounds wonderful. Your husband-wife story echoes mine as well. I'm not sure how you feel about TV shows, but I can use the same analogy for "Reservation Dogs." Unique story about subject matter that I had no prior interest in, but so well written and a fascinating peak into a world I didn't know, with rich characters, laugh out loud moments, and episodes that will have you seeking a towel to sob into.
Noted. I’ll have to check it out. Sounds intriguing. I’ve been deep in the darkness of Dostoevsky lately.
I'm being a little ageist? I guess. I was open minded at a young age so I should assume everyone else is too unless they prove me otherwise. Thanks for humoring my little rant, it's appreciated.
Thanks. I hope so, cause even though age shouldn't have anything to do with it, It's still hard to relate my 58 yo brain (even though I'm still 25 in my head, until I look in the mirror) with what a younger agent wants. I simply can't put myself in their shoes. I'm not exactly normal though, I was living in a car in the projects of San Francisco at 12 in the late 70s! Needless to say I didn't have a cell phone, only the Jetson's did back then, :)