The other day, I posted this sobering message on my Facebook and Twitter feeds: New writers don't want to hear it, but staying published is the hard part. Like trying to walk a tightrope in lard-slathered socks. The publishing biz had just given me another such reminder, with my former publisher (and holder of my entire in-print backlist) deciding to go all digital, at least in the near future and whittling down its editorial staff to nearly nil in response to dwindling sales. But even in the best of economic times, it's a huge challenge to keep one's career alive long enough to build an audience and prosper, especially for the grand majority of authors, who survive on the mid-list. (Big-time bestsellerdom has its own perils, but that's another post.) Yet somehow, I remain if not wildly optimistic, perpetually hopeful. Over the years, I've seen some very talented authors crash and burn with the fortunes of lousy covers, a line's or publisher's demise, or an ...
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i had the same reaction to maslin's takedown as i did to reading the remembrance of karl malden in the Year in Death (i forget what they call it) roundup in the NYT magazine a couple of weeks ago. it focused ONLY on his support for elia kazan, known seller-outer of other artists in the mccarthy era. it was SO meanspirited and single-minded -- uh, i THINK the guy had an acting career, but the piece was all about him standing by (stubbornly and kind of dimly, the obit implied) a dickwad.
i GET having an agenda, believe me. and i get wanting to make people sit up and take notice with your reviews/criticism. but DUDE. MEEN. as the kids say.
Curtis Sittenfeld is terrific in general. I like her a lot.