"I’ve seen some of my fellow writers call for more honesty on social media, more truthful public acknowledgment of book-related difficulties, when they arise. I think this is a wrong-headed approach, and a particularly bad idea for women writers. Think about this: the VIDA count tells us that women are not being reviewed in anywhere near the numbers male writers are. And reviews translate to both sales and acclaim. A disturbing number of male authors are dismissive of the VIDA count and perceive women writers as complaining too much. We – and VIDA – are right to point out these injustices. But if we start talking openly about every tiny bump in the road along our paths to publication, it often comes across as whiny at best, ungrateful at worst. Yet, there’s value to be had in learning from the difficulties, and mistakes, of others. As a community of women writers, how can we privately share these difficulties and help each other to succeed while still providing the brave public face necessary for book promotion?"
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:01:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015