Sunday, June 8, 2014

Write Less

This past few months several of my favorite romance authors published new books, and I snapped them up the second they were available. Oh, the joy when I saw that the books on my wish list had actually been released! I curled up on the couch to read them, more than happy to let everything else in my life - including my own writing - fall by the wayside. I couldn't wait to be sucked into their fun, sexy stories.

Except I wasn't.

So I'm going to say this here, even though it may sound crazy. To all those authors who release more than two books a year:  Please, please write fewer books.

I know this sounds crazy, and it's probably the exact opposite of what most of you feel. As fans, we're always thrilled when our favorite authors release a new book. But so many of the authors I once bought without hesitation are putting out work that's increasingly generic and lackluster. Not terrible, but far below what drew me to them. I haven't even been finishing their books, because why keep reading a boring romance? There's nothing more pointless.

I don't give up easily, mind you. One disappointing book won't keep me from buying an author I like, because everyone has a dud here and there. Nor will a second disappointing book, and maybe not even a third one. But there comes a point when I do give up on an author. I've been through this cycle many times, mind you. In fact, as soon as a writer I love hits big and starts churning them out, I wonder how long it'll be before I see a dip in quality. Oh, the humanity when I see it happen again!

It's difficult to make a story shine, to make romance tropes seem fresh. That's the challenge for all writers. So how can anyone expect to write more than two awesome novels a year for years on end? It's kind of ludicrous when you think about it. No way can anyone keep that up.

Of course, a writer has to earn a living, and the more you publish, the more you earn. But shouldn't you want to keep your biggest fans? Isn't it better to make sure you can have a long and lasting career?

So in my little blogger way, I'm asking all those fabulous ladies to slow down and say no to some of those offers. Save something for later. If you keep writing good books, your readers will be here waiting.