The other day I was in a group of volunteers helping a local non-profit organization catch up on it’s mailings. It was quite a fun evening. At the end of it we were pointed to a shelf of free books that the organization had gotten and were told to help ourselves. There was a pretty decent book on the topic of what the organization and the volunteers were working for. I recommended it to a volunteer I was talking to while I was working. She would not take it. Shocked, I asked her why. It was *FREE* after all.
She told me that the author had been a bit of curmudgeon with her online. That killed her interest for ever reading the book. I told her a bit about the book and how she might like it. She agreed. She still wasn’t interested in taking the book. Even if it was free.
I know for a fact that author has been working hard on promoting that book. The author has a significant online presence. I’ve seen a bit of what the woman referred to. My guess would be that the author, like a lot of people, got caught up in working too hard and has become a bit of a grouch.
The internet has been a game changer for many things. I think it has many benefits for authors. One of the things it has taken away is that an author can’t be a curmudgeon and sell as many books, at least not if that author insists on having an online presence.
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I’m curious to find out who this author is now…
I have a friend who can’t stand Francione, but still gets his books (from the library) to read them and stay current on what his arguments are.
I wasn’t referring to Dr. Francione, though I think he could certainly benefit by reconsidering the demeanor of his online presence. I have a friend who used to get into virulent and childish arguments with a particular activist. Yet, she liked that activists recipes, bought her cookbook and it is one of her favorites. I think that shows an enlightened attitude, but I think that attitude is the minority one. I think it is more common for people not to hear someone out or read their book if they don’t like the author’s personality.