tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post5721457257555896198..comments2023-09-21T18:55:56.147+10:00Comments on Call My Agent!: Who's afraid of Australian novels?Agent Sydneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10784243352820485192noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-5887178460820103882012-03-16T01:44:46.990+11:002012-03-16T01:44:46.990+11:00Great post; great comments. Santa supports Aussie ...Great post; great comments. Santa supports Aussie authors in this house, all year round, in fact. Publishing is a cautious industry, made up of people of good will who, like the rest of us, would prefer to keep their jobs. Their decisions have to be supported by numbers, by what's 'proven'. Does that sting many would-be authors? Sure it does. Still, there's always hope and change is pressing at the door.Theresahttp://www.theothercolumn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-27213076422552172002012-03-15T03:20:32.068+11:002012-03-15T03:20:32.068+11:00Thanks for these posts, Agent Sydney! I agree with...Thanks for these posts, Agent Sydney! I agree with you entirely about the invisible habits we develop early on in our reading lives. It's a point made visible recently in the discussion of gender imbalance in the authorship of books reviewed in major newspapers' book pages and in the gender of the reviewers themselves. <br />I don't believe, however, that someone who naturally wants to write genre will "try their hand" at literary fiction. I wish I could write thrillers or suspense stories myself instead of the essayistic nonfiction things I myself produce.<br />I agree with the several commenters who suggest that marketing and information distribution still leaves plenty of room for improvement. Unfortunately the marketers' jobs are increasingly difficult due to the fracturing of mass information channels into so many narrow and niche ones. That's the main reason why authors need to realise that, once the labour of love of writing the novel is at an end, they are only halfway there.<br />Keep the posts coming!Virginia Lloydhttp://www.virginialloyd.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-50294056159956433752012-03-14T14:04:38.743+11:002012-03-14T14:04:38.743+11:00Some Australian fantasy novels I love:
1. "Sa...Some Australian fantasy novels I love:<br />1. "Samurai Kids" series by Sandy Fussell (for kids)<br />2. "Castings" trilogy by Pamela Freeman (for adults)<br />3. "Old Kingdom" trilogy by Garth Nix (for young adults)<br /><br />In my opinion, these books are absolutely at the top of their field. I read them over and over.<br /><br />Louise CurtisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-25253659110348086122012-03-13T07:15:23.098+11:002012-03-13T07:15:23.098+11:00As both a reader and writer of Australian fiction,...As both a reader and writer of Australian fiction, I would add a few variables to the equation. Media firstly - despite a good publishing house and great reviews, my last book barely scored a mention in the newspapers/magazines - and suffered sales-wise as a result (the ripple effect of which I am only experiencing now, while trying to place the next book). And then there's the industry itself, which is quite selective with its support - I experienced the most remarkable irony last year when asked for a donation to support more OS authors coming to the Melbourne Writers Festival. In 12 years as a writer, and nine books, I have never been invited myself!Ilsa Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935596415299444215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-34157763465217292092012-03-12T16:54:12.024+11:002012-03-12T16:54:12.024+11:00How do book-buyers even know whether the book they...How do book-buyers even know whether the book they grab off the shelf is Australian or not? I don't unless I later Google the author or something. I just buy what looks good. I read a lot of genre fiction written by Australians, but also by overseas authors. Generally without knowing beforehand which is which.Nataliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05104693042948517678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-632086038992984402.post-57319130372948176972012-03-12T15:25:49.423+11:002012-03-12T15:25:49.423+11:00As a book blogger, I'm going to have to disagr...As a book blogger, I'm going to have to disagree with a lot of what's said in this post. Most of the post seems to be geared at the things readers may have done to limit the proliferation of Aussie books. But to be honest, I don't feel like this is a fair assessment. <br /><br />I read a ton of Australian genre fiction and I buy a lot of the books I read. I've even participated in an Aussie Author Challenge for the past two years. I'd love to support Aussie authors in every capacity, but I tell you what, the publishers don't make it easy. Books that are released in Australia don't get released overseas for years. When they are released, I feel like very little is done to publicise that fact. Many Australian authors aren't accessible to their fans the way overseas authors are and pricing for books in Australia is out of control. <br /><br />I think it's a bit simplistic to pin it all down to cultural cringe and habit. Given the right marketing, habits can be broken and so can historical trends. The mere fact that Aussie readers are buying large quantities of overseas genre fiction should signal to publishers that genre fiction is growing in popularity and is worth further investigation and investment. Nobody even cares anymore if what they're reading is from this country or that. If it's a good story than it will be enticing to readers.<br /><br />At the end of the day, publishers, authors, book stores, in fact the entire industry needs to take a good look at the way it's marketing itself. Why should readers be the ones who change their habits drastically to suit an industry that won't innovate? I don't know any other industry where the consumer is the one that has to go looking for a product to buy. As I reader I find that ludicrous. <br /><br />I'm willing to bet that if you put two books in front of an Aussie reader and tell them one is an Aussie book, that's the one they will pick. I know I certainly would. So my question to publishers is this: I'm willing to buy more Aussie books. What are you willing to do to help me?Lanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00002224549199474383noreply@blogger.com