Julie Bosman has a telling story on the front page of the
Sunday March 13 New York Times about the pressure on midlist writers to become
prolific.
In print, the title is “In E-book era, rule for writers is
type faster!” Online, the title is “Writers’
Cramp: In the E-reader era, a book a year is slacking”, link here.
The Internet has drawn writers closer to their readers. (It’s done that with some classical
performers/composers with their listeners.) So some find they may need up to
two novels a year to keep a paying readership.
Other writers are trying a short story (usually 99 cents) to be followed
by an e-book novel, at least once a year.
Publishers, even cooperative publishers, are pressuring
authors to keep selling, even older books.
Could I move in this direction?
The “big picture” of my novel encompasses a complex spy
story, over decades, involving a number of characters, perhaps as could happen
in a dramatic TV series (even more intricate than “Revenge” or “Missing”). The view of my draft now is seen from the
viewpoint of a 40-ish married part-time spy (and teacher) and a gay college
student. The other characters are seen
in backstories. But I have two older
drafts, one from the viewpoint of a retired FBI agent (and his surgeon wife),
and another from a character based on me.
Would that make for three novels?
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