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[BlueasJim]

Jason, keep in mind, man. Any publicity is good for you. If people want to read your book, they will do so despite one silly review. No worries. 

In fact, they may do so BECAUSE of one silly review... That's the beautyof it.

I'm hoping for both good rerviews and REALLY BAD reviews for DDG. I had even considered sending a review copy to some kind of right-wing christian website - just to court controversy... 

... Remember, the more people TALK about your book (for whatever reason), the more people BUY your book... 

EXACTLY

I mean... look at *cough* Rusin's work.

[HOO-HAA]

Jason, keep in mind, man. Any publicity is good for you. If people want to read your book, they will do so despite one silly review. No worries. 

In fact, they may do so BECAUSE of one silly review... That's the beautyof it.

I'm hoping for both good rerviews and REALLY BAD reviews for DDG. I had even considered sending a review copy to some kind of right-wing christian website - just to court controversy... 

... Remember, the more people TALK about your book (for whatever reason), the more people BUY your book... 

EXACTLY

I mean... look at *cough* Rusin's work.

Well, with Rusin it's got to be more to do with the sheer genius of her work. That and more woods.

[BlueasJim]

True, true DDG. I went looking for moar woods and got losted.

[Jason S. Hornsby]

First of all, you guys made me smile with your Rusin diatribe.  Thank you for that.

And second, maybe you're right.  Any talk I suppose is good talk.  Some movies that people tell me are awful I will see on the general principle that those people have terrible taste, so therefore what they think is worhtless I may find priceless.  I had this very experience with the new PT Anderson film "There Will Be Blood."  People were talking about how not good it was, and I thought it was one of the better films that came out this year.

It is a silly review.  The only problem for me is that I take some of these people seriously and it hurts my momentum to write, which is never good.

This thread leads me to another question: what's more important, to be respected as an artist and die broke or to sell millions of copies of your "art" and die a hack?  I think I already know my answer.

[HOO-HAA]

It is a silly review.  The only problem for me is that I take some of these people seriously and it hurts my momentum to write, which is never good.

I know, mate. It would be SO hard not to take it personally, no matter how prepared for it you are... And, it WILL affect your own self-esteem as a writer. We're all human, for gods sakes...

This thread leads me to another question: what's more important, to be respected as an artist and die broke or to sell millions of copies of your "art" and die a hack?  I think I already know my answer.

You know, I was writing the other night and decided something was up...

...the character I was writing had turned into something of a popsicle/ hollywood horror diva, and I knew it wasn't in keeping with how she had been, thus far, in the DDG story arc (I'm now working on the second book).

So, I went back and de-popularised her.

I made her human, again, and it felt good...

As long as I write about characters I can believe in, I'm happy. If others can relate to them, and my books sell trillions, that's cool. But if only one other person (who I don't know, personally) can read my work and come back and tell me that they could relate to one of the characters, or the story, then I'll die a happy bunny.

For me, success isn't about numbers, but it isn't about a lack of numbers, either.

It's measured differently...

[Jason S. Hornsby]

I agree.  A literal, well-perceived bad review is one thing.  When I read film or book reviews for things I perceive as crap, I typically can agree with everything the critic says.  Even reading some of the more intelligent criticisms of my novel are more thought-provoking and a learning experience than they are damaging to my ego.

The kind of criticism that I can not bear, however, is prattling insults directed at me.  I don't like when some yahoo reads my fiction and then assumes they know me.  That was always my problem with psycho-analytical literary criticism, actually.  I would read the Wife of Bath's story from Canterbury Tales and then presume I could dig into Chaucer's subconscious immediately afterward, despite the fact that he has been dead for 700 years in another culture and nation.

I deal with having to avoid making my characters posers, as well.  I occassionally find that they are behaving in a way that is too smart for their age group and demeanor and end up dumbing their wits down a bit.  Other times, they are just way too funny or clever for one exchange of dialogue and I end up cutting some of it.  And still in other instances the characters are just not real to me, caricatures or archetypes as opposed to people. 

If there ever comes a point when I could not see one of my own close friends saying or behaving the same as one of my characters, I begin making changes.

A part of me - this remnant from my college days - thinks that as soon as you start making real money from your writing, you run the risk of no longer retaining your artistic sensibility.  Even as I get older, I find myself at times apprehensive about taking big risks with my writing. 

So am I selling out or maturing with each new foray?  I'd like to hope for the latter, but who knows.

[Matt-M-McElroy]

New Review on Flames Rising:

http://www.flamesrising.com/este-review

Regards,

Matt

[Jason S. Hornsby]

Thanks for the link, Matt.  I appreciate it.

[Permuted Press]

[Every Sigh, The End is] utterly gripping, incredibly complex and very satisfying.

Read the full review here.

[Permuted Press]

Hornsby has crafted a unique and frightening novel.

Read full review here.

[Permuted Press]

Hip, referential and daring... Hornsby has given us one of the strangest and intellectual offerings I’ve read in months.

Read the full review here.

[Jason S. Hornsby]

I didn't even realize new critics were still reviewing!  Thanks, Jacob.  I'm a sucker for literary flattery, and this is one of the best examples yet.

[Jason S. Hornsby]

Another one, this from Associated Content:

Review of Every Sigh, the End. By Jason S. Hornsby
December 31st, 1999. A crazy party night for everyone, but Ross thinks something else is going on. Why are all those people getting zombie make-up???
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1668895/review_of_every_sigh_the_end_by_jason.html

[Jason S. Hornsby]

Too bad reviews don't sell books.  This is the best review I've ever gotten, and even I don't think ESTE is this good.  Hooray, Australian readers.

http://ozhorrorscope.blogspot.com/2009/05/book-review-every-sigh-end-novel-about.html

[BruceinMaine]

    Jason i am in awe of your book. ESTE. What an amazing way you put this story together. I like to think of myself as a ok author......yet after reading Every Sigh, i feel very very lost. How to write after reading such art? You have both destoyed my faith in my writting and at the same time enspired me to do better. Your charecters still haunt me. I really conected with Ross and the others. Like i know these people! I really really loved it! Thank you for this great book.


P.S. My review on amazon is very very poor i will fixx that. ( Poor as in i should have taken more time and really said what i wanted )