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Publishers in 2009 are reporting declining unit sales and dismal profits. Is this a result of a slower economy or is it something more malignant such as publishers not listening to what readers really want? According to reviews in Amazon and Barnes & Nobles, book buyers rate some of the top selling books as mediocre or worst. These same books garner high sales figures, appearance in the New York best sellers list giving the illusion of a book worthy of reading. A high number of units sold does not truly indicate a literary masterpiece but simply reflect a profitable release. One recent book that fits this criteria is The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown . This is a novel that is highly criticized by both professional literary critics and its readers who shelled out hard earned money to buy it. So why did The Lost Symbol vault to the top of the popular book list? Well for Dan Brown it is part his tenacity, his prior literary controversy, and the efforts of his great wife Blythe who is credited with doing a large part of his book’s promotions, writing press releases, booking Brown on talk shows, and setting up press interviews. So his latest novel’s success really boils down to name recognition. Dan Brown is a name the reading public recognizes and with all the pre publicity garnered by Brown’s novel the book buying public trusted that they would be treated to an exciting literary masterpiece.
Instead the book generated reader comments like, “This is the worst disappointment I’ve experienced in years. For months I thought the Lost Symbol was a sequel to the DaVinci Code. If that’s what you’re expecting, then you’re in for a big letdown. Not only is it NOT a sequel but it is probably the most boring, inane material you’ll have the displeasure of reading in a decade.”
Or as this reader states, “WAY over hyped.” And another said “two words describe this book: total drivel” Overall ratings from Barnes & Noble and Amazon both rated the book a weak 3 out of 5. Amazon readers had Brown’s book average rating as a high 2 for some time periods.
So if famous authors like Dan Brown are putting readers to sleep, are there authors out there who have something better to offer? The answer is yes, according to savvy readers. For comparison we list three books “ Trouble Man: by Travis Hunter , If Thine Eye Be Evil by Kathleen Yasas and Hulagu’s Web by David Hearne which are all rated 5 stars by Amazon readers. These are three books that appear to excite the readers but receive little or no attention from the gilded book critics who of late do little more than compete with each other writing about the same books. A quarter or a million books come out each year but only a couple hundred of them are given any recognition by book reviewers. Worst yet, many book critics dare only review books published by the large publishing houses. Books from small presses or self-published are treated like diseased waste by these literary prima donnas. The few that are read by the more adventurous and inquisitive critics are often subjected to a more rigorous criteria than similar books by new authors resulting in a very skewed rating system. So how can you discover and judge a good book by lesser know authors? Read the book reviews by actual readers. If an Amazon book buyer took the time to write a review, you can bet that what they say is more reliable than a critic who is forced to write so many reviews to keep their job. Book reader reviews are not tainted by the pressure professional critics face with maintaining long-term relations with publishers and other book industry royalty.
So what are readers saying about these three books “Trouble Man: by Travis Hunter“, If Thine Eye Be Evil by Kathleen Yasas and Hulagu’s Web by David Hearne? First let me say that these are all novels written by writers who had previous writing experience or previously published. Second these authors are all very different in their background and what they write about. Travis Hunter is an Afro American writer who writes about the struggles of the disenfranchised he creates unforgettable characters. His books are fast moving but also written well enough to move and touch readers emotionally in ways few authors can. His book Trouble Man is full of surprises and argues that we all have the capacity to grow and change for the better.
Kathleen Yasas is a crime thriller writer and an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist. Her novel “If Thine Eye be Evil” is a creepy book about a serial killing in Arkansas that appears to repeat its horror again in New York. One reader said, “Good luck led me to this book and I devoured it.” His comment pretty much summarizes the difficulty in readers finding good books that aren’t simply super hyped offerings by publishing powerhouses.
David Hearne’s book “Hulagu’s Web – The Presidential Pursuit of Senator Katherine Laforge” is a political thriller that touches on many of today’s current hot topics. Readers claim it is a “Relevant political thriller” another states, “it will make you think of your own stance for several popular issues we face today.” Hearne has been interviewed on radio and TV shows across the country. He has spoken to radio audience from New Hampshire to Oregon including cities like Salt Lake City, Amarillo, Texas, Liberal, Kansas, Houston, Ms and Ocala, Florida to name a few. His book has received raved reviews by professional critics and by Amazon readers but still few have discovered his book or the books of his contemporaries, Kathleen Yasas and Travis Hunter.
All three of these writers have created books that entertain and touch on issues in America culture. These are great writers who appear to have much to offer, but are forced to the back of the bus so the mediocre offerings of the large publishing houses can occupy the front. Luckily authors and small presses still have the fortitude to do whatever is necessary to get noticed and that is why we have had great books like Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini or Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp books. These three authors struggled with rejection from Publishing houses and literary agents, but were finally sought out when enough of the book buying public voted with their wallets that these authors were great writers with something that they wanted to read about.
So what really is good literature? Is it really what the masses are reading like the “The DaVinci Code?” That was a fun book to read but was it a well written literary piece? No, it’s a terribly written novel, but still an enjoyable read and probably will be considered a classic because of its popularity and its ensuing movie.
Today literary mediocrity is certainly a mainstay of the big publishers. Should that be considered an insult to the buying public or is it a result of the book industry inability to keep up with the evolving trends in literature and the numerous new ways books are made available? Have the literary agents lost touch with what the public desires and enjoys? I think it is all of these things and the undeniable fact that being a great writer today is no longer enough, you also have to be part publicist and an individual with iron will to succeed if you want readers to discover your work. Will these three books “Trouble Man: by Travis Hunter, If Thine Eye Be Evil by Kathleen Yasas and Hulagu’s Web by David Hearne become best sellers? Well that depends on you the reader. What do you want to read, great books or so-so books? If you really want great books, then yes they certainly have a chance.
