Thursday, April 14, 2011

Let's Talk: Liking the authors work but not the author?



We all have authors we love. Once you find an author who really hits your reading spot, you want to read everything by them. Sometimes you go a little author crazy and you follow them everywhere, facebook, twitter and so on. Have you ever after following an author, not liked the author as a person?

I am not going to name any names by choice, but there is an author who I read and loved her work. I have read every book she has written and at one time she was on my list that if she had a new release I would buy it. I am kinda picky about paying a lot for a book when I know if I wait a month or two I can get it a lot cheaper. So, this author was one of those. I had read their bio and felt like this person was a very like able person. I began following this person on facebook a while ago. I was almost shocked in some ways what this author posted and the things she would talk about. I had expected more "mom" stuff since she had young children, but instead there were a lot of pictures of her partying, talking about dieting even though she is dirt thin and so on. I know its not nice to judge, but its almost like she just shares too much. There are even a few pictures where you can tell she is just drunk.

So, I don't really care for her too much as a person, and this kinda effects how I feel about her writing. Normally I could sit with one of her books and just lose an entire day buried in the pages. There is no talk of another release from her since she has a movie coming out to one of her books, but I don't know that I would pre-order her book at this point to make sure I had my hands on it the day it came out. I almost feel that because I don't care for her as a person, what I think of her as an author has moved down.

Is this fair? Have you experienced anything like this?


 

7 comments:

Ashley T said...

I try not to get to know an author personally. I'm afraid that the same thing will happen, I'll end up not enjoying the book as much.

Sarah Joyce said...

This is a double standard I see mostly with Actors. Not liking someone personally so letting it discount their work in your own opinion. For almost all other forms of art the artist can be the most terrible person in the world and all it does is help to spark conversation, not really color a persons perception of the work.

I have a few authors I think aren't great people, but I don't really let it color my opinion of what they've written. Usually unless what's making them "bad people" is a controversial attitude on something, this negative side doesn't show up in their work.

I'm also not sure that just being an oversharer on facebook should be enough to take something you once loved and ruin it. So what if she parties and diets? It's her life.

Wolfe said...

@Letter4no1 - Thank you for your opinion. You are right that I should not let it cloud my judgement fully, and that yes it is this authors life. I do not consider them a bad person, I just don't fully agree with everything they share on facebook and it has clouded my judgement. I do no longer follow them on there, so it isn't as if I still sit there and see these things that I feel like are negative anymore.

Amelia James said...

Social networking sites have made it so easy to know celebrities and other public figures. Authors need to be aware of how they portray themselves to their readers. A negative impression could cost them.

Marce said...

I would recommend you stop reading her Facebook page so that you can continue enjoying her books. As a reader that is more important than liking her. Don't give up the positive about her, give up the negative.

We don't want to judge but it is hard not to at times.

Take care Beck, have a great weekend.

Paws said...

Haven't had that experience with writers yet. All that I follow on twitter or FB seem to be really good people.
But now I want to know who you're talking about!
;)

Devan @ Book Strings said...

I completely understand. There is this author who shall remain nameless. I had an e-mail exchange with her and it made me not like her as a person. I was not criticizing her work, but quite the opposite. She was very snotty and I felt like she was talking down to me. Since then I've noticed her tone on her blog/website posts and it just turns me completely off. I know that she went to a top 5 University, but I'm sorry keep the attitude in the classroom and don't direct it towards your readers. I still read her books, but I do not buy them. I usually get them from the library and I have won a few.