Hemingway hated me. I sold 200 million books, and he didn't. Of course most of mine sold for 25 cents, but still... you look at all this stuff with a grain of salt.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I sold a million books because I have a lot of fans, not because people hate me.
Hemingway was a jerk. I mean he was really a great jerk. He was a good writer, and he did all sorts of things that I would never have the courage to do, but I don't think I'd enjoy being in the same room with him. He's not my kind of person.
Like most writers, I've read a lot of Hemingway, and I admire him greatly.
Hemingway was a jerk.
I still read Hemingway. I still read his short stories because they're so good. He doesn't waste any words.
Writing my first book, I think in hindsight I went into it saying, 'It's gonna sell.' I was earning enough to scrape by sometime around a book or two before 'Tell No One.' I moved up from $50,000 to $75,000, then $150,000 for each book. I had never thought I would be doing anything else. I had enough encouragement.
It's been said that I am the most widely read writer of the 20th century. The number of books I've sold runs into untold millions.
The fact people think that when you sell a lot of books you are not a serious writer is a great insult to the readership. I get a little angry when people try to say such a thing.
My experience is that books take on a life of their own and create their own energy. I've represented books that have been sold for very little money and gone on to great glory, and I've seen books sold for an enormous amount of money published to very little response.
I never sell a book. I sell myself. And the way to sell yourself is to be an instrument of love.