Publishers like a good buzz, and negative responses sell books just as well as positive ones.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Negative books can be bestsellers, but seldom classics.
I always want my books to reach a positive point in the end.
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.
Publishers vet books, and they do a good job keeping out the low quality. But they also miss some good quality.
I think I'm more marketing- and sales-oriented than others, and the notion of selling books continues to interest me.
I don't write for publishers, certainly not for critics, and not for readers, But I am delighted that so many people have found my books enjoyable and want to continue to read them.
Criticism is part of being in the marketplace. If you can't take a bit of criticism, you shouldn't bother publishing a book.
PR and marketing doesn't sell books. It gets attention for them. It sends readers to bookstores and websites to read a few pages.
It seems the world of book publishing is constantly changing. Whether it was the rise of chain stores or their decline, or the digital revolution... fortunately, we have been able not only to adapt but to thrive.
Publishing is a very mysterious business. It is hard to predict what kind of sale or reception a book will have, and advertising seems to do very little good.