How often have you heard the argument of quality over quantity? Why is quality a question in the first place? Better still, why are the two considered mutually exclusive?
Repetition
Have you ever seen an assembly line? The people on the line have specialized tasks, which they do over and over. In that repetition comes aptitude. We become more proficient at the tasks we repeat. Were that not true, no one would have ever learn multiplication tables.
But, my dear Red, books are not the same as tab A into slot B…”
Really? Consider the artist. Rather than grammar lessons, the artist studies art technique: how to hold a brush, how to sculpt, how to carve. Are the artist’s first attempts polished and ready for public consumption? Often not. Does the artist stop at the first piece which is accepted and purchased? Again, not.
The same goes for the author. Once the language is fluent, the refinement stage begins. Will the first attempts be polished and ready for public consumption? Often not. Does the author stop at the first piece which is accepted and purchased? Again, not. Or is it a good idea?
Quality
The crux of the quality/quantity argument is one cannot produce quality in the midst of quantity. In most cases, the argument holds water because it assumes (should be your warning light) quality must be sacrificed to produce quantity. By a show of hands, was Henry Ford off his rocker? Is everyone who did not raise a hand thinking?
Quality does not have to be sacrificed to produce quantity in terms of books. Time, social interaction, sleep: All prey of the quantity creator. Quality does not have to fall prey to quantity. Considering the number of people who go into the creation of a book, while a book is in the hands of beta/editing, an author can be penning a manuscript before the first one is published. (In case you were wondering how authors put out 5-10 books per year…)
Where?
Do people get this thinking? Authors who do not know when a story line is exhausted give the impression rapid-fire novels are going to get worse.
When your series has gotten to the point you are repeating scenarios with different names (not different, fully-developed characters who bring different ethos to situations resulting in different outcomes), you have sacrificed quality for quantity.
When you have left some thin plot, you have sacrificed quality to get to print faster. When your new characters are reincarnations of your old characters, you have sacrificed quality.
Why the rush? The author’s version of peer pressure: Readers, fans (both types) and publishers.
Ask
- Have I given this book enough consideration and attention or did I rush through it to get to XX,XXX words so it could go to beta?
- Did I spend quality time developing memorable characters?
- Did I do enough research and does my manuscript prove I know my subject?
- Have I adequately addressed concerns raised in beta?
- Have I had enough time away from my manuscript to see what I may have missed?
The last question is one which needs to be asked regularly. For example, take a moment to go to the first blog post you wrote. Does it look anything like what you write now? Would you accept it today, rewrite it or scrap it? At the time you pressed publish, you thought it was perfect.
Now that you have had some time away from it, you can see what help it could use. Knowing your book is going to have a permanent, no-longer-editable place in the public eye, is there a reason to rush to press without caution?
Which one?
There is no exclusivity between quality and quantity. It is possible to create many quality products. They all require sacrifice. Before you employ complex time management techniques to layer writing during editing, determine if you need to devote more attention to the manuscript you have in play.
Despite what readers may say, they really would prefer a quality product to many half-hearted attempts. Just as you have to decide if you want to be the “bestselling” author of free books, you have to decide if you want to be the author of a few exemplary books or a shelf full of wannabe books.
Would you prefer your favorite authors put out books of the same quality every time or one every three months? Can you work on a new project before you finish the first?
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Laurie
/ April 19, 2013If I didn’t begin work on a project before the first was complete, I’d never finish anything.
Laurie recently posted..Q is for Questions
Red
/ April 23, 2013I am with you. For me the layering of projects keeps me from being mired in the work and stifling my creativity.
Sue Dreamwalker
/ April 19, 2013Hi Red, Q is for Quality… definitely, Going back to P, seems the -99 is still prevalent, I learnt something new there.. As for the O, I hope you make plenty of zero’s on the end of your dollar sign.. N for whats next, hummm now, and can I remember an author who jumped gender? M for memoir’s I did try writing once, but then stopped. I have read a couple of great reads on Memoirs though..
One day I will write one of your Flash in the Pans 🙂 … Wishing you a Peaceful enjoyable Weekend Red… Love to you and Hugs..
Sue
Sue Dreamwalker recently posted..Gaia ~ Earth Day April 22nd
Red
/ April 23, 2013Oh, Sue! I am so glad to see you today. I am glad you picked up a few things and thank you for you wishes for zeroes! I think you would write a beautiful memoir. You have so very much to share. And I think you would bring a distinctive flair to FTP. Have a wonderful week, Sue. xxx <3 Much love and blessings.
Phil
/ April 19, 2013I would prefer it if authors didn’t rush their work and therefore produce quality content in the process.
Most good things take time to cultivate and bring to fruition and the same could be said of books.
I’m all about quality and not cheating myself or possible fan base/readership.
That being said, I’m well aware of the fact that an authors readership could be radically reduced if they take too long to complete their next masterpiece.
Where my writing is concerned, I prefer to finish a project completely, before I move onto my next one..trying to practice what I preach. 😉
Have a great weekend Red,
Love to you and yours.
Phil recently posted..Matrimonial Testimonials
Red
/ April 23, 2013I believe readers have an unreasonable expectation of authors. Without having the slightest inkling of the amount of work which goes into a book, the only time reference they have is how long it took them to read the book. Likewise, readers memories are not particularly long. I hope you and your family have had a restful weekend and are off to a bright week. 🙂
Bearman
/ April 19, 2013” Consider the artist. Rather than grammar lessons, the artist studies art technique: how to hold a brush, how to sculpt, how to carve. ”
I was supposed to study something??
Bearman recently posted..Project Blue Collar – Daddy Issues Cartoon
Red
/ April 23, 2013LOL! All that crud under the help button 😉
tess kann
/ April 19, 2013You’re right. I have noticed some authors–the more HOT ones–are on the conveyor belt more often than before, and I am not amused. Have I been the only one noticing typos? Anyway, I dislike thin, watered-down characters and any reader will notice regurgitation of same–I am sure.
tess kann recently posted..Am I Missing Something?
Red
/ April 23, 2013I am not so certain. Take VC Andrews as an example. All of the authors who wrote under than pen name regurgitated the same story line over and over… series after series. By the third series, the characters were beginning to be renamed. I have begun to wonder if publishers are divorcing authors from their manuscripts once out of beta. I have a hard time believing this many authors would let that many typos and errors go to press. I could be completely mistaken with that, as the author is usually the one to pen the error in the first place.
On the other hand, I have seen editors edit in mistakes which copy editors caught in the end. I look at it as haste makes waste. xxx
Binky
/ April 19, 2013There’s no reason why you can’t have a number of projects on the go at the same time, and they can even sometimes help inspire each other. Of course, you really work on them sequentially, not simultaneously, which would be rather confusing.
Binky recently posted..Hoarding Wombie Style
Red
/ April 23, 2013LOL! The fallacy of multitasking. I agree the cross-pollination of inspiration is often helpful for all the projects. Unless you are multi-purposing work, they are definitely are consecutive.
Gail Thornton
/ April 19, 2013I take a long time to pen a book. My projects might have been fully realized ideas on the back burner for years, but I write one at a time and focus on one at a time. I have given my present book a year to be written before going into beta. I hope I can make my self-imposed deadline. While I can cheer on others who have both quality and quantity, I am not one of those writers. I’ll reach for quality even if it takes me a long time to achieve it. Great post, Red!
Gail Thornton recently posted..Mantra’s Book of Shadows, Dark Poetry by Red Dwyer
Red
/ April 23, 2013Overall, I respect writers who focus on quality over quantity every time. I will gladly wait for a quality book. xxx
Noeleen
/ April 20, 2013Love your MY BLOG RAWX 🙂 You’re funny!
Great article, Red. You would bring quality produce, for absolute sure.
Noeleen recently posted..A lock-out, a Fetish, Alfie and the Cats of Conil
Red
/ April 23, 2013I do. I have always preferred quality to quantity. When I like a book, I am willing to read it more than once. Great to see you, Noeleen.
Prenin
/ April 20, 2013I tried rushing it and made a mess of the last manuscript, so now I am being more cautious! 🙁
Love and hugs!
Prenin.
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Red
/ April 23, 2013It is not a bad thing to take one’s time to produce a quality book, Ian. Ever.
Gray Dawster
/ April 20, 2013I think that one can have two or three projects running simultaniously as long as each one is given the same level of thought and creativeness, and as for ‘Q’ it is definitely quality on your blog as everything that you add here is wicked 🙂
Have a lovely weekend Red 🙂 xxx
Red
/ April 23, 2013Thank you. I am a juggler by nature (as long as you do not toss me balls :P). Do you work on them one at a time or in bundles or layers?