How much fame do authors get?

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Question:

As in what kind of events do they go to!? Do paparazzi crowd them!?
Just a random question :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

They don't get a lot of "fame" in general!. The paparazzi most certainly don't crowd them unless they do something REALLY extreme!. Even then, it depends on how well known they are!. If John Grisham or James Patterson were found indulging in beastiality, then you'd hear about it on the news!. However you won't see a lot of pictures of them walking about town!.

As for events, it depends on what genre they're in!. The sci-fi & fantasy authors usually go to the anime/comic/scifi/fantasy type cons & other genre authors will go to the cons that cater towards their type of work!. Most authors will go (or want to be featured in) the big book conventions that cover every genre!. The biggest one that I know of (BEA) covers all genres & is one of the best to go to!.

Really, it just depends on how popular you are at the moment!. Take Stephanie Meyer for instance!. She's famous NOW, but she probably won't be tomorrow!. J!.K!. Rowling is still famous, but isn't nearly as much as she was when the HP series was still being written!.

The literary world is the hardest place to survive!. You have to have talent to survive or you will be passed over!. If you put out 2-3 great books, but 3-4 stinkers eventually you'll fade into obscurity!. It's happened quite a bit!. Once in a very rare while you'll have someone get to the point where they can put anything out & it'll sell (Grisham, King, ect), but those people are very few & far between!.

Don't let this discourage you from writing, though! Don't become something just for the fame! Write b/c you want to, not b/c you want to be rich & famous!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Authors go to library conventions, literary conventions, you can see them on talk shows occasionally!. As far as paparazzi, maybe ten authors in the world have that kind of attention: Stephen King, JK Rawling, etc!. but most are not noticed!.

Sadly sports stars and movie stars command much more media attention!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am a new author of CHINA: Portrait of a People, the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author!. You'd think this would earn me lavish acclaim from the press, and lots of book sales!. But actually, I remain a "starving artist" one step away from dumpster diving!. Sometime I feel that I must be the only one, but I am reminded of Henry Miller (in Tropic of Cancer) and Knut Hamsun (in Hunger) and that helps the hunger pains!. At least I have a roof over my head and a laptop to keep writing!. Perhaps someday my book will be recognized for the remarkable achievement that it truly is, but maybe that won't happen until after I'm 6 feet in the ground!. But in the meantime, no event invitations or paparazzi for this threadbare author!.
Sincerely,
Tom Carter
author, CHINA: Portrait of a People
http://www!.blacksmithbooks!.com/978988997!.!.!.
http://www!.tomcarter!.org
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=pj1tqIg1S!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You can't group them all together!. I mean, if you're the cream of the crop (eg J!.K!.Rowling), naturally you'll be crowded with media and everything you do is under scrutiny!.

HOWEVER, if you're just a penny a dozen author with one or two books that don't quite sell well to your name, no way, you won't even be out of ordinary!. Most people won't notice unless they're your relatives or something!.

I should know, my uncle's one of them!. xDWww@QuestionHome@Com

I've been on the radio a couple of times, been interviewed in seven newspapers, but nothing else!. Unless you're a celebrity writer, no one cares who you are!.

Anthony James Barnett - authorWww@QuestionHome@Com