T.C. McCarthy‘s short fiction has appeared in Per Contra: The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas, in Story Quarterly and in Nature. His debut science fiction novel, Germline (Orbit Books) was released in August 2011.
One of the incredible authors running Night Bazaar asked me to do a guest blog and my first remark was (to myself, in my head) “someone sent an email to the wrong address.” But I checked and it was definitely to me, which was extra odd considering I’m obscure. Google “T.C. McCarthy” and you’ll get me plus a hundred other T.C. McCarthys – including some Cormac McCarthy references and a bunch pointing to a part time computer repairman/part time reporter – because McCarthy is almost as common as Smith, the initials “T.C.” not enough to set one apart. But that’s not what makes me obscure.
The truth? What makes me obscure is the fact that when introduced to authors and fans at the World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, I was asked (repeatedly) “Who are you? What book did you write?” and this is, therefore, my working definition of an obscure author. It took luck for my manuscript to wind up on the right editor’s desk at the right time, and for my book to go to press, and to become an “unknown” in the first place; so I am grateful and this is not a whining session. But the subject seemed worth exploring, in part because there are a lot of references that speak to how one writes, how one finds an agent, how one gets published, and what can be done to market a new book, but I found very little on what to expect, psychologically, after that book takes a ballistic trajectory (i.e., it’s in the stores, out of the author’s hands) into the fog of “who?” The following is what I’ve observed in my 1.5 month career as an author.
Realization number one: I am new. Duh. There are an ass-load of books published every month, so why the hell should anyone pick mine over an established author’s? The first time I saw my book in a store it was located right next to Anne McCaffrey’s and the volume of SFF books alone made me realize that mine was a snowflake in the Himalayas. Not only that, but the racks and displays at the door are reserved for better-selling authors as part of an international plot – to force prospective readers through a maze of Jim Butcher and Neil Gaiman displays before they even get near my row, in the back, at about knee-level where McCaffrey’s fans have arranged her books to completely obscure mine.
Realization number two: instant obscurity is probably more common than instant fame. I’m not going to saying anything else because this should have been obvious to me; instead here’s a quote from Dan Kennedy (I don’t know who he is): “I spent a long time writing in obscurity. You’ll spend a long time writing in obscurity. ”
Realization number three: In a way, obscurity isn’t totally a bad thing. It doesn’t mean my book isn’t selling (it is), and it doesn’t mean that it hasn’t gotten some great reviews (it has), but it – in a way – means that I’m still flying below the radar. And that’s not all bad. For example, if my first book had jumped onto the New York Times best seller list it’s almost a certainty that I would have been a basket case; what if my second book didn’t do as well? What if my second book was completely panned by the same critics? Knowing the way I think and work, these thoughts would have snow-balled until they paralyzed me with an irrational fear that I had somehow lost the ability to write and should move to Montana. Not that there’s anything wrong with Montana; it’s just the place I fantasize running to when things go badly. I think this was what Virginia Wolfe meant when she said:
“While fame impedes and constricts, obscurity wraps about a man like a mist; obscurity is dark, ample, and free; obscurity lets the mind take its way unimpeded. Over the obscure man is poured the merciful suffusion of darkness. None knows where he goes or comes. He may seek the truth and speak it; he alone is free; he alone is truthful, he alone is at peace.”
I don’t know about being “at peace,” but it actually isn’t so bad to be in the shadows, as long as I keep my eye on the goal: to one day get out.
What I failed to nail down: being famous or having famous advocates may help with recognition. Some work goes straight to the best-seller list (in hardcover), despite the fact that it’s the author’s first book – first anything – and I did a little research because I just didn’t get why some debuts took-off like bottle rockets while others (often as well written as the “rockets”) simmered but didn’t boil. I don’t know if I have the answer. But more than a few of these take-off debuts had big-hitting friends – authors, politicians, celebrities and/or academics – calling their book the best thing since pistachio butter, and I’ve been to enough conventions to have seen former big-name-reviewers turn into big-name-authors to recognize that “knowing” people helps get good New York Times ink. I doubt this is the only reason, though, for a book’s success compared to its lesser known counterparts. For example, what if my tastes aren’t in line with the kinds of books that make best sellers, and I can’t call them accurately? And is a good review in the NYT really enough to propel one’s book onto the best seller’s list? This one requires more thought than I can give it for now, so take this as a preliminary observation where I freely admit that (a) correlation might not equal causation and (b) there are likely many more variables that go into propelling a book into best-seller territory than I’ve considered here.
Realization number four: So there must be more to obscurity – things that I missed completely about what it means, why some books “pop” while most languish, and how to make it through. Everything I’ve written in this piece is based on my limited personal experience, and there must be people who have studied the issue in more depth, and some of them might be reading this right now. In fact, previous Night Bazaar posts have touched on the issue; there are also good online articles by Ian Irvine and Cory Doctorow that touch on this subject, and Nassim Nicholas Taleb has some scary remarks regarding sheer luck. But what do you think?
Mark Lawrence on September 18, 2011
Interesting article. I too have been giving this one a lot of thought. I noted on my Facebook yesterday that in 3 days on the shelf, the debut ‘The Night Circus’ has got 4 times the GoodReads rating that my book acquired in 5 weeks. And I thought I was doing ok! I’ve since learned that as well as being an excellent book (by all accounts) the publicist hit music festivals with costumed circus promotions and had similar at launches in bookshops. So promotion makes a difference. I also note that the size of your publisher and the number of ARCs sent out makes a big impact – reviewers like company, they like to review books people are going to care about, and that draws them toward big name publishers. And of course, having a free copy handy does help with the business of reviewing. Moreover distribution deals are key. If your book isn’t on shelves in every shop, few people are going to come to Amazon and buy it. I’m selling more than ten copies a day on US Amazon, and considerably less than one copy a week on Canadian Amazon. That’s a big discrepancy even once the population sizes are accounted for. I can only guess it is to do with distribution.
So yes, obscurity doesn’t so much as beckon but threatens or promises to continue to house us all. And even if we break free, like gravity it will call us back in time. And you’re right, given the enormous amount of self-help, advice, conflict, and anguish over getting published, there should be some handbook of wisdom to explain to all those newbies clutching their contract – after unexpectedly falling over the seemingly impossibly high hurdle into the promised land – that the promised land lies over the next hurdle, and the next, and … so on.
Teresa Frohock on September 18, 2011
Actually, I have heard of Germline and have put it on my list to read; it’s just that between work and writing, my reading time is greatly constricted.
My novel debuted just a few days ahead of Dance with Dragons, and my poor little book was sucked under that tsunami. The Amazon US ranking has gone from tolerable to dismal, so comparatively speaking, both of you are looking at very healthy sales.
I agree that a lot books that receive hype have bigger publishers who can afford more advance promotion. I know Night Shade has really helped me. They sent out copy after copy for review as did I. I look back on it and wonder if we didn’t give away more copies than we sold during July. I’ve gotten some very positive reviews from the people who have read it, and every single one has said the “religion thing” didn’t bother them, so this is one time we can’t blame the Christians.
My agent set up a wonderful blog tour for me and that helped raise me out of obscurity. I’ve been trying to schedule signings at book stores, but no one around here wants you unless you are a) local [meaning you live in the same county as the bookstore local and if you live in a county with no bookstore, tough], or b) a NYT bestselling author. I can’t really blame the bookstores; they have limited space and are looking at the bottom line. Trust me, people will flock to Jeff and Ann VanderMeer or Lev Grossman, but Teresa Frohock?
Who?
Not exactly a name to draw twelve, much less fifty people. So I keep plugging it online and hope for the best.
I think the most important thing I learned while trawling the Internet for advice for the newly published was this: get the second book out as fast as you can. It’s about building a readership, which is damn hard considering that if no one bothers with your debut, then you may very well never have the chance to sell a second book.
So far, that’s the best and only advice I’ve seen regarding debut authors. Hang in there and keep going.
Many thanks to Courtney and the Night-Bazaar, though. I think I’ve learned more here about post-publication than I have anywhere else online.
Michael McClung on September 18, 2011
Hi, T.C.!
First, congratulations on being traditionally published. You’ve climbed a glass mountain- two, actually. You wrote a book, you sold a book. The first you had complete control over; the second you had none. You got lucky, but first you had to make your luck. Now you’ve moved into my neighborhood.
As an eight year resident of Obscurity, I’d like to welcome you our fair ghetto. (Hope you enjoy the fruit basket!) I know you’ve barely had time to settle in, but let’s talk about the neighborhood based on my experiences here.
First, if you really like it here, you never have to leave. Just do what I did and take your lack of instant success to heart, dwell on any injustices done to you by the juggernaut of the publishing industry, allow it to fester and all-but extinguish your creative spark, and don’t write or attempt to publish anything else. For years.
You can also ensure your residency by transferring your frustrated creative energy into the ‘business’ side of writing – scouring the markets, crafting the perfect query letter, compulsively buying books on writing, etc. That way you can justify occupying your writing time with something other than writing.
Or, if you feel that this burgh isn’t really for you, you can climb another glass mountain, write another book. The way the world is today, it might not get picked up by a traditional publisher, or it might get short shrift; that’s not so important now, what with the ebook revolution.
When I first moved here eight years ago, getting out was a bit like Escape From New York. Now there’s this bike path over by the river. Some people say it leads to a shortcut to the highway. Maybe you’ll find it.
Myself, I’ve started to like the peace and quiet- it helps me to write. After eight years, I’ve learned to appreciate my quirky neighbors. They’re difficult to meet, but once you do meet one or two, you’ll see what I mean.
If you need to borrow a cup of sugar or anything, just come on over. And when you do move, remember I’ll lift and tote for a six pack or some barbeque.
Courtney Schafer on September 18, 2011
Ha, it’s funny how it’s all relative, isn’t it? I’d be jumping for joy if I had Mark or T.C.’s Amazon rankings.
Whitefire seems to be doing okay on the Kindle so far, but paperback ranking on Amazon, not so much. (I find it interesting that there’s such a disparity between Kindle & paperback. Not sure why!) I cling to my bookscan numbers, which are better than the Amazon ranking would lead me to expect, the awesome reviews the book has gotten, and those wonderful emails from readers who tell me how much they enjoyed the book. (You know, if I’d known how much emails like that make an author’s day, I’d totally have been sending them to all my fav authors years ago.)
I knew I’d be behind the ball in terms of publicity efforts since I have so little spare time after parenthood & day job, but the reality of it was a bit dismaying at first. But I do what I can, and I’m taking to heart the advice of the veteran authors in my critique group: the absolute most important thing for an author to do is write a kick-ass book 2. (I’m totally excited about Whitefire’s sequel The Tainted City right now, and that helps with the debut-author stressfest!)
Book Review | Germline – T.C. McCarthy | Literary Musings on October 30, 2011
[...] little while ago, T.C. McCarthy wrote a guest article over at the Night Bazaar on obscurity. In it, he talked about how despite selling well and [...]