New group and sex scenes

There’s a new space for authors to tell Guardian readers about their new book. Here’s the link:-http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/sep/05/authors-tell-us-about-your-work?commentpage=1#end-of-comments

Galilee Chapel, Durham

In the spirit of try anything once, I’ve put a few words up about Reluctance. The site declares it has come about in response to the articles in the Guardian about reviews and sockpuppetry, and has just been set up. Perhaps there’ll be no tangible result as far as I’m concerned, but it’s an interesting move in a world full of e-groups. As I write, there are something like 250 entries on the site.

Someone on the Guardian pages is claiming that accepting a free book in order to write a review is bribery. I can see their point, but I feel it will annoy a lot of people. They also claim that publishers have paid for reviews for years – it’s just that we never knew about it. There may well be more on this topic in the next week or so.

Our writers meeting didn’t have anything like enough time to discuss writing sex scenes –we only just got started, commenting on how sex was written in days gone by when it was time to depart. Hardy, as everyone probably knows, had Tess go into a wood and come out pregnant without writing a word about making love. (Tess of the D'Urbevilles)

I don't think that would do with today's readers. Our host had a copy of the notorious 50 Shades (which I still haven’t read, though I enjoyed reading the husband’s take on things : http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/31/fifty-shades-el-james-husband) and we wondered why the books have suddenly taken off (is there no phrase that suddenly seems like a double entendre?) as it has. Could it be that a generation has suddenly discovered erotic writing exists? Or because with Kindles they can be read in public with no one knowing?

After all, erotica been around as long as people have been reading and writing – check out the link for proof of that, should it be needed. But one wonders how people could have remained ignorant of it for so long. Perhaps the idea that reading has almost become a lost art has had something to do with it? And maybe – here’s a happy thought – maybe erotica will stimulate (Sorry!) those people in reading lots, lots more!

Sockpuppetry

If you've been following the literary row about sockpuppets, then reading Dean Crawford's blog is calming. The Guardian has a long article for those who want to catch up on what's been happening: click and there are a couple of links so you can find out more.
I find it amazing that some authors think it's worthwhile to spend so much time writing anonymous praise of their own work and denigrating the work of fellow authors. If a book can't achieve some measure of success without such lies, then it can't be a very good book in my view.
Trying to imagine why they do it leads me to thoughts of fear. Fear of failure, of falling sales. Perhaps publishers do it, thinking to help sales along. Every publisher will have people who live in fear of losing their job because they've backed the wrong author too many times. Perhaps authors do it because they fear their contracts will not be renewed. If sales of the latest book fall, publishers don't hesitate to cut the string, and once that happens, finding another publisher can be hard. Livlihoods depend on sales, and I imagine desperation can set in for those concerned. It can't be easy when the well runs dry and ideas don't come any more.
So many things have become possible with the internet, but I bet Tim Berners-Lee never envisaged sockpuppetry.
I don't know why, but Blogger won't let me upload a pic today. I'll try again later. ( Later - one minute to midnight, and I can load the pic with no trouble.)