Writing Reputation Quotes

The best young writers are convinced they need blurbs from famous writers before an editor will even read the first page of a manuscript. If this is true, then the editorial system that prevails today stinks. And let's start reforming it.

Any good writer is going to be well-received and is going to not be well-received; that's how you know you're a great writer.

There's no demand for a body of work, though writers will be criticized for not having produced one.

As far as fame, the everlasting fame thing. I used to think that was important for a writer... the desire to make your mark.

People kept passing our [ with Robert Ben Garant] script around, and suddenly we had this reputation as screenwriters, which we're not - we're sketch comedy guys.

There is no money in the world that would compensate me for writing a lousy book.

If you appear in the 'Atlantic' or 'Harper's' or the 'New Yorker,' by God, you must be a writer, because everybody says so.

Once readers and industry professionals have you pegged down as writing a particular type of book, they are less likely to try something new from you if they decided they didn't like the first one.

You say that you hope I will be recognized as the best novelist of my generation. I want you to know now and know completely that that would mean to me absolutely nothing.

All writers have the idea that they are famous.

Today, writers want to impress other writers.

I've always admired people like Donal McCann. He wasn't a household name, but if he put his name to something, you were guaranteed a good yarn at the very least.

Readers really want to come back to an author; they do not want a one-book wonder. That is all very well, but to be career author, you have to be prepared to write one really good book and then write another really good book and keep feeding your readers. You build your audience over a long time.

There's one good kind of writer - a dead one.

I think I've had a certain amount of success at making phrases. I'm a good writer. But obviously, I'm incredibly flattered and pleased when people remember things that I say.

If you write a book that's as powerful and successful as 'Bastard,' there's a strong desire to prove there's something else.