"For twenty-five years, I was contracted to produce three articles a year, long ones, typically ten thousand words. For this, my peak salary was $498,141. That’s not a misprint—$498,141, or more than $166,000 per story. Then, as now, $166,000 was a good advance for an entire book. Yes, I realized it was obscene. I took it with a grin." -- Bryan Burroughs, a rather meat and potatoes corporate reporter for "Vanity Fair."
That's what I was thinking of. It's astonishing that there were so many readers, even given how much we read for free these days. Though I think young commentators who wish they had been born earlier should bear in mind that there must have been fewer *writers*.
Most of the time, when someone I started reading because of their essays writes fiction, I don't like it at all, and eventually end up just skipping those posts. But I think I actually prefer your fiction. There's a sense in which, perhaps, the things you want to say come across better when sort of glimpsed as if in the peripheral vision while occupied with the fictional content. Or perhaps that is somewhat baloney and it's just a stylistic preference thing. Either way, it's generally a good day when you lob one of these up.
"For twenty-five years, I was contracted to produce three articles a year, long ones, typically ten thousand words. For this, my peak salary was $498,141. That’s not a misprint—$498,141, or more than $166,000 per story. Then, as now, $166,000 was a good advance for an entire book. Yes, I realized it was obscene. I took it with a grin." -- Bryan Burroughs, a rather meat and potatoes corporate reporter for "Vanity Fair."
https://www.stevesailer.net/p/when-the-going-was-good
That's what I was thinking of. It's astonishing that there were so many readers, even given how much we read for free these days. Though I think young commentators who wish they had been born earlier should bear in mind that there must have been fewer *writers*.
Lol!
Most of the time, when someone I started reading because of their essays writes fiction, I don't like it at all, and eventually end up just skipping those posts. But I think I actually prefer your fiction. There's a sense in which, perhaps, the things you want to say come across better when sort of glimpsed as if in the peripheral vision while occupied with the fictional content. Or perhaps that is somewhat baloney and it's just a stylistic preference thing. Either way, it's generally a good day when you lob one of these up.
Thanks so much! I really enjoy writing fictional pieces and hope to do it more, so this is great to hear.