Donate

Money or Talent?

Natalia Bauer04/03/24 07:37552

In the world of literature, as in many other fields, there exists a dynamic between financial success and the recognition of talent. Money and talent do not always go hand in hand, and their relationship is often neither direct nor fair.

Money may come to writers who are popular among a wide audience, write in genres that are currently in demand, or successfully sell their works. However, commercial success does not always reflect the quality or depth of literary talent.

There are talented writers who, unfortunately, do not achieve commercial success due to various factors such as market trends, publishing marketing strategies, or a lack of a broad audience appreciating more complex and profound texts.

It’s good that in our reality, the phrase "an artist must be hungry" has finally ceased to be relevant. Thank God, writers can earn a living from their work. But writers! Not pseudo-authors with a promoted literary "fast food."

Understandably, in the age of clip thinking and frantic information speeds, the mass consumer (note — not a reader, because finding a thoughtful and attentive reader is a challenge) doesn’t want to bother with "thinking." The main thing is action, plot twists, a special forces hero, or another extreme — female ironic novels with heroines "stoically enduring the burdens of fate." Literature turns into a "show on paper," a derivative from the visual nature of television, cinema. But there are intellectual shows where there’s an interesting plot, an extraordinary hero, and depth of thoughts and feelings. Why not choose the latter?

Thus, at times, money and success can be a result not only of literary talent but also of other circumstances, including marketing, market trends, and the popularity of a particular genre. However, for many writers, a balance between creativity and financial recognition is important, and true satisfaction may come from not only commercial success but also the acknowledgment of their talent by readers and the literary community.

Author

Comment
Share

Building solidarity beyond borders. Everybody can contribute

Syg.ma is a community-run multilingual media platform and translocal archive.
Since 2014, researchers, artists, collectives, and cultural institutions have been publishing their work here

About