So today Forbes' announced their Wealthiest Authors of 2012 list and of course, I immediately went to see who topped the list. And then a part of me felt really squeevy and weird about my fascination because why is this my business? Why am I allowed into the personal tax affairs of authors? Politicians...yeah, I see that because they technically work for us and if my tax dollars are paying your salary, then I want to know what you're making. But authors? Celebrities? People in the private sector?
Are they required to report their earnings to Forbes to see if they made the list? Can't they be allowed to fall asleep on their wallets and not have anyone all up in their business?
Then, of course, this makes me start thinking about the information available about all of us on the Internet. The fact that you all could Google my name and know a lot of stuff about me. And while I've always been really honest and pretty full-disclosure about my life, it still makes me very nervous. Not for myself, but for my kids.
I've been thinking a lot about the responsibility and burden of celebrity. I have watched my best friend be very much in the public eye and have to wind her way around that. I have watched dear friends lose themselves in the responsibility they felt to their fans. It's all really difficult and confusing.
Because we're not perfect. We screw up and apparently, the more well-known we are, the harder we will fall. Is it bad that I don't wish this kind of vulnerability on anyone? Is it bad that I sort of hope that I never reach beyond the status of c-level celebrity with my writing? Because now that this Forbes' list is out, aren't you all just waiting for people to start criticizing these authors for their crappy writing or their disingenuous lives?
This weekend at the writer's conference, one of the panelists was talking about John Green. John Green who has always been known for his philanthropy and integrity. Who has built a foundation on nerd-loving and promoting world awesome. The panelist said, "Remember, we can't all be John Green." Which made me wonder, is there ever a time when John Green won't be able to be John Green?
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6 comments:
I'm right with you. I don't want people up in my business. That's why I struggled over what my author name would be. I seriously considered a pen name for a long time because I didn't ever want my writing to affect my family in a negative way.
This is all so so so true and I think about it a lot.
I'd love to fly under the radar and still make money writing.
Possible??
Hopefully...
I suppose once you get that big, you're treated like any other celebrity.
But so much of our personal information is out there. Where we live, like many others, people can go onto government websites and know the assessed value of your home and the taxes you pay. People can find out information if they really want to.
So you don't want to go above a C list writing celebrity. Do the B listers get the same treatment at the As?
I know-- I already worry about that kind of thing and I haven't even sold a book. Then I kind of remind myself that I don't have any fans, and I feel much better. :0) I checked out the list. Interesting, in weird celebrity-culture-obsessed sort of way, but what struck me most was how FAB JK looked. She's just totally stylin'. Good for her.
There was a time when I hid behind a psuedonym on the internet. And then slowly, slowly, decided to let myself be seen, inspired by others whom I'd watched do the same before me. And I think about this from time to time, worrying about loved ones ... because there may come a time that when what I want to write flies in the face of my family ...
I think its because I don't have a family that this doesn't worry me all that much. I'd love to have many people reading my work and commenting on it. I realize the bad comes with the good. And it will totally stink when reviews attack me, instead of just my work. But I guess... I'll deal with it if I'm so lucky to be that popular.
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