Bugger!

[karenmiller]

 You know who I forgot to mention in my Conflux report? Keri Arthur. Keri is a pistol, and she's one of the most amazingly successful authors Australia has ever produced. But because she writes paranormal romance, she gets snubbed and ignored -- even though she's a multiple New York Times bestselling novelist. I tell you, it pisses me off no end.

Comments

[jhghendriks]

That reminds me of something that happened on a sports show some years ago:
The introduced a young woman, and asked the audience (at home) if they knew who she was. I didn't.
Turned out a week before the show she won het third consequtive world championships karate title, and this was the first time ever that she was on television.

That infuriated me too. Even a friendly match of national soccer teams got broadcast live, while a world champion didn't get any coverage.

Fortunately things have changed since then (especially after the public channels lost soccer licences), and a lot of 'new' sports get airtime too.
That is, if there is no soccer to show,of course.

[karenmiller]

Sigh. Yup. Happens a lot here. I mean, I don't do a lot of feminist ranting because frankly, I think it's unattractive, and too many feminists come off as men haters, which I'm not at all -- but that doesn't mean I don't notice stuff. *g* Especially in Australia, where sport is king and women barely get mentioned. All we can do is keep on plugging away.

[davedeburgh]

I can sympathize too, Karen. :-( Also to do with writing; here in SA, the only way you get published is if you write textbooks, Afrikaans (one of our languages) romance novels, novels endlessly talking about Apartheid, or children's books. We have exactly two thriller writers (that have been published), no fantasy or SF writers (not writing here in SA) and no mainstream fiction writers, because the publishers here refuse to grow new markets. :-( Lack of recognition is a malais that spreads every bloody where. :-(

[karenmiller]

That's a terrible state of affairs!!!! Wow. I mean, don't the publishers want to make money????

[davedeburgh]

Apparently SFF doesn't make money in SA (though that's a bit weird, since we sold more Breaking Dawn and Brisingr in one day than we've ever sold a new Grisham or Baldacci), cookery books and children's books make up the bulk of the sales. Hectic huh? :-( That's why I'm trying to get to Oz; at least there I've got a better chance of breaking into the market. :-)

[karenmiller]

Well, you don't have to live here to be published here. That's the blessing of the internet age!

[davedeburgh]

Okay, you got me - I just want to be able to walk into a Dymocks every day! :-) Hehehe

[karenmiller]

Well, yes, there is that. *g*