Do men ever read women authors and vice versa?

22-02-2020 1:51pm

bluewolf wrote: »

some self-published ones on amazon are so dodgy. did you not get anyone to proof read this book or run it past an editor?!

My first book was non-fiction so I got a team to verify my facts and references. And then I asked a group of people to take apart the logic in the book. They got some things and I altered my book accordingly.

Just because we're not going through publishing houses, doesn't mean its not vetted.

My second book was edited both here, and in China, before it was published.

not saying yours is, klaz. just reminded me

I read a lot of self-published work... and most of it is junk. There are a lot of jewels too. It's an early medium. It's going to take time before some degree of QA comes into effect. Already we're seeing a move to combine self-publishing with more traditional publishing houses... so there's an element of both happening.

It's a good step forward.

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 22-02-2020 1:53pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I think it's proving the point that women aren't afforded the same opportunities as men in Hollywood and are expected to write/direct movies more aimed at women or not at all.

The Hollywood studios are a tough environment these days for anyone, male or female, who isn't already established. The big studios are on their knees financially, sticking to formulas they know will work (franchise movies, sequels, reboots), and also sticking with tried and trusted directors (the likes of James Cameron, J. J. Abrams, Christopher Nolan, etc.), not because they are men but because they are recognized names.

Streaming platforms are giving women many more opportunities than the studios. About 20% of Netflix original movies are directed by women, versus about 10% of Hollywood studio movies — and the representation of female directors on streaming platforms is increasing all the time.

The Oscars and other awards ceremonies tend to focus on the traditional male-dominated studio model, which is dying. But that doesn't mean there aren't talented female directors working outside that model and finding audiences.

Greyfox · 22-02-2020 1:58pm

Deleted User wrote: »

But I think the fact we can only name 5 or 6 is actually proving the point.

It's not, it's telling you it's a bad comparison due to Hollywood been dominated by male directors

cj maxx · 22-02-2020 2:12pm

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Exactly. I doubt Hillary Mantel or even Margaret Atwood have much difficulty getting male readers.

On the other hand if you're writing about Emma, a 30 something London fashion journalist with bad taste in men who has to choose between safe dependable Dave and wild darkhorse Phil but eventually settles down with caring millionaire Stelios, the reason why you lack male readers isn't because of your gender. It would be like Eamonn Dunphy complaining that no women read his football biographies because their sexist.

I've just started the handmaids tale ! Based on recommendations from boards.
****ing women posters

22-02-2020 2:12pm

Question for female boardsies:

Any of you read Sven Hassel or similar war novelist?

No, I haven't bought or read any female author.

EDIT: I'm wrong: In 1996 ( blame passage of time) I bought and read 'Albert Speer: his battle with Truth' by GITTA SERENY.

Led to believe a more up to date equivalent is:
Albert Speer the Nazi who said sorry ( don't know the author)

Widdershins · 22-02-2020 2:14pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Question for female boardsies:

Any of you read Sven Hassel or similar war novelist?

No, I haven't bought or read any female author.

I'm not sure as I forget authors names, but yes I've read many war stories.

storker · 22-02-2020 2:15pm

quodec wrote: »

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

1. Yes but not many...but because of the book, not the author. If I'm interested in the subject then I don't care who wrote it.

That said, I haven't read many female authors. The ones that stick in my mind are:

Paul Mitchell Marks "And Die in the West" - The history of the OK Corral Gunfight

Anne Rice "Interview with the Vampire". I'm also currently dipping in and out of a collection of vampire short stories all written by women.

Mary Beard "SPQR" A history of Ancient Rome

Shirley Jackson "The Haunting of Hill House"

...and the very occasional crime thriller borrowed from my wife e.g. Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs.

I would never read or reject a book based on the gender of its author, not because I'm PC or right-on, but because to assess based on gender seems pretty stupid to me.

lawred2 · 22-02-2020 2:18pm

donegal. wrote: »

80% of books read are by women, a very large percentage is fiction. Men mostly read biographies.

For women the sex of the author is irrelevant but men will ONLY read male authors

This is according to a guest on newstalk based on sales figures

Sounds like bullshït

cj maxx · 22-02-2020 2:26pm

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I can't say I pay attention to gender when reading. Like I have my favourites and they're male (Sanderson, Connelly) but that would be more coincidence than anything. I read books based on genre not author.

Is that the same Connelly from Bringing out the dead ? I thought it was a really excellent read, beautiful prose.
Are his other books good iyo?

endacl · 22-02-2020 2:30pm

quodec wrote: »

Reading books for nearly 50 years now and as a male, when I'm browsing books to read, I find I gravitate towards male authors as a matter of course and would hardly ever read women authors. So I'm wondering:
1: as a male do you/have you read female authors?
2: as a female, do you/have you read male authors?

creditcarder · 22-02-2020 2:38pm

I'm 50/50 but the older I get the more I seem to be turning towards male authors. I guess the life experience is just more similar to my own imo.

I do notice that female authors have a bit of class stuff going on :P As in, a lot of mentions of wine, earl grey tea, and other elements at play to denote 'middle class'. Just somehting I noticed and not a criticism.

I have annoyingly good soft skills and emotional intelligience, so it is interesting to read female authors, but increasingly I am getting annoyed with being portrayed as the animal in the fmeale space :P

creditcarder · 22-02-2020 2:40pm

MrMusician18 wrote: »

I'd say males never read female authors, and females never read male authors.:rolleyes: I mean ever. Yeah

I've come across stupid questions here before, but this is up there. Ridiculous question OP. Ffs.

It's not a stupid question. Men and women have different life experiences and notice different things and, perhaps, have a different speech pattern that comes across in writing.

Let's not judge someobody to harshly imo.

creditcarder · 22-02-2020 2:43pm

cjmc wrote: »

I've just started the handmaids tale ! Based on recommendations from boards.
****ing women posters

Now you can quiz them in public to see if they actually read it

Rufeo · 22-02-2020 2:46pm

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Yeah but if you ARE an aspiring author ...pretend to be a white dude even if you aren't a dude or aren't white ....better safe than sorry.

There's plenty of fine non-white authors.

JohnnyFlash · 22-02-2020 2:47pm

lawred2 wrote: »

Sounds like bullshït

No, it’s true. I heard the lady speak about it on the Moncrieff show. Men read more non-fiction and when they read fiction they read almost exclusively male authors.

creditcarder · 22-02-2020 2:50pm

Widdershins wrote: »

Other than porn , where her pleasure is usually faked and not the focus, is there a difference between films directed by men and women?

If you have sex for a living I imagine you know how to get off

vriesmays · 22-02-2020 2:52pm

Greyfox wrote: »

It's not, it's telling you it's a bad comparison due to Hollywood been dominated by male directors

Well name some movies you like from outside the Hollywood system directed by women.

EmmetSpiceland · 22-02-2020 2:57pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

No, it’s true. I heard the lady speak about it on the Moncrieff show. Men read more non-fiction and when they read fiction they read almost exclusively male authors.

It’s not though, is it, J? Not really.

I mean, I’m sure once you’ve thumbed through your Clarkson “prick lit” you might go perusing through Eason to see if they have a McNab you haven’t read or maybe, even, an Iggulden but that’s not everyone.

I’d say out of the last 10 books I’ve read, all fiction, 3 were by women. If a book “interests” me, I’ll read it. I’m not going to worry about the gender of the author.

I can just imagine the Peterson types squirming and saying “ewww “ if they even had to hold a book authored by a woman but that says more about them, really.

donegal_man · 22-02-2020 2:57pm

As an avid reader I don't care about the author's gender, the only thing matters is whether they can tell a good story.

CrankyHaus · 22-02-2020 2:58pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

It’s not though, is it, J? Not really.

I mean, I’m sure once you’ve thumbed through your Clarkson “prick lit” you might go perusing through Eason to see if they have a McNab you haven’t read or maybe, even, an Iggulden but that’s not everyone.

I’d say out of the last 10 books I’ve read, all fiction, 3 were by women. If a book “interests” me, I’ll read it. I’m not going to worry about the gender of the author.

I can just imagine the Peterson types squirming and saying “ewww “ if they even had to hold a book authored by a woman but that says more about them, really.

This is the sort of literary snobbery I came to this thread for.

Widdershins · 22-02-2020 2:58pm

creditcarder wrote: »

If you have sex for a living I imagine you know how to get off

Know how?
Its not a trade secret.we all know how.

If you think prostitutes don't sometimes have to fake it to get repeat custom or pornstars don't fake it to make a good film, I'm afraid youre being naive.

No idea how theres an orange thumbs down up there, must have pressed it by mistake.

Assetbacked · 22-02-2020 2:59pm

The Man Booker Prize has become a women's prize.

Rufeo · 22-02-2020 3:03pm

Assetbacked wrote: »

The Man Booker Prize has become a women's prize.

What makes you say that?

creditcarder · 22-02-2020 3:06pm

Widdershins wrote: »

Know how?
Its not a trade secret.we all know how.

If you think prostitutes don't sometimes have to fake it to get repeat custom or pornstars don't fake it to make a good film, I'm afraid youre being naive.

No idea how theres an orange thumbs down up there, must have pressed it by mistake.

I think exagerate might be a better term tbh. If you have sex for a living in a rather female dominated industry, the man better be good at what he does :P

Prostitues are a little bit different as the duration is much shorter and it's more on the males imo.

NewMan1982 · 22-02-2020 3:09pm

I couldn’t even tell you the name of the authors of the books I read.

JohnnyFlash · 22-02-2020 3:12pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

It’s not though, is it, J? Not really.

I mean, I’m sure once you’ve thumbed through your Clarkson “prick lit” you might go perusing through Eason to see if they have a McNab you haven’t read or maybe, even, an Iggulden but that’s not everyone.

I’d say out of the last 10 books I’ve read, all fiction, 3 were by women. If a book “interests” me, I’ll read it. I’m not going to worry about the gender of the author.

I can just imagine the Peterson types squirming and saying “ewww “ if they even had to hold a book authored by a woman but that says more about them, really.

Widely read man, Emmet.

The name of the woman on Seán Moncrieff was Helen Taylor. Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of Our Lives is the book she wrote.

Women buyers account for 80% of all fiction sales.

“According to Nielsen Book Research, women outbuy men in all categories of novel except fantasy, science fiction and horror. And when men do read fiction, they don’t tend to read fiction by women, while Taylor claims that women read and admire male novelists, rarely making value judgments”.

05eaftqbrs9jlh · 22-02-2020 3:15pm

storker wrote: »

1. Yes but not many...but because of the book, not the author. If I'm interested in the subject then I don't care who wrote it.

Do you find that with your preferred topics or genres, women don't tend to write many of the books in those categories?

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Question for female boardsies:

Any of you read Sven Hassel or similar war novelist?

Joseph Heller wrote Catch 22, my favourite author since childhood. Although I prefer Something Happened.

EmmetSpiceland · 22-02-2020 3:15pm

Johnny Morris wrote: »

'Why yes, my white knightery is a ploy designed to help me lose my virginity. How could you tell?'

Married man, with kids, here, bub. Kindly go back to your comics and “superhero” films, there’s a good lad.

Greyfox · 22-02-2020 3:16pm

vriesmays wrote: »

Well name some movies you like from outside the Hollywood system directed by women.

You missing the point. People watch more films with male directors because most films are directed by men, their simply isnt enough female directors for your argument to be vaid. As it happens I've watched loads of foreign films and for 99% of them I'll never know if they were directed by a man or woman as its completely irrelevant.

It's different with books which is why the most successful author still alive is a woman (Rowling, deservidly so imo)

circadian · 22-02-2020 3:20pm

Johnny Morris wrote: »

Apart from Silas Marner and To Kill A Mockingbird in school, I don't think I've ever read a book by a non white male.

Sue me.

What a badass.

vriesmays · 22-02-2020 3:21pm

My point is very few movies directed by women are good. That's why they're not watched.

Assetbacked · 22-02-2020 3:34pm

Rufeo wrote: »

What makes you say that?

Judging panel for the most recent prize was almost entirely women (4 out of 5), most contenders were female books as well (4 women and 2 men).

22-02-2020 3:48pm

Borg Cube wrote: »

It wouldn't surprise me that men and women would read different genres and tend to gravitate towards authors of the same gender. The male and female brain differ significantly.

Fair point.
An illustration of it is when your having a night in with the other half and searching for a movie on Netflix. There's usually a bit of a compromise involved, like watch one for her first and one for me after. Why would books be any different.

The Tetrarch · 22-02-2020 3:54pm

I almost never read fiction.
Beside my bed are eight books, six of them computer programming, one biography, one a bibliography.
Two have no author (Microsoft), two by women, four by men.

When buying a book I read a few lines. If it is badly written waffle it goes back on the shelf.
I open another section of the book and read more. If I am still interested I repeat.
The book has to educate me.

A 500 page paperback with a pink cover is not for me.

The White Wolf · 22-02-2020 3:56pm

Yes, ranging from Mary Shelley to JK Rowling to Lane Moore.

22-02-2020 3:57pm

Johnny Morris wrote: »

My favourite fiction authors are men like Hemingway, Bukowski, Irvine Welsh etc. No woman could create characters and stories like they do. But that is not to say female authors are bad, instead they are unlikely to create work that appeals to.

Cormac Mccarthy has never written a main female character, he said he can't figure them out or something. Very honest chap. Great writer.

EmmetSpiceland · 22-02-2020 4:04pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Cormac Mccarthy has never written a main female character, he said he can't figure them out or something. Very honest chap. Great writer.

Yeah, he’s great for using large font and generous line spacing.

22-02-2020 4:48pm

It's probably a genre rather than gender thing. It certainly seems that men write the majority of fantasy/horror/action and adventure books. I've got a fondness of mindless escapist fiction - it's not all I read, but I do like it - where everything works out perfectly in the end, and most of those authors are female. One gender favors the stories where the hero saves the world and gets the girl, the other favors the stories where the heroine saves herself and gets the man. One is not more worthy than the other, least of all on the basis of gender. That's just the nature of popular fiction.

I also like a lot of science fiction, non-fiction, and more weighty literary fiction and these seem to have a more even gender split. I just read whatever I'm in the mood for. If you're discounting books on the basis of the authors gender, it's a petty nonsense of a reason.

Raconteuse · 22-02-2020 4:52pm

Of course I read works by male authors. Does the question really need to be asked?

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 22-02-2020 5:23pm

The White Wolf wrote: »

Yes, ranging from Mary Shelley to JK Rowling to Lane Moore.

If Frankenstein, you're likely reading a mishmash of Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

storker · 22-02-2020 5:34pm

Jasper Tall Urination wrote: »

Do you find that with your preferred topics or genres, women don't tend to write many of the books in those categories?

Definitely.

Joseph Heller wrote Catch 22, my favourite author since childhood. Although I prefer Something Happened.

Probably the most depressing book I've read, apart from Pet Sematary.

rdhma · 22-02-2020 5:56pm

vriesmays wrote: »

My point is very few movies directed by women are good. That's why they're not watched.

You for real?
Very few movies directed by *anyone* are good. That's why they're not watched.

A few good movies I can think of straight off...

Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola
Shrek - Vicky Jenson
The Piano - Jane Campion
The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow
We need to talk about Kevin - Lynne Ramsey
Ratcatcher - Lynne Ramsey
Faces Places - Agnès Varda
Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig
Winter's Bone - Debra Granik
American Psycho Mary Harron
Big - Penny Marshall

Immortal Starlight · 22-02-2020 5:59pm

I'm a woman and it's never mattered to me if the book I'm reading has been written by a man or a woman. As long as the story draws me in and keeps me turning the pages that's all I want.

22-02-2020 6:00pm

Assetbacked wrote: »

The Man Booker Prize has become a women's prize.

Yeah male winners 7 of the last 10 years. Total women's award!

19 women have won it over the last 50 years. It's a wonder why men bother at all.

Sober Crappy Chemis · 22-02-2020 6:12pm

Johnny Morris wrote: »

Apart from Silas Marner and To Kill A Mockingbird in school, I don't think I've ever read a book by a non white male.

Sue Me

Never heard of her. Genre?

Church on Tuesday · 22-02-2020 7:17pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Yeah, he’s great for using large font and generous line spacing.

You do know that is the publishers prerogative right?

vriesmays · 23-02-2020 2:04pm

rdhma wrote: »

You for real?
Very few movies directed by *anyone* are good. That's why they're not watched.

A few good movies I can think of straight off...

Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola
Shrek - Vicky Jenson
The Piano - Jane Campion
The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow
We need to talk about Kevin - Lynne Ramsey
Ratcatcher - Lynne Ramsey
Faces Places - Agnès Varda
Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig
Winter's Bone - Debra Granik
American Psycho Mary Harron
Big - Penny Marshall

That's the grand sum of eleven movies. Might as well list two female rock bands and say they're just as good as most male rock bands.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 23-02-2020 3:03pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

“Chick lit” is just a term used for crapping on a type of literature that some people don’t like. Celia Ahern was right not to accept the term for her work.

However, her defence did seem a little like she was “passing the buck”. Sort of saying hers wasn’t but maybe others are. Like, say, Marion Keyes? And I’m sure she’d bristle at the suggestion herself.

I’d be disgusted if I were an author who’s “work” was being summarily dismissed like that.

It’s coming from the same people who’ll use the term “magical realism” to deflect from the fact they are reading “fantasy”.

The same crowd were the ones reading Harry Potter books but with the “grownup” covers.

Maybe some people do that, but magical realism is a distinct genre quite different to fantasy.

Airyfairy12 · 23-02-2020 4:54pm

Female authors are advised not to use their full name on their book covers and only use their first initial so people will assume theyre men because less people will buy their books if they know the author is female. That's why the likes of Joanne Rowling used the initials J.K on her Harry Potter books.

Op youre very small minded.

creditcarder · 23-02-2020 6:00pm

vriesmays wrote: »

That's the grand sum of eleven movies. Might as well list two female rock bands and say they're just as good as most male rock bands.

In fairness, women have always been good at making movies and books, it's just a) A lot of female writers write in genres dominated by female readers (YA, romance, crime) and the writing is very aimed at that genre, and b) there seems to be an endless constraint on writing female characters in teh past few years.

Here, why don't we have fun and name a good book/movie by the opposite gender?

Robbin Hobb is a master imo.

Do men ever read women authors and vice versa?

Comments