Literary Perks!

[smurf]

What would be correcting historical idioms?

Which came first the chicken or the egg = egg

How long is a piece of string = twice the distance from the middle

Some negative comment about some one but is related to Luddites = full blown critique on the progressive nature of the Luddites

I suppose that would be some form of pedantry?

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Bossy - your writing is particularly declarative and commanding in tone

For some reason, this one always seems to be accompanied by an Ally Group (Small but fanatical fan base). I think it's a form of literary BDSM.

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Critics' Pet [1] - for whatever reason (check with GM), deficiencies in your writing (or other product) are imperceptible to the chattering classes of your artistic community. You can paint soup cans, or screech like a cat, or write the same damned character into every movie or whatever and yet no person with a public profile will appear to notice how utterly crappy your stuff is.

People may assume that you have either a file of blackmail information or flexible sexual morality. But note that other writers may have a Devout Fanbase perk that achieves much the same result with a group of non-critics. The Deplorable Cultus quirk is the negative version; you have a dedicated fanbase, but you can't stand them.

Originally Posted by Daigoro

So who wants to roughly stat some authors to see these traits in application?

Oh, that's going to end really well.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Industry unto Yourself [1] - A prior success has established the saleability of your personal brand. Your publisher/broadcaster now supplies subjects and interns to produce the material that appears under your name. If you choose, this can count as your Job [B???] but it takes only 1/4 of the time of a normal job.

It's more Independent Income, really, if it gives you a source of funds that doesn't require (much) time expenditure on your part. Of course, having one real global blockbuster that's still selling in your back catalogue can achieve much the same result (usually accompanied by a Reputation).

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Genre/Style Pseudonyms aka Max Brand Syndrome [1]: You write well across several genres or several styles within a genre or both, but use a separate pseudonym for each style/genre. This sometimes results in fans passionately arguing as to which pseudonym is the "better" writer.

Bonus points if the only thing distinguishing two "pseudonyms" is a single middle initial...

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

Bonus points if the only thing distinguishing two "pseudonyms" is a single middle initial...

I'm thinking of Harry Turtledove and H.N. Turteltaub. . . .

[Celjabba]

Or Iain M. Banks and Iain Banks.

[dcarson]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'm thinking of Harry Turtledove and H.N. Turteltaub. . . .

There is actually a logical reason for it. Chain bookstore ordering algorithms are stupid, they order based on how well the last book by that author did. So you have two kinds of books under one name, like alt-hist and straight historical. The alt-hist sells X copies usually, the straight historical sells X/4. If you alternate books the stores order X/4 for the next alt-hist not X. Logical reason on the part of the author, stupid on the part of the chains.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by dcarson

There is actually a logical reason for it. Chain bookstore ordering algorithms are stupid, they order based on how well the last book by that author did. So you have two kinds of books under one name, like alt-hist and straight historical. The alt-hist sells X copies usually, the straight historical sells X/4. If you alternate books the stores order X/4 for the next alt-hist not X. Logical reason on the part of the author, stupid on the part of the chains.

Certainly. In fact I heard exactly that explanation from Turtledove at a science fiction convention a decade or two back. But the two names are still pretty transparent to anyone except an ordering algorithm or a bookstore chain executive.

[Astromancer]

Audience Magnet This is a limited form of Luck, but other advantages could be used to describe the effect. Basically, once your work is in print, your audience, the people who get you or whom you wish to get, will notice and remember you. Note: This isn't magic, it's just that chance or whatever tends to get you a chance to be noticed by buyers. This can lead to better things later. If you want All My Books are Megahits! that's a fairly pricy Destiny.


Midlist Stalwart This isn't a good perk in the present day. But in the decades between 1890 and 1980 being a reliable fixture on the midlist functioned like an Independent Income, if your GM allows it, authors writing children's books or works on the paranormal or in the New Age genres could still have this advantage. Basically it's a low cost Unusual Background that explains several kinds of advantages including high levels of Reputation and Social Regard with small groups, Independent Income with little or no time investment in the present, and esoteric skills not otherwise available in the campaign.

[Anders]

Do the Steve Jacksons have a literary variant of the Mistaken Identity disadvantage?

[roguebfl]

the first one that comes to mined is

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