The Literary Snob - Illustration by book cover artist Duncan Long

The Literary Snob by Duncan Long

Author Jack Eason recently posted an excellent article about Literary Snobs. Any writer — especially a beginning writer — would do well to read his post.

Ditto for artists, musicians, or others in creative fields who often face such critics.

Sadly, snobs often become critics, both professional and amateur. And unlike those critics who do their best to be fair and accurate, the snobbish critic is too often a bitter, jealous little so-and-so whose only goal is to belittle those with talent and thereby gain notoriety at the expense of the person who has created a quality book, painting, or tune.

With the advent of the Internet, the critic/snob has a gained a grand soapbox from which he can hold court, doing no little harm with his book or movies reviews.

No matter how untalented and unqualified, a snob will always find a way to put his boot on the neck of anyone with talent, and thus raise his own status (at least in his own eyes). For those snobs without the ability to maintain a blog, there are always customer rating systems like those found at Amazon.com or other businesses where good books and products can be badmouthed.

The snobs are with us always, and if creative souls aren’t careful, the putdowns a snob issue from all his orifices can be crippling indeed.

Many snobs hide in the safety of the virtual world. But occasionally a writer will have the misfortune to encounter these “intellectuals” in person, where they often play a two-step game. If you find yourself the victim of such an exchange, it will likely go something like this:

First, upon learning you are a writer, the snob will ask, “Have you written with any publisher I’ve heard of?” — as if the only presses of worth are those he has heard of.

If your work is with a small press, the snob will most likely dismiss your labor with a snicker and upward-turned nose.

If you have the good fortune to be with a well-known press, you’ll still lose at the snob’s game. He’ll pause only a moment to recover his bluster, and then follow with something like, “Yes, but when are you going to do some serious writing?” — as if your accomplishment is something anyone might do were they willing to stoop so low. In the snob’s eyes, you are only a “serious writer” if you spin some pretentious literary drivel that few will ever read, and which will only be published by in tiny literary quarterly.

My friend Phil Hunter has suggested the best reply to either the snort or this follow-up question is, of course, a thoughtful fist to the snob’s mouth.

However, if there are witnesses about (and sadly, snobs will usually make sure there are before engaging in their verbal bullying), a writer must do his best to maintain self control, perhaps turning the tables with a counter question, “So, have you ever had anything published anywhere other than in journal or blog that no one reads?”

Be sure to have your own snicker ready when he replies.

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When not daydreaming about punching snobs in the snoot, Duncan Long enjoys creating book and ebook cover illustrations for authors and editors. See his artwork at Duncan Long’s Illustration Portfolio
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