Cue the eye rolls from everyone reading. James Patterson will be given the Innovator’s Award at the 36th LA Times Book Prizes this year. Now these awards aren’t exactly on par with winning a Pulitzer or Nobel or National Book Award, but I imagine any author nominated would be extremely proud and satisfied.
The people behind these awards likely know books and writing better than the average reader. Which is why I think people should take note when things like this happen. Everyone wants to make Patterson out to be this bad guy in publishing. But no one thinks about how many millions of kids are reading his young adult series. No one thinks about how many kids had no interest in reading before picking up one of his books. All everyone sees is money, and that’s just ridiculous.
I know some people will find this news to be laughable, but I don’t. I think he’s highly deserving. He gets kids reading. There’s no denying it.
What do you think of Patterson being honored by the LA Times?
Johnny Reads 
He’s being honored for innovating? That makes total sense. He has certainly been innovating in the world of writing. Or if not innovating, honest about it where other haven’t been.
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Exactly. But I think the basis is for getting kids to enjoy reading. Not necessarily for increasing his annual output by using other authors.
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laughing. The kids in the library I volunteered at didn’t really read him. I mostly saw them checking out comics, Rick Riordan, and a lot of Ripleys Believe it or Not.
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Hm. He’s pretty popular at my store.
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I stopped reading Patterson several years ago, but I certainly wouldn’t say he’s undeserving of this award. He does so much through his juvenile and YA books for kids that he has my support for that alone.
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Yes he does. And supports indie bookstores too, though that’s another thing he’s criticized for.
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I didn’t know he was being criticized for his support of indie bookstores. Huh. I have to go look this up!
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Mostly because people say he’s one of the people who drove down their business. It’s easier to buy one of his new books for $15 on Amazon than to go into an indie and pay $25. And then compound that by 10-15 books a year. It makes a little dent.
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Okay. This may be a stupid question, but hasn’t it already been established that it’s not authors who set the prices for their books?
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Well I don’t blame him or Amazon for anything. So eh. Any store that has struggled in recent years can only take the blame for failing to adapt.
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100% deserved. He doesn’t just get kids reading, he keeps adults reading.
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Yes. Exactly right.
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We definitely think alike.
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It’s great that he uses his power to get kids reading. I don’t like his business model, but he is successful.
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I’ll never understand why anyone cares about his business model. He makes more money for himself, his publisher, and other writers than anyone else. And he’s open about how he does things. He’s one of the few who treats publishing for what it is. A business. And anyone who says otherwise is clueless.
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Good point. Sour grapes on my part
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