Writers: Would you rather:?

[Joss]

It's either or, not none or all.

Would you rather:

1) Write a bad novel that was a commercial success or write a novel that was a literary success with industry elites (but the book was a flop with readers)?

2) Teach writing at the university level or high school level?

3) Teach a writing course at a writer's conference or teach a writing course online?

3) Write a short story or a novel?

4) Go on a blog tour or a physical book tour?

5) Have a facebook author page or a twitter account?

6) Write a book series or write a stand alone novel?

7) Write a serial for a magazine or write a novel?

8) Self-publish or publish with a trade publisher?

9) Have control over your title or have control over how your cover design?

10) Have a movie based on your book or a tv show based on your book?

11) Have Stephen King blurb your book or have J K Rowling blurb your book?
@gemini - Re: #1 - not necessarily. Do you think Twilight or 50 Shades are literary successes? I probably should have used a better word like critical acclaim (like you did), but I mean something that's more respected by literary elites or something that would be taught in school/uni because of it's literary merit (which is what I think you've figured out based on the rest of your answer). And critical acclaim and commercial success does not go hand-in-hand. There are many great literary fiction titles that garner great literary/critical/whatever you-want-to-call-it reviews & respect from industry professionals, but still go undiscovered by the masses simply because most people aren't reading them. Most people these days are reading genre, which, if you ask many genre writers, (genre) doesn't get the respect it deserves from the professionals in the industry. So, chances are even more so that that great literary fiction title that could be taught on a college level
(cont.) even more so that that great literary fiction title that could be taught on a college level isn't being read by the masses. If ur not being read then you're not a commercial success. & literary fiction isn't selling as well as genre.

& I use literary fiction as an example because those types of books are the books that are most likely to get the attention of literary reviewers (I'm talking about those reviewers that like to analyze books for deeper meanings, because lets face it, genre is less likely to be those types of books) and be taught in schools and colleges. Not saying genre can't be the same, because The Magician Kings comes to mind, but that doesn't represent the whole of genre fiction.
(cont.) So, perhaps I should have been a bit clearer in what I meant, but I also think you understand what I meant based on your answer. I can't say that commercial success and literary success go hand-in-hand because if that were the case, literary fiction would be selling much better than it is now, and that's where you're more likely to see the kind of reviews and respect i"m talking about in regards to books & you'd see more literary fiction that are commercial successes, yet those that have garnered a lot of industry respect arent' getting the kind of commercial success they should have (based on what you've said). just my logic.
@Gemi - okay, I understand your point now. Can't say we completely agree, but that's the thing about books and publishing, you can ask 50 writers/reviewers/readers and can't get them to agree with each other & even a topic like this would be debated endlessly on any writers board (seen it a million times). It's debatable and it comes down to perceptions and opinions and many times your own experiences. thanks for answering.

& to be honest, I really want to keep this debate with you going...but my Add-ons would too long.
@dna - your reasoning for #2 is spot-on. In high school, you get kids who don't want to be there, dont' care to do the work, and even act out and disrupt class. In college, they're a bit more mature and they or their parents are paying for it and they don't come unless they want to be there, so they're less likely to disrupt class and make life difficult for the teacher to teach (or students to learn). That's one thing I noticed when I was a freshman in college; fewer disruptions and no misbehaving students.