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About this quote

What does it mean?
Kinski tells Werner that the book won't sell if he praises him, implying a need for negativity to gain interest.
In plain terms
Kinski says Werner's book needs insults to sell.
What can you take from it?
Criticism often sells better than praise.

Where it applies

  • publishing
  • promotion
  • public discourse

Putting it to work

  • review marketing tactics
  • discuss media

Questions to consider

  • Why do we prefer bad news?
  • How does negativity sell?

Another view

This assumes audiences only buy negative content.

More from Klaus Kinski

  1. His speech is clumsy, with a toadlike indolence, long winded, pedantic, choppy. The words tumble from his mouth in sentence fragments, which he holds back as m…

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  2. He should be thrown alive to the crocodiles! An anaconda should strangle him slowly! A poisonous spider should sting him and paralyze his lungs! The most venom…

    Permalink to quote #8
  3. Herzog is a miserable, hateful malevolent, avaricious, money-hungry, nasty, sadistic, treacherous, blackmailing, cowardly, thoroughly dishonest creep.

    Permalink to quote #7

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