It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
Strategy number one is that I always, or almost always, have at least two or three different things that I'm writing at any one time.
Authors know that you should never really write a funny book because funny books do not get awards. Comic novels will not get awards.
American Gods is about 200,000 words long, and I'm sure there are words that are simply in there 'cause I like them. I know I couldn't justify each and every one of them.