Authors and Their Books: The virtual bookshelf

[Neil]

There is a riding wave of enthusiasm and excitement among indie authors that finally, after centuries of struggle, we can now put our books out there on the virtual bookshelf for the world to see and for all eternity. What an incredible concept that a hundred years from now someone might happen upon one of my books and my characters would rise from the ashes of time and thrill a new reader. Or is it?

What is the likelihood that a future individual will happen upon one of my books? If you do the actual mathematics, it doesn’t seem likely.

Ebooks have only been around for a few years and their rise in popularity is growing at exceptional and exponential levels. When I first started publishing in the virtual world, getting my books noticed was as easy as posting descriptions on social networks and threads. If you were lucky enough to afford a promotion on a popular reader’s website, you could draw dozens if not hundreds of new sales. Ereaders were a novelty that the next generation had to have and ebooks were golden jewels.

Well, the reading population bought both books and devices, and they bought them by the millions. You would think that is a good thing for indie writers like me, having a new audience who have a lifetime to discover my works?

With the new wave of ereaders also comes a new wave of writers. Writers who have discovered how easy it is to publish a book and try to sell their work. Many of these indie books are coming onto the market too soon. In a rush to get published, many writers are neglecting the basics of grammar, and characterization, and the importance of details in the setting. These quickly written books are coming on the market raw and unreadable, and flooding it in the process. Many novice writers are spamming the once mighty reader’s websites giving the legitimate indie authors little exposure and the art form a tarnished reputation.

It is true that the virtual bookshelf will exist as long as humanity and the internet do, however, being discovered on that bookshelf is soon going to be like trying to find a specific grain of sand placed somewhere on the largest beach on Earth. What can possibly set apart the great writers from the wannabe’s: Marketing? Promoting? An incredible tale?

I believe the only saving grace for the gifted writer will be word-of-mouth. Only if you write a great story will absolute strangers tell other absolute strangers about it. Like all things great, it will rise above the garbage and shine like a diamond. And there will be a lot of garbage out there, I predict billions of books.

As I continue to see mediocre books flooding the market (many free or at a price insulting to the art form) I can only wonder how long it will be before I, too, drown in this oncoming sea of mediocrity. Writers whose works are truly gifted are getting lost in a flood of new titles. A virtual bookstore where anyone can sell your work is truly a Godsend to the true storyteller, however, with virtual unlimited shelf space there may soon be more books than readers who care to read them.

ALWAYS WRITING - http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

[James]

Dear Neal,
I have believed since the beginning of this upheavel, war, whatever you want to call it, that essentially nothing has changed. Yes, some authors got in on the ground floor and made a lot of money, some because of good storytelling, some because or unethical marketing practices, some a combination or both. I continue to believe that if a writer exposes the reader to the world in a compelling and unique way, agents and publishers will fight to represent the story. The key isn't self or traditional publishing, although those are convenient places to blame failures. It's the same as it always has been: about telling a great story. Despite the millions generated every year, there are only a handful of gems. I truly believe that the key to success is excellence.

[Neil]

That is true James, but how do readers find that excellence through the garbage?

[James]

Neal, this may sound foolish, given all the crap that gets published. Crap gets published because people want to buy it. 99% of books, self-published ot trad-published, suck. But I have NEVER met an agent or publisher or editor who didn't truly care about great writing. At this point, I've met a lot, more than enough to make a value judgment. There are so few good books written that agents scour the planet seeking them out. I don't like to use myself as an example because it sounds egotistical, but as it happened to me, I'm the best example I know. I was 'discovered' by a powerful Nordic publisher. Then, on the strength of Snow Angels, I was again discovered by a powerful US agent.The two events were unrelated. Next thing I knew, I was an international author. I did NOTHING to make that happen, except practice writing for well over a decade. No letters, no self-promotion, no nothing. I mostly got noticed, I suppose, as standing out in writers' groups. Most quality books do come from major publishers, even though you have to weed through their crap to find it. It's still easier than weeding through the well-over a million self-published e-books. The best of those, if the authors want them, will also be approached by agents and offered deals by major publishers. Those that don't accept are usually already so well-known that they no longer need the support of a major publisher. Reviews are a big help in weeding out crap. Not so much the ones on social networking sites--there are just too many reviews--but those by major trade publications and by the bloggers that basically dedicate their lives to learning the genre they write about, and stay on top of what is best in those genres day to day. Those bloggers--and if you take the time to read their recommendations, you'll learn who to trust--are in my opinion the best road to finding that excellence. Your other option is waiting for 50 years, and waiting to see what few books stand the test of time. And even that is a bit touch and go.

[Neil]

Thanks, James. Great thought-provoking comment.