Even If It Were Free . . .

After yesterday's post on how you would change publishing if you were in charge, I started thinking about e-pubbed books, self-pubbed books, traditionally pubbed books, changing media, and particularly Lurker Monkey's comment (the Monkey Man is nothing if not brilliant) . . . and then Richmond Writer's (great thoughts!). Here's his comment:

And I'd figure out a way to combine the written word with available media technology into a new medium that consumers would go crazy for, and suddenly demand for written stories (noticed I didn't say "books") would skyrocket.Then I would try to write the best of these things I could. So not much different in that respect.

Really like the idea there. Here's Richmond's:

The drawback is that fewer books would be published traditionally. This would in turn expand the e-market which eventually would be able to grow into something respectable. Once it gets respect it will be an effective gatekeeper for those of us who want to simply pick up a good book to read.

I still (as I often do if you are regular reader of this blog) come back to the time factor. On Facebook, I have 400+ friends, give or take. Probably a core 100 are my friends in real life and my friends in cyber life . . . People I know. People if they blew through town I would invite to meet me for coffee, whatever. The other 300 are either readers . . . or other writers. And so on my home page, I see announcement after announcement. This author's e-pubbed or self-pubbed release, this author's print release, etc.

And I have to say . . . sometimes when I go to the self-pub/e-pub link, I most seriously think, "NOT EVEN if it were free." Even reading the first three pages are three minutes of my life I can't get back (which is why I CURSE George Lucas, because the third star war movie--sequentially--is 2.5 hours of my life I can NEVER get back).

Think of things you get for free. Junk mail. I don't want it. Free samples of products I won't use. Mini-cups of oversalted and over-preservative-filled foods in the aisles of Costco. Free doesn't mean "Woo hoo! Let me take some of that." (Aside: Did anyone TASTE the backwash Starbucks gave away for free as instant coffee--FREE doesn't make it good, folks!)

I know there is a segment of people who would think, "FREE! I'd download it, listen to it, etc." But as for me, I am still looking for SOME sort of gatekeeper. If you have ever read slush . . . then you KNOW. A process exists for most art because it separates wheat from chaff.

I know people talk about iTunes and indie music. And yeah . . . there are some great undiscovered bands out there. BUT, would I want to listen to my tone-deaf neighbor doing covers of Frank Sinatra recorded in his bathroom? Um . . . no. Even free . . . there is definitely content I don't want. And there remains a core delusion.

Before I get some angry rant response . . . no, do I really care that some guy on Facebook is self-pubbing a book with two typos on page one, and sentences so poorly constructed I can't fathom why he thinks he it's the GATEKEEPERS and not HIS WRITING that kept him from a traditional deal. And if he wants to give that away . . . then I hope he's having fun. But in the end, I bring it back to time. Not even free. (Let alone, that I do think he's charging for his e-book.)

And I will also say . . . TIME is why I don't feel that "it's decent enough to pub" is enough for me. I want there to be something to strive for in quality. The "it's free, so really? What do you want for free, cheap entertainment?" doesn't work for me. Not today. Not with multi-tasking and so many demands on my TIME.

So I think I am all for Richmond's idea. And Monkey Guy's. A combo of the two of them. Richmond Lurker?

What about you? What do you think the role is of gatekeeper?

Linus

On Facebook the other day, someone who "friended me," but whom I don't really know, was complaining about his self-pubbed book sales. It may not have been self-pubbed, but I had a sneaking suspicion it was, even though the press had a name. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing from his Facebook friends about why this was so. Different people commented about bookstores and what a racket they are. Indeed that is true. About how Amazon was not a solid indicator of much of anything 9another truisim), and so on. Whatever compelled me to link over to Amazon, I did, where an excerpt was posted.

In the first paragraph, the word "stood" was repeated three times. And he called the prologue a "forward" (and just in case you don't know, a FOREWORD is written by someone else, not the author; a forward plays for a hockey team).

I felt kind of bad for the guy. Except, the "tough love" version of me thinks it's time to give up security blankets. It's 2009, and we all should shed some delusion we cling to.

Another self-pubbed author who was raved about on another blog by what I presume to be a personal friend, . . . I couldn't even READ the back cover copy. Yes, it was written in English. However, it made no sense. Not . . . "Well, if I worked at it I could infer x or y." No sense.

But lest anyone think I'm only talking self-pubbed, I clicked on an excerpt of a book soon to be out . . . and really wanted whatever Kool-Aid the editor who bought it was drinking. It wasn't a "this is not my thing." It was a "this is really, really poorly written."

But then I wonder . . . everyone has their delusions. Everyone has their security blankets. Everyone gets comfortable with their beta readers, their critique groups, their own self. When someone comes along and tries to take the blanket away, we get pretty upset, some of us.

With writing, I am convinced the best cure for what ails the word is giving up the blanket. As LurkerMonkey and I have discovered (for both of us, I think it's occurred in the last year or so, but you would have to ask him), EVERYTHING is on the table. Everything. The blanket is gone. EVERYTHING. You have to be willing to give up every clever line, every darling, every delusion, everything to claw away and find your story. The real story. And coincidentally, he has an awesome post up about finding your theme today and a real-live comment from an editor . . . and if you want to talk about giving up blankets.

Thoughts?

Peace,

E

And don't forget our friend . . . .http://www.habitatfortravis.blogspot.com/

Writing Changes Everything

Once again this weekend, I got a SPAM-type ad for a new book. The cover was hideous, in my humble opinion, with people who looked rather like avators designed by someone with a sick view of anatomy, and the premise left me cold . . . but still, in the world of books, I will often click on ads just to see who's out there, who's writing what, to look for trends, to I hope have a sense of wonder about something another writer dreamed up, as I did when I read this book.

Truly, I look to be awed by the creativity of others.

Once again, it was a self-pubbed book. And just maybe to prove myself wrong, I clicked on "read an excerpt." Once again, I wanted to scream.

I get that we all read different types of books. What I enjoy isn't what the next person enjoys. Considering THIS is my bedside reading (and it's an AWESOME book, folks), I know I don't read what most people read. But the thing is . . . we can ALL agree that a book needs proper editing. That it not be riddled with mistakes the average copyeditor would pick up inside of five minutes. That is not be so full of cliche that the average high school junior in a creative writing class would give it a D.

There's something to be said--good and bad, I suppose--for thinking outside the box when it comes to publishing. Yes, many great writers languish unpublished and unagented. But many, many more aren't ready and take shortcuts that a professional would just cringe at.

But even more, I suppose, is what it says about me as a reader. Because I am a writer, it changes everything. There are some mainstream-published, commercial fiction writers I used to read that I simply can't anymore. I start many, many more books than I finish. Knowing how to craft a sentence or a plot changes how I read. Maybe others don't see what I see. But I do and it changes my reading habits.

Has writing changed your reading habits? And what are your thoughts on the self-pubbed route?