tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294197930670383085.post5976815752815147943..comments2024-03-28T19:39:29.704-07:00Comments on Ann Gimpel, USA Today Bestselling Author: Zen Musings on the Publishing IndustryAnn Gimpel, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04311977212626293800noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294197930670383085.post-91079736198600565042012-04-22T09:00:49.178-07:002012-04-22T09:00:49.178-07:00Hi LJ
Thanks for the great metaphor. Made me smile...Hi LJ<br />Thanks for the great metaphor. Made me smile. I read a statistic somewhere that something like a thousand new books hit the e-pub industry every day. It it any wonder 99.9% of them end up buried in obscurity? Having POD paperback isn't much of a hedge either, though I find I sell more paperbacks than ebooks.<br />We live in a throwaway society. That's true for books, cars, appliances and relationships. As soon as something doesn't catch our fancy anymore, the tendency is to chuck it. Unfortunately for books, the proliferation of the 99 cent (or worse, free) ebook has both cheapened our industry and made it really easy to toss something and go in search of something better. Gee, what happened to the days when you picked up a book with the expectation that, while you may not like it, at least English grammar and usage would be correct?Ann Gimpel, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04311977212626293800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294197930670383085.post-33889034538640193252012-04-22T08:52:03.440-07:002012-04-22T08:52:03.440-07:00Hi Rik,
Thanks for your comment. With their Vine R...Hi Rik,<br />Thanks for your comment. With their Vine Reviewers, I think Amazon has tried for more of a professional patina. As someone who's tried sorting through those reviewers trying to figure out who might be interested in SF/F novels, it's akin to hunting the proverbial needle in a haystack. (Or like trying to spin flax into gold.)<br />You bring up an excellent point about YouTube and "the game". Most authors are introverted intuitives. It's why we can spend long hours in front of the keyboard, living in the mythical land of our stories. Unfortunately, that doesn't make us very good game players. Sigh . . .Ann Gimpel, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04311977212626293800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294197930670383085.post-51517616801024485452012-04-22T07:34:27.276-07:002012-04-22T07:34:27.276-07:00No, the problem is not unique to you. I am frustra...No, the problem is not unique to you. I am frustrated by much of what is out there in the indie world. It feels a little like the writing equivalent of the California Gold Rush, with everyone racing to get their work out there before the 'gold' runs out. If the old model set the bar to high for publishing, perhaps this free for all sets the bar too low. There *are* good indie reads out there, they're just buried by too many books that are rushed into publication before they're ready for prime time.<br /><br />And with things as unsettled as they are in the publishing world, having a 'big 6' imprint is now guarantee of quality reading either.<br /><br />It feels like on BOTH sides, there is a rush to the marketplace and a drive to make the profit, regardless of the product. As a reader, I find this extremely disheartening. As a writer, frustrating.Lisa Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07530826748768737972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2294197930670383085.post-35462423298283757502012-04-22T07:10:50.071-07:002012-04-22T07:10:50.071-07:00Interesting question, Ann. The rules are definitel...Interesting question, Ann. The rules are definitely changing. I'm not sure the issue is improving the overall quality of what's produced (though that would be nice) as filtering out the good stuff. The publication of anything and everything isn't a bad thing in itself, and the basic nature of capitalism gives Amazon no reason to close the gates now they're open.<br /><br />Better accountability with reviews would certainly be a help. The 'customer review' is a powerful tool, but easily abused. I'd like to see Amazon and other big online retailers provide more functionality to reviewers so that the ones who are serious about their reviewing can basically run a review blog on the site. Better information on a reviewer's track record would also be nice.<br /><br />Ultimately, there's something to be said for the analogy some people draw with YouTube; there's a lot of terrible stuff, but good stuff tends to rise to the top if its creators are prepared to play the game a little.Beckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16677076598470332030noreply@blogger.com