I bought an eBook recently that was written by someone who has a lot to say on the subject of e-Publishing. Their arguments in favour of independent e-Publishing are compelling and I have read dozens of their articles online.
I have yet to decide whether to follow this route with my own manuscript, when it is ready and so I read what those in the know have to say. Overall it seems to make sense, financially. Still, I can’t shake this need to see if I can get it picked up by a traditional publisher first. After all, as writers don’t we all dream of seeing our novel in the display window of our local bookstore?
That aside, I have some niggling doubts about the whole Indie ePublishing plan, not least of which is that I have read some pretty bad books of the independently published variety. I realise there are some pretty good ones out there, too, but the quantity of not-so-good ones leaves me wondering if, in going directly down that road myself, I would be devaluing my work. Isn’t it better to aim high at the start?
But coming back to my original point… the eBook I downloaded recently. The author is a self-professed prolific writer. They have loads of published eBooks out there – enough to make a living out of them. Bravo – and I mean that sincerely. It is the reason I contemplate ePublishing at all. But the thing that bothers me is how writers like this get so much work done. Between the blogging and promoting and publishing, how on earth do they turn out two, three or four books in a year? I have been working on mine for nearly three and it’s still not done. Granted, there were a couple of false starts, but still…
So yesterday afternoon, I sat down and read this eBook.
The whole thing.
In about half an hour.
And I realised that that is how they get so many done.
In very tiny writing on the cover artwork appears the word Novella.
I understand that more individual book sales equals more revenue, but I seldom feel as cheated as when I sit down to read a novel, only to find that it ends just at the point where I’m getting into it. Marketing is all good and well, but it should not be misleading. Bragging about all these novels that you’ve written when in fact many are no more than slightly long short stories is just not cool.
So I will continue with my 85,000 words or more and it will take as long as it takes and I will follow my own instincts about getting it published. But one thing you can be sure of: when it is done it will be something I am proud to put my name on. I do not want to cheat my readers for the sake of money.
Am I being naive? Old-fashioned? Forget the hype, the trends and the writer’s perspective for the moment and tell me… what are your experiences as a reader of eBooks?
Because in the end, it is the readers who determine an author’s success.
theresewelch.com 