I admit, I struggle to keep pace with the electronic age. The steady stream of innovations requires me, or any writer, to be quick on his feet and learn new steps.
Before the advent of laser printing, the publishing industry was like a slow waltz. Writers danced with an agent or the publisher and then, because of the high cost of bringing the book to market, only a few authors got invited to the ball.
But laser printing, which is cheap and fast, changed the music to a pulsating jazz. The dance floor has become crowded and writers, as well as everyone else in the publishing business, must work to avoid the fate of wall flowers: being relegated to the sidelines.
And who pipes the tune for all the dancers — established writers and the neophyte alike? The owners of eReaders. Publishers Lunch reported recently that in England, Amazon’s eBooks sales outpaced print books by a ratio of 100 to 144. (Publishers Lunch, August 6)
Make no mistake, the web is the place to be to sell books. But given the number of dancers and the vastness of stage, how does one stand out? How does one go viral? I don’t know the answer to that question. At the moment, I’m struggling to keep up with the crowd. I jig and jog when it does, but I admit, I don’t hear the music.
(Courtesy of photobucket.com)
