Resistance is futile-The Borg.
If you don’t
know who the Borg are you need to hang around more Nerds. But the point is
this. Being a writer I find myself in the presence of avid readers who, for
some reason, radically embrace the physical book and refuse to become
assimilated by the electronic reader (kindle, Nook, iPad).
I suppose it’s because physical books
reminds them of a simpler time when things weren’t so hectic. A time when they
could curl up with a good book on a rainy weekend and live among the characters
on the printed page.
I get it. I really do.
Back when my daughters were young, my ex
would take them out on Sundays for a girl’s day out. As for me I’d crank up the
fireplace, make some hot tea, pick up a Subway sandwich and spend the day with
Stephen King, John Grisham, Andrew Klaven, J.K Rowling, Dean Koontz and many
others.
But then the computer technology started
progressing in leaps and bounds and EVERYTHING picked up speed.
Stephen
King wrote a book called The Long Walk.
In it the characters compete in a race for the ultimate prize of getting the
life they’ve always wanted, BUT, should they start falling behind they get
three warnings.
Then they get shot.
Nowadays it seems we are all involved in
The Long Walk. More work for less pay, less benefits, less time off.
Less fun.
So I
certainly understand why many avid readers adamantly refuse to embrace the
Kindle revolution.
But understanding doesn’t mean I agree.
Just the opposite. I think everyone should have a Kindle (or Nook iPad etc.) Why? because they give you the opportunity to
discover great new authors and great new books that never would have seen the
light of day without electronic readers. Traditional publishers, due to rising
costs, have become VERY conservative regarding the books they publish. Mid-list
authors, who once made a comfortable living with their novels, are routinely dropped
in favor of the flavor of the month (books about Duck Dynasty, Kardashian etc.)
and ghost written books by celebrities who regale us with their courageous tale
of how they overcame drug addiction, serial adultery or drunken domestic abuse.
Perhaps they wouldn’t have had to be so
courageous had they not gotten involved with that shit in the first place.
Or children’s books by such mother figures
as Madonna & Sarah Ferguson.
I understand that the industry is just
trying to stay afloat. But they are not catering to the needs of the fiction
book reader. If you go to a book store like Barnes and Noble you’ll see that
the fiction section is becoming smaller with each passing year and is only
featuring the already established big names.
Another point I should mention is that if
you purchase a physical book, you’re likely cutting into the authors royalties.
For example: My physical novel Frostie
the Deadman sells for 12.99. Of that I get a one dollar royalty per sale.
On the Kindle version which sells for $3.99 I receive a royalty of $2.93 per sale.
So useing the POWER OF MATH, you will note
that by purchasing a kindle version you'll save $9.00 and the author gets almost 2
dollars more per sale. So you benefit and the author benefits. Only the
traditional publisher doesn’t benefit but they’re doing just fine with their
Duck Dynasty and Kardashian books so you needn’t worry.
With Christmas only a few days away I would
like you to consider purchasing a kindle for the avid reader in your family.
Here’s
the Amazon link:
Now that you’ve decided to purchase a
kindle (or have already) you’ll want to download a great book to get the party
started. And fortunately, the first book of the very popular series Revolution in America is a FREE download
on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So mark your calendars or note on your
electronic device so you don’t miss it.
Here’s the
link:
http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-America-Noons-Rise-Power-ebook/dp/B004EBTGZG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387643638&sr=1-1&keywords=zackary+richards
Merry
Christmas!
