It's Time to Make Your Move

If you're a writer like myself. I mean a real writer, with a burning desire to see your work in the hands of an all too deserving audience, then this is your time. Most of us have considered the major publishing houses (e.g. Warner Books, Ran-dumb House, etc.) to be the Holy Grail. But alas, the tide has turned.

In case you haven't been paying attention, technology has come along and dealt us a very good hand. eBooks are not new, they have slowly crept into the consciousness of many readers, myself included. I must admit, it took me awhile, but I have come to finally accept the fact that the printed page as we know it, is doomed. Yes, I know, there's nothing like the smell of a good book. The way the pages turn, yada, yada, yada. I bet the Pony Express guys felt the same way about their horses.

For the writer, it's a very good thing. You now have the power to take matters into your own hands. No more rejected query letters begging some agent who couldn't care less, to take the time to read a work you've bled over for years. No more diving back to your computer to make senseless changes to a story that's just fine the way it is, all because some pencil neck wannabe said, "The writing's not competitive with todays market." What! How do they know?!

What eBooks needed (as noted author Warren Adler-War of the Roses, stated) was "a great device that was easy to use and handle, with enough capacity well enough organized for easy reference and research, even those read once books that might draw me back for a second or third time. The device needed to have clear and easily readable type with the capacity to upsize if necessary, be light enough to tuck and travel, be very friendly for bed reading and effortless in loading new books. It should also have a long-life charge without worrying about recharging it after every reading session. It also had to be equipped for audio presentations."

Well, it's here. The Sony Reader Sony® Reader does all these things and more. It's light enough to carry around comfortably, can hold up to 80 books (twice that with accessories) and doesn't detract from the reading experience. Finally, someone has laid down the gauntlet, and I'm sure other manufacturers, looking for a way into the multi-billion dollar book market, will follow.

As a writer, you now have the opportunity to reach large numbers of readers. Publishers will no longer be necessary. The reader will be the judge. If the work's not good, it won't sell. If it is, you won't have to worry about some Ivy League tight ass (I actually wish I had gone to Harvard) rejecting your prized possession because their noses are too far up in the air to see just how great your story really is. Hey, if you don't know it by now, let me be the first to tell you. NOBODY CAN PICK A HIT WITH ANY AMOUNT OF CERTAINTY IN THIS BUSINESS! NOBODY! AND THAT GOES FOR HOLLYWOOD TOO!

Let me also call your attention to books.google.com. Google now allows you to list your books on it's search engine, for free! Readers can access your titles, read excerpts, and download copies for a fee. And it costs you nothing. Are you awake now!

Last but not least, there's printing. If you want to actually see your book in hard print, there's salvation for you too. Digital printing now allows you get hard or soft copies of your books without carrying large inventories. Fidlar-Doubleday and Deharts are just a few of the houses that provide great service in this area. You can order as few as 24 copies at a time, or as many as 1000. No inventory! This keeps you from having thousands of books cluttering your living room.

Time will tell if what I'm saying is accurate. (Hey, I'll take that bet, and give you odds) So let the celebration, and writing begin. Those of us held captive are set free. Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, my writing's free at last! For those who just don't get it. Ye shall overcome.