Since we are nearing the midyear, I thought it would be interesting to start researching reading trends. I happened on an article written at the first of the year, which offered up predictions for 2013 in two ways: what you will want to read and how you will read it.
Being an author, I find it curious how the subject matter of what people read changes from year to year, and predictions being only as accurate as the weather report. That's right. Go ahead and say it. Might as well flip a coin.
In any case, here's a summary of what Thomas Umstattd had to say at www.authormedia.com --
Ebook sales will level off somewhat in sales profits for publishers as well as a decrease from the previous year's numbers of books sold. That probably makes sense when you consider the mad rush for everyone to buy one of many new toys, aka ereaders, for Christmas and load them up with many shiny new titles that they are STILL trying to catch up on reading before buying any new ones. I know I have about fifty on my Kindle and not even close to half read. Not surprisingly, once again, somebody predicts that ebook prices will come down from those ridiculously high ones set at $10 and up. Yeah ... I'll believe that one when I see it. Of course, there are many great buys out there under five bucks, just not ones by the oh so very popular clique of authors.
The latest craze, Thomas predicts, will be audibles. I personally can't stand listening to books on audio. My mind wanders way too much. And I probably hear about thirty percent or less of what people say to me. Still, I can see how this prediction might pan out. Heck, there are online services -- some for free, like www.acx.com --that will take your self-pubbed book and turn it into audio. It's that easy.
Finally, to the heart of the matter, what will people want to read? Well, according to Thomas, there will be more heart-warming americana type settings and people in them with stories that will make you all warm and toasty inside. I like that idea. Bring 'em on! To the other extreme, young adult books will keep sinking into the darker side. How many millions has The Hunger Games made? Yep. I can see that prediction hitting home. Thomas also talks about Christian literature growing and how serial books will increase in popularity.
Does Mr. Thomas Umstattd have that special crystal ball to see exactly what happens in 2013? Well, we are already close to June and half way through the year. I see more and more series of books, more audible versions of books, B&H is publishing more and lots more of Christian titles, more agents are taking on clients who write in that genre, YA is doing its darker side thing, and so it goes. But like all predictions, Thomas' needs a bit of tweeking. Those hot and trendy authors who always rank in the top ten bestsellers list? You guys and gals still got to get those ebook prices down to reasonable!
My bottom line? Well, all I can say about predictions is that no matter what becomes popular or trendy, I will always love to cozy up with a spinetingling mystery. Take that, Thomas Umstattd!
Reading Trends for 2013 by Thomas Umstattd
How soon or at what age should someone think of taking the big leap and publish a book? Well, times are a changing! Meet Spencer Brokaw. He's twelve AND a published author ( Impenetrable Spy ). Can you imagine? Plus, he maintains a website where he regularly includes author interviews, which is how we got together. I asked and he accepted. So, below is the link to that interview.
Writing and publishing at a young age is what I'd refer to as "dream-inspiring". What self-publishers such as Amazon, Smashwords, and Lulu have done is to make it possible for writers of all ages to display their work in a big way and with an actual product. That's an extrinsic motivator you can't ignore. Before the days of computers and the internet, I recall how elementary teachers would "publish" their students stories, making them into books. Sure, it looked homemade, perhaps with construction paper covers and spiral-binding. But it was something to take home and show to family and friends, thus creating a proud moment for both creator and admirers.
So, I'd say it is a great thing being done, here. Giving young people the opportunity and encouragement to fulfill their dreams. Nothing wrong with that!
Here is the link to my interview, if you're interested. And to all those writers and writers-to-be ... write on!
Interview With Author K. Sean Jennkrist (Kathryn Long)
Ebooks ... some might say, "Isn't that enough technology in the reading world?" Well ... I guess not. I have to admit I'm rather excited about this new trend. And I imagine it will attract a whole new category of readers -- those who would rather watch than read the written word. Sigh, groan, sigh somemore. I myself would like readers who truly enjoy reading, but an occasional visual might add to the experience.
Okay, getting right to it. The latest technology is to embed videos in the eBooks where ever they might fit. I am linking to an article that might explain it better. It even gives you an example of a book -- Nixonland put out by Simon & Schuster. Since it's an historical book, it places video clips on such topics/people as John F. Kennedy, news clips of demonstrators against war, etc. Really, it is very fascinating to watch.
The author of the article on this trend brings up a valid point -- visualizing or imaging through words is what drives the imagination and makes each reader's experience a personal one. As a teacher, I agree totally that to take away from this skill and experience by replacing words with videos may diminish the skill. We already do that enough with the technology and media at everyone's, especially young people's, fingertips. In other words, walking a fine-line and not overusing this technology should be the guideline for authors and publishers. At least, that's what I hope for. From an author's viewpoint, I truly am infatuated by the idea. I can see embedding videos in my books, only to supplement the stories, not to replace the details. Again, limiting the numbers is key. I think I would most like to embed a video of me in each of them, talking about how I came up with the idea for writing them, etc.
So much is changing in the digital world. It's scary and exciting at the same time. Who knows where we will be five years from now? (A memory of when I first saw the hollistic chess game in Star Wars comes to mind. I thought that was the greatest invention ever!) I wish I had that crystal ball. Anyway, here is the link to the article on video-enhanced eBooks. Let me know what you think.
Video-enhanced E-books Beginning to Gain Momentum
Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Not So Snow White
With the flooding of self-published work there comes another flood -- paid reviews. It seems there are a few well-known reviewers climbing aboard to take advantage of a new opportunity to make money, i.e. charging for their reviews. And I'm talking big dollars to fork out. Well, at least for some folks like myself with limited income it is a bit steep. Kirkus Indie charges $425 to $575 for a 250-350 word review. This option is geared toward self-pubbed, indie pubbed, POD, etc. authors. Okay, so on their webpage they do state that you will receive "a fair and unbiased assessment of your work" and that the rating can be anywhere from positive with stars down to negative.
Can you imagine? Fork out a few hundred, hard-earned dollars and get back a negative review? Ouch! At the same time, isn't this what really should happen? An unbiased, honest-to-goodness review of your work. I'd imagine that's what everyone should expect, but it's a pot-pourri of feedback out there. Friends and relatives who only want to give you a pat on the back and a leg up, persuading potential readers to buy your book. And of course, there are many others out there who would probably say all sorts of nice things, warranted or not, if you shoved some green under their noses.
I say this. Getting reviews, paid for or not, will always bring some bias along with them. In other words, it's not a perfect system. I, for one, from the reader's POV tend to ignore book reviews. If something strikes my interest, I buy it and read it to gather my own conclusions. But that's just me. As an author with a few books out there, both adult and teen fiction, I haven't really gotten much of anything in the review department. My books are selling okay, nothing worth writing home about, and I often wonder ... if I paid people to review ... hmm....
So, what's your take on it? Are paid reviews okay? Do you read reviews and let them influence your book-buying habits?
Whips, Cuffs, and Little Brown Boxes
Not So Snow White
Cinderella Geek
So, I have written about the top picks in young adult novels and in general adult fiction. Let's take a look at one of those categories -- books written by celebrities. Hey ... the books sell, so they deserve mention. I found an article Stranger Than Fiction -- Top Celebrity Novelists that focuses on eight celebrities from actors to musicians to spouses of actors or musicians. Some of the work is actually considered "good", good enough to at least consider adding to your reading list. I will touch on a few and let you check out the rest in more detail. And mind you, these are novels, not autobiographies!
1) Gene Hackman: Payback at Morning Peak -- western fiction. Consider his background and experience which might add credibility to the content. And the fact that this is not his first effort. He coauthored a couple of others previously.
2) James Franko (General Hospital): Palo Alto -- a short story collection meant to be taken seriously, but SERIOUSLY? At least that's what the author of this article implies.
3) Lauren Conrad: L. A. Candy -- fictional account with way too many parallels to Conrad's life, which many authors will do when they write fiction, so we will let this slide. Okay, I have to add a personal sidebar -- in my Lang. Arts class, one of my students did a report on this book. Not my bag, but really popular with teens. Go figure. And popular enough to follow it up with Sweet Little Lies and Sugar and Spice.
4) Hillary Duff: Elixer -- a supernatural mystery that's been on the bestseller list.
5) Ethan Hawke: The Hottest State -- a brooding tale from a brooding character, or something like that. Hawke must enjoy writing stories so he can turn them into movies. Ash Wednesday is another.
You'll find three more and many more details about all of them if you click on the article link. I do have some parting observations. So here goes ... artistic people can be artistic in many areas. It makes sense if someone who plays an instrument well can also do well at writing. There is no reason why we can't have more than one talent, though being a celebrity who writes a book shouldn't automatically insure bestseller status. I think most would agree with me on that ... unless he/she was a celebrity!
So, now moving on to the latest trends in adult fiction ... What is the number one publisher which has seen the most growth and sales? Harlequin. Gotta love that romance. Yet, as most of you know, Harlequin combines romance with a lot of other genres -- mystery/suspense, paranormal, historical. So, as long as you want the romance involved, there is something for everybody.
Genres that seem to have a growing audience are -- thrillers, Americana, literary, paranormal with an erotic touch, Christian fiction, and horror stories which are still making a ripple. Of course, anything offered in e-book format has a great chance of being read, especially romance novels. Such is the craze of the eReaders. What's most consistently popular, as readers have found in the past, will probably be such in the future. And that is anything by those authors at the top of the food chain -- James Patterson, Dan Brown, Nora Roberts, and the list goes on. What has changed is the path ones like James Patterson have taken. Several times he has linked up with a coauthor, and probably because of the growing interest in young adult books, he has ventured into that genre with novels like Maximum Ride. One more group to mention comes from the famous people who decide to write, maybe their memoirs or sometimes fictional works, and their books seem to sell, so publishers will keep on publishing them.
In my opinion, as a writer you may follow the trends, hoping to catch a ride on that rollercoaster while it's still flying high, but you need to be passionate about what you write. No matter what. Who knows? Maybe if you think of something entirely unrelated to the trends of vampires and werewolves or those other popular themes, maybe you'll be the one to start the next trend. Now, wouldn't that be something!
Hot off the presses .... Amanda Hocking's creations -- the Trylle triology, for one. If you've been following publishing trends in the news, you may already be aware of what's happening. Like it or not, self-publishing, especially in ebook format, is blazing a trail and aiming for the clouds or the heavens or however far up it can reach! With the creation of ebook readers, monster outlets like Amazon, easy to use tools provided by CreateSpace and Kindle Direct, an author can easily self-publish at little to no cost and be up and running on the Amazon website quicker than you can blink an eye ... okay maybe not quite that fast, but it's only a matter of weeks, not months or a year such as it takes with traditional publishers. And you don't have to "pass the gates of entry" to get by the agents and publishers who must approve you when taking the traditional route.
I know what some of you are thinking ... how good can those books be? Well, I had my doubts. Since the big hype, I've purchased a couple of self-pub books, ebook format, for my reader. I've been reading Amanda's Switched. It's for young adult readers and has the fantasy or paranormal element to it. It may not be great prose, but the story is engaging. At least as engaging as it can be for this adult reader! The thing is that her books selling. Selling BIG. I mean like 450,000 copies in the month of January alone. Now, at 99 cents a pop on Amazon, with the author's take of 30%? You figure the math. Not shabby. Right? Anyway, the whole new trend of this is something to think about ... for readers, for writers, for publishers, for agents ... everyone in the game!
Read much more about this interesting topic and phenom in USA Today ...
