The eBook Adventure
On a cold, lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to publish an eBook using Smashwords.
In the days following, my Google reader was spewing forth post after post after post on the subject of ebooks, e-readers, the perils of self publishing, the possibilities of self publishing, the perils of traditional publishing, and the significance of the pickle (those of you finding that last bit to be an artless and confusing non sequitur rather than a clever-but-dated cultural reference are advised to pick up an Arlo Guthrie album or two).
The proliferation of differing opinions points to a world of opportunity. I don’t think anyone knows, or can predict what happens next in this fledgling market. Well, perhaps one certainty: People with these shiny new devices will be looking for something to read on them. The challenge will be in connecting with these consumer.
I’m still taking it all in. I’ll likely publish another e-book, and when I do, I’ll use everything I learned from this little experiment.
One thing I feel certain about is that the quest for us writer types will be getting noticed. How will we become the easiest to find needle in the haystack?
Had I not uploaded my files and clicked the big ol’ PUBLISH button on Sunday, I probably wouldn’t have, given what I read on Monday and Tuesday. Was the internet watching, waiting for me to publish so as to righteously confuse, confound, and frighten me with it’s news and opinions on the matter? Maybe. I’m almost paranoid enough to buy that line. The truth is, I don’t know or care.
I did what I did for the following reasons:
I Believe in Technology. More specifically, I believe in participating in, messing about with, and coming to terms with new technology. Whether we like it or loathe it, we need to be familiar enough with technology to articulate our preferences. Innovation is not going to stop. In the years to come, we will be inundated with change, often much faster than we would like.
I wanted to take responsibility for my own work. I’m not afraid of rejection, but I don’t go looking for it, either.
It could be months of not knowing, not being able to re-submit. Why let an editor in some far-flung locale decide if people will or won’t like my story? Tools exist to take them out of the equation, and go directly to the readers in the form of websites, twitter, blog posts, and self published eBooks. The feedback loop is shorter, more responsive, and more varied. Is that better than being vetted and edited by traditional means? Don’t know, don’t care.
I like to learn. Yeah, that makes me sound like a big geek. But you know what? I AM a big geek.
One of the most important things I’ve figured out as an adult (and I use that term loosely), is that if you stop learning, you’re fucked. The less you know and understand, the greater the opportunity for others to take advantage of your naivete, and sell you a time share, an Amway franchise, or three cheeseburgers for a dollar. If you want a degree, you need to go to University. If you want to learn, all you need is a library card and some bandwidth. Get your hands dirty. Take chances. Remember what works and what doesn’t.
It looked like it might be fun: This goes back to being a geek, I suppose. I come from a long line of tinkerers. Where my father and grandfathers had wood lathes, band saws, and a never ending assortment of chisels, I have SQL databases, Java IDEs, and an irresponsible and under-used cavalcade of Google APIs. Making stuff, and making stuff up is fun. My workshop is digital, and sawdust free. Music, comic strips, short stories - it’s all fun and games to me.
If you want to publish an eBook, I say go for it. Just have a clear idea of why you’re doing it, and what you hope to get out of it.
Thanks, Trevor. This is an interesting time, and nobody can say what’s best right now. I like to learn and try things out, too. I have Smashwords on my radar. I’ll look it at all my options in the next couple months.
Keep us updated.