Book Bloggers and the Future
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 2:05PM I think I’ve made it amply clear that I respect book bloggers as an invaluable puzzle piece in the modern book business. But of course that business is rapidly changing. A whole new model is becoming the norm—maybe not erasing the old model, but probably displacing it in terms of sheer popularity and volume. It will have its advantages, and a definite down side. I’m optimistic, however, and I’ll tell you why in this post. I think it will work. But here’s the linchpin of the whole deal: with the help of book bloggers, I think it will fill the needs of readers/book consumers. Without them, it could be a nightmare.
The self-published ebook, along with print-on-demand technology, has opened a floodgate that has not only been shut, but carefully guarded, for decades. Anyone can get published now. This, of course, is both the good news and the bad news, all rolled into one big news flash.
The upside: that brilliant new author who was traditionally a little too literary, too controversial, too ahead of his or her time—the one publishers haven’t taken a chance on since they were gobbled up by enormous watch-the-bottom-line corporations—will get published now.
The down side: so will that really bad author who never took the time to learn the trade, never bothered to get the damn thing edited, and really can’t see why it’s not as good as anything else out there (when it’s obviously not).
So, do I think it comes out a draw? Oddly, no. I think it’s better the new way. For a simple reason. We can forego anything badly written once it’s published. But we can’t go into the brilliant new authors’ desk drawers and find what was being rejected. All we need to make it a great system is somebody to help us tell them apart. Without book bloggers, Amazon becomes the literary equivalent of the agents’ depressing slush pile. With it, it’s a new world where anything goes, where ideas do not have to conform to finances, where the little guy has as much chance as the big guy. Where cream rises to the top.
Print reviews will not step in and save the reader in this new book future, because print media is drying up. The Internet will have to fill that need. It’s hard to imagine, looking back, that anyone had the lack of foresight to call a book blogger “unprofessional,” as it’s their amateur status we should be celebrating. They are doing this for love. They are doing this even though it’s a model that may never earn them a living. And, let’s face it, every platform gets fairer and more honest when you de-monetize it.
But if readers buy too many ebooks that are not edited or proofread (or well written) because reviewers (under pressure or out of a sense of obligation) tell them the writing is “fine,” the whole system could turn into a quagmire.
So, not to beat a point to death, but…we have to encourage blog reviewers to tell the truth as they see it. A greater measure of respect from authors would be nice, too. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll probably keep saying it until more authors wise up and start treating them like the future of this business.
PS: If you want some great examples, check the list on the right. And if you’re a book blogger and don’t see the name of your blog there, email me or leave a comment. Give me a chance to discover it.
Reader Comments (10)
Thank you for this wonderful post. As a book blogger, I absolutely agree that the model is changing. And, like in self-publishing, there are those in the blogging world that are unprofessional, are just out for free books, etc. However, I think that time itself will weed all those that don't REALLY have a passion for books out. Thanks again for the great post.
Thanks for the comment. I think in blogging, as in books, the cream will rise to the top. The bloggers people most enjoy reading will have the most readers. These things have a way of working themselves out.
I agree about the need for balanced book blog reviews. Sometimes it's uncomfortable (as a would-be author) to be brutally honest about the hard work of others, but as I am anonymous and just starting out, I have nothing to lose. Bloggers may set themselves up for people to criticize their own writing when they are perceived as critical of others. That said, I spend a little extra time on my reviews to make sure they are balanced and grammatically sensible (sometimes they may be a bit on the long side so I can squeeze in both positives and negatives about a book). I'd love for you to check out my blog (I'm not on your list) - Every month I read and usually review one new release, one classic, one non-fiction, one juvenile, and one writer's reference book. Thanks.
I think you make a very good point. I have stayed away from self-pubbed stuff because of the poor quality that I was seeing when I gave it a try. I don't like feeling like I'm reading a work in progress. I'm an English professor - I do enough of that for my job. I have been rethinking my position on that lately, however. How do these authors get better if they don't get honest feedback? I'm working on changing my review policy a bit. I'm also thinking of a way to help out on the pre-pub end. That's one of my projects for the summer.
@Book Phantom, Thanks for finding my blog. I'll check out yours right now!
@Cassandra, you know, I hadn't thought of it, but you're right...there may be a place in the future for bloggers like yourself--the ones with a strong English background--to provide affordable services to help new self-pubbed authors produce better books. I'm with you. I'm up to my ears in copyediting and proofreading in my own work. I cannot bring myself to read something that's unedited. That's not an optional part of publishing in my opinion.
I love your "blogroll of awesomeness"...may I please be included? I don't feel like I'm as awesome as some of these, but I'd love for you to take a look
You're pretty awesome, Amanda. Happy to add you.
What a great post! People do need to have a dependale source of book reviews and I think book bloggers have an obligation to give readers an honest review.
I'd love to be added to you're awesome blogroll - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com
Hope you like my blog!
Great blog, Christa--happy to add it to my blogroll!