I have been asked:
“Are you worried about the publishing industry?”
“Aren’t you afraid that books will no longer be needed?”
“Do you think that books will keep being made?”
My answer:
Let me tell you something I have learned in my so-far very short lifetime: There will always be a need for stories and for escape within the pages of a novel whether they are paper or electronic. Stories are like gateways to new world, no matter what form they come in. There are hardcover novels, paperback novels, short stories, picture books, e-books, stories told by mouth and more. You might look at this list and think about all of their differences but take a moment and think about all of their similarities.
They make you feel, they can make you believe again when you feel like your world has let you down, they bring you out of your life and let you live another life and learn from a character unlike you, they teach you more about other people and yourself, they help a person grow, they keep a person company when you feel utterly alone and they bring hope.
So I am going to ask everyone to do something for me.
On twitter use the hashtag #TheWritersVoice and tell me what reading can do for you. The way that reading has affected you. I don’t care what genre you read or your age, race, location, etc. For anyone who has ever been affected by a book. Tell us about it. We will listen.
Sincerely,
The Writers Voice
I joined your blog today and put in my two cents at #TheWritersVoice. Very nice idea.
ReplyDeleteCan you email me at cleemckenziebooksATcomcastDOT net? Have something to say.
Thanks.
What many fail to realize is that the Print On Demand phenomenon was actually created so that old book that have gone out of print can be reprinted on demand. The idea is that, in the near future, a person will be able to walk into a bookstore and order one copy of an out-of-print book, browse the store for an hour, and pick up the copy of the ordered book on their way out. Each store will have the ability to print these books in house (say, at Barnes and Noble). This is already happening at a Barnes and Nobel in Boston. The POD phenomenon has been a boon to writers (my own book is POD) but POD was not devised for this purpose, which is why it has surprised the publishing industry.
ReplyDeleteGood point A. J.! There are so many out of print books I still love and wish I had a copy of. If only they would start doing that in WA I would go crazy for it!
ReplyDeleteOk I sent out a tweet with the hashtag! thanks for stopping by Mission to Read.
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I feel the exact same way about books! :) Reading them gives us the chance to escape our own world -- even if for just a little while -- and I love the ones with those little details that make you think.
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely right! Reading teaches us SO many things. I honestly believe that reading teaches me more than school LOL! Even fantasy novels have a bit of truth in them!
Awesome post, Emma! :)
I've been in love with reading and with books since I was a toddler, when I'd annoy the heck out of adults by always wanting to be read to, haha.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school, I had to read Brave New World, and I got my username for most places from that book - "soma_holiday" - because reading and computer games are MY 'soma holiday'. It's how I escape. Besides that, I absolutely agree that reading is a great way to gain some insight and learn different things.
Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteGood point - well made! Thanks for visiting my blog earlier.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad I missed this! I'll have to check out the hashtag and see the great posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog!
Agreed. Sometimes I resort to stories only to shut myself from real life worries.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog.
Kero @ Kero's Book Blog