Monday, October 17, 2011

Stirring Up Dust

This morning I spent some time rearranging my closet for Fall. In the process I moved a bunch of tote bags arround (yes I'm as addicted to them as I am to purses). I also pulled out almost all my summer clothes and stored them in contianers, except for a few to see me through Indian Summer.

So, I moved a lot of stuff around, and the end result looked great. I judge that from the fact I could close the closet door easily without it catching on any inside items, and now I have my Fall clothes within easy reach.

I was pretty pleased with myself until my nose started running and I began to sneeze. Obviously, I'd stirred up dust in the process. Still it was a worthy cause, and the dust will eventually settle and clear.

The dust reminded me of the book industry. A lot of authors are stirring up dust by rejecting traditional publishers and striking out on their own. Many are making it big. They're the ones who take the time and energy to do it right.

Their efforts are looked on with alarm and even scorn by some traditional publishers and their authors, who are scrambling to retain their supremacy.

Once the dust settles and clears, I believe the publishing industry will look different, yet in better shape, kind of like my closet.


Morgan Mandel

Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords, and is
also in print.

Forever Young-Blessing or Curse
is coming soon to Kindle and
Smashwords, also the
re-release of Two Wrongs.

12 comments:

Deborah H. Bateman said...

Thanks for sharing your post about your closet. I need to do mine also to get ready for fall. It is fast approaching the time when I have to put my capris and sandals aside for long pants and close toed shoes.
I am excited for the changes in the publishing industry and hope that it will continue to let more people be able to publish their works.
I just published my first e-book. The Book of Ruth-A Story of Love and Redemption. Blessings

Mona Risk said...

Morgan, I guess I'm helping stirring dust as I uploaded my first selfpubbed book for $0.99 in Kindle at amazon.

Randy Rawls said...

Good analogy, Morgan. It's not the dust itself that bothers me. After all, dust eventually settles and becomes top soil. It's the dust mites that drive me nuts.
When I go looking for a new ebook, I don't appreciate having to fight my way through the dreck to get to the quality works. Kinda like bread dough. Doesn't taste very good until it's baked. Too many people are posting their raw dough because they can.

Unknown said...

Morgan--you hit the nail on the head. Exactly right--it's a real dust-up, if you know the true meaning of that! Meaning--a kind of knock-down-drag-out.
The last one standing takes the prize. At least there will be many prizes, but just not in the same form the publishing industry wants it.
It's encouraging to see some pubs move ahead--maybe for them--maybe not so good for some of us, if they once again, take the ebook industry, too.
I never cared for self-publishing, because back then it seemed more like a racket to me. Anyone could get a book publisher--for a few thousand dollars. Not so any more.Now an astute, wise, decidated author can do it for pennies--or dollars.
Very good analogy--I don't like purses, and carry the smallest one I can, but I do love bags, totes, carry-alls, whatever. Yes, I have a shelf full of those--and wouldn't part with any one of them!

Jean Henry Mead said...

There was never a better time for new authors, but I have to agree with Randy. There's a lot of dreck out there should should never see the light of day.

Carolyn J. Rose said...

It's pretty darn dusty in my office because I just indie published another book (A Place of Forgetting, more a - gasp - love story than anything else). I worked on it for a couple of years and had a lot of critical eyes look at it and then, since I couldn't get the interest I hoped for and thought it deserved, did it myself. Time will tell whether I was right or whether I should get out a dust mop.

Debra St. John said...

Great comparison, Morgan.

The publishing industry sure is changing...I just wish I had more time to keep up with it!

And good for you, getting that closet organized.

DebraStJohn

Dorothy said...

I cleaned out mine about a month ago and look at it now. I guess it didn't help I was having a pre-senior moment and couldn't find my daughter's birthday card today. I just knew it was in the bag of stuff I've pre-bought for Christmas presents but nooo. Anyway, the closet is a mess.

No offense to publishers, but I'm just grinning ear to ear. They've made us suffer for years (maybe we've made them suffer too, lol) but now...authors are taking the bull by the horns and turning out a bunch of really good reading material. Sure, like the poster said above a lot of dreck, heck there's a lot of dreck with publishers, too.

I'm just thrilled, simply thrilled that now we are given that chance to be heard without someone over us saying well no it's not right for us go away.

V.R. Leavitt said...

Great post. I think you're right too. Publishing is changing obviously, just like the music industry did, and still is. I don't think it means that anything is over or anything, just evolving. It'll be interesting to see where it all goes.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Time moves on and things change. o matter which way you go here is a ton of work involved. Right now e-pub is wading through the junk of those looking for the easy way to the top.

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

Change is the name of the game--the writing game, that is. We all need to go with the flow--or grab a surfboard and jump on a big wave.

Yeah, can't you just see me doing that?

Rebecca said...

Great post Morgan. Really enjoy your creative ideas.