It’s that time of year again. People are updating their wish lists at the many online bookstores. Since I suspect folk will shop when they see coupons and great prices, may I make an important early suggestion?
This year — give new books as gifts.
CDs and DVDs, too, but especially books, both ebooks and paper books. Why? Because so many ideas and stories we love come from books — and if you don’t keep those writers in business, they, like Barry Hughart (I will miss his Master Li and #10 Ox books Forever) will stop writing — or at least stop publishing — and do something else. So this time, used books don’t count. Sometimes you gotta do used, but if you never do new, you’ve done nothing for that writer’s career.
You’ll see an ad for ROCKET BOY AND THE GEEK GIRLS on Book View Cafe’s site. Our steampunk anthology is coming out in a few weeks. You’ll see a large ebook section from our members. You’ll see mention of paper and hardbacks coming out and just out. You’ll see ads at the bottom of these blog entries for books that have been out (and may I remind folk that the Alfreda short story in WINGS OF MORNING is probably not gonna be combined in a future book. So, you wanna know how Allie learns to hunt ducks? Get the chapbook!)
The paradigm of publishing is on sand, and shifting every which way. Let us know you still want books! Make this the year you give books and book gift certificates. Simple shopping, and so appreciated by both the receivers and those who created what you’ve giving!
That’s it. Next week, I start taking about “converting the back list to ebooks, or OMG, did I write this?” In the meantime — BUY BOOKS!
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Katharine Eliska Kimbriel is currently working on a new Alfreda book, an adult fantasy mystery series, a YA/manga, and a few other things as well. You can find her latest work, a chapbook including an Alfreda short story, at Yard Dog Press. Her bookshelf is here – and with luck will contain several novels before the end of the year. She plans to blog at BVC Fridays until she runs out of topics.
Her personal blog is here, and her web site over here.
