Friday, September 23, 2011

I Told You So


My first book, Sea Of Hope, was published in 2001 by Awe-Struck EBooks. It was originally published only in digital format. However, for those who wanted a physical "book" it could be purchased as a file on a 3 1/2 inch diskette. (Remember those?)

It was very difficult being an e-published author at first. While I believed in the viability of ebooks from the first time I held a Rocket eReader in my hands, most of the world had no idea what I was talking about. Worst of all, many traditionally published authors denigrated those of us who had decided to try our luck with ebooks. That stung a bit, but I knew I was right and that ebooks would catch on.

Nevertheless, I spent several years attempting to educate people on the wonders of ebooks. For the most part, it was a wasted endeavor.

Then came the Kindle. It was the right gadget at the right time with the right price. Suddenly, reading on an electronic device was the height of fashion. Ebooks took off and soon their sales surpassed those of paper books.

Now traditionally published authors, who were unwilling to give any credence to ebooks at first, have mined their backlists and republished their books on their own, making tidy profits in digital sales.

I hold no grudges. I was aware from the first that the traditionally published were fearful of the new media and waiting to see what would happen. In truth, ebooks turned the publishing world upside down. To those traditionally published authors who are now enjoying success in digital publishing, I offer my congratulations. I am glad that ebooks have become accepted as I knew they would.

I am happy writing my stories and being a published author. That's all I wanted in the first place.

3 comments:

MarkD60 said...

I have a Kindle and I'm going to try and find the digital version, now, how are you going to sign my cover?!?

Penelope Marzec said...

Hi Mark,

It is now possible for an author to sign their Kindle books for their fans.

Check out this explanation:

http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/21/do-authors-dream-of-electric-book-signings-kindlegraph-hopes-so/

I haven't tried it yet, but it is a great idea!

Anonymous said...

Hey Pen, your comments are so true! Not only have lots of people been given the chance to publish, readers have been given a chance to be exposed to a bunch of great new writers!

Mountainmama