An author’s view of electronic publishing
By Paul Biba
From the ever excellent Eoin Purcell’s blog we note a guest post by Peadar Ó Guilín whose picture appears below.
Instead of agents and publishers, we authors might end up submitting our work directly to the famous taste-makers of the day. Indeed, many of our current industry professionals, in particular, editors, might well find that their opinions are still be in high demand.
But what I can’t yet see, is where the money is to come from in this scenario. And I do believe, that the very best fiction, like great journalism, needs to be funded. Professional writers have more time to dedicate to their art; editors add enormous value by taming a manuscript and so on. Yet, in the end, none of us will keep our jobs unless we can find a way to succeed where the newspapers have failed: we must convince the public that our services are worth paying for.
Note: From his site – In September 2007, Peadar Ó Guilín published his first novel, The Inferior, which the Times Educational Supplement called “a stark, dark tale, written with great energy and confidence and some arresting reflections on human nature.” Foreign editors liked it too, and over the coming year it is to be translated into eight languages, including Japanese and Korea
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
As I read this, a vision of the future occurred to me that filled me with dread and a sense of impending apocolypse: “The H***iet K***ner Book Screener Service”. Authors, submit your creations to the least discriminating taste-maker first!
Horrified,
Jack Tingle