Recently in conversation with friends we discussed films, what is current and what the reviewers had said about the new Woody Allen film. A pleasant amiable conversation amongst friends with mutual interests; nothing odd in that, but later I wondered when I last had a conversation like this about books. When fellow writers get together we discuss what we have read recently and, more often, what we are writing. Certainly book groups do a marvellous job in spreading the word, but generally speaking, publicly discussing and recommending books face to face seldom happens these days and I think that this is an alteration in our behaviour. My parents belonged to a book club, the Readers Union, and each month a book arrived and was read and discussed as to its merits or otherwise. With the advent of the e-reader, one can no longer check out the name on the dust jacket of the reader opposite one on the bus or tube; what you are reading is now clandestine. I asked my son, who reads widely, whether he and his friends discussed what they were currently reading, he reports that they don’t, they do discuss films, music, television and sport, but what they are reading appears to be a private matter.
So how did that happen? Perhaps it is an unintended consequence of the book group is that discussing what you are currently reading is now corralled into its own special space, rarely leaking out into general conversations. Possibly, the online review, twitter and blogs have superseded having a chat. I write online reviews for books I buy and I read reviews posted on the Internet, which feels like engaging with other avid readers, albeit in cyberspace. As an author I think this trend, if it exists (this is hardly a scientific study) is problematic. If you are an emerging writer you need active discussion of your work and you need your readers to not only pen and online review, hopefully positive, but also to recommend that their friends buy it and read it. And yes, buy it is emphasised, whether you download to an e-reader or purchase a legacy copy, buying the book matters. Competitions bring new authors to public attention, they are an excellent vehicle for this, but small publishers desperately need reader support. Readers matter a lot. Readers who talk about the book can make a tremendous difference to sales and bring new writers to a wider audience. So I have decided to talk more about the books I am reading to my friends, to spread the word, because word of mouth really is the best possible tool for promoting books and writers, independent publishers and reading in general; let’s revive discussing books as an everyday face to face event, just as we do films and television.
Words and Women One can be purchased in The Book Hive, Waterstones and Jarrolds in Norwich, or direct from the publishers Unthank Books www.unthankbooks.com (the preferred route for the publishers and Words and Women team as they actually receive some of the purchase price.) Also Amazon, Kindle and other e-reader formats. If you have read Gene Genie or Words and Women One I would be really grateful if you would post a review on Amazon.
So how did that happen? Perhaps it is an unintended consequence of the book group is that discussing what you are currently reading is now corralled into its own special space, rarely leaking out into general conversations. Possibly, the online review, twitter and blogs have superseded having a chat. I write online reviews for books I buy and I read reviews posted on the Internet, which feels like engaging with other avid readers, albeit in cyberspace. As an author I think this trend, if it exists (this is hardly a scientific study) is problematic. If you are an emerging writer you need active discussion of your work and you need your readers to not only pen and online review, hopefully positive, but also to recommend that their friends buy it and read it. And yes, buy it is emphasised, whether you download to an e-reader or purchase a legacy copy, buying the book matters. Competitions bring new authors to public attention, they are an excellent vehicle for this, but small publishers desperately need reader support. Readers matter a lot. Readers who talk about the book can make a tremendous difference to sales and bring new writers to a wider audience. So I have decided to talk more about the books I am reading to my friends, to spread the word, because word of mouth really is the best possible tool for promoting books and writers, independent publishers and reading in general; let’s revive discussing books as an everyday face to face event, just as we do films and television.
Words and Women One can be purchased in The Book Hive, Waterstones and Jarrolds in Norwich, or direct from the publishers Unthank Books www.unthankbooks.com (the preferred route for the publishers and Words and Women team as they actually receive some of the purchase price.) Also Amazon, Kindle and other e-reader formats. If you have read Gene Genie or Words and Women One I would be really grateful if you would post a review on Amazon.