There seems to be a new trend of self published books turning into huge best sellers. Take the new Scott Free (Ridley Scott/Gladiator/Prometheus) purchased rights/option of the run away hit "Wool" by Hugh Howley. Amazon has opened the door to a great deal of hidden talents and er.. a few that should have stayed under the rug. I'll give most books a try (Wool one of the few on my list), but Fifty Shades of Grey has to be one of the few that I bluntly refuse to waste my precious life on. After reading the first excerpt from a magazine, a slow blanket of depression enveloped me... because this piece of tripe has slithered its way into millions of ebook readers and nightstands.
Many people have touted Amazon as the new haven for novice writers to become noticed, but lately I've become an advocate for elitism. As a mediocre, subpar writer, I blog for free, without ads, without anything but nerdy-love of great culture and stupid silly shit. But like any person, when I fork out a twenty bucks, I want a well-edited, piece of literature with a nice fancy cover on top. My paid daily job took me fifteen years of intensive training to accomplish, so dammit, I want a writer who has been painstakingly working on their craft for a decade. Whether it's an epic work of fiction, graphic novel, or textbook, we all deserve a bit of effort, not to mention a great editor.
Good reads:
Stephen King: On Writing
