Watched Margaret Atwood on Charlie Rose last night before I fell asleep. Just what I need. The U2 of the publishing world who still can laugh from the mountain top. For her the old world of publishing still works very well. For the rest of the world it is over. The old modality of selling books has changed and is changing at such rapid speed that week to week makes a difference. The world of book giveaways and social media dunning is here to stay.
The New York Times had a piece asking the question if social media was here to stay for business. Yes is the answer. We have all become Internet slaves now. Everyone except the Margaret Atwoods of the world who are in fact from a world gone by. She even looks rarefied. And Charlie guffawing over the grande dam author makes you wonder how this world ever worked anyway. It worked for the few not the many.
The Democratization of selling books has allowed other authors to have some pie too. You can actually think about making a little for yourself by selling ebooks. Before only the Atwoods got shelf space and mid list authors were shoved into the corers if they ever made it into the store all. So I went to bed with Margaret staring at Charlie like the sycophant he was and preening as any queen should.
But she probably will be the last.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
The Pitcher
The New York Times had a piece asking the question if social media was here to stay for business. Yes is the answer. We have all become Internet slaves now. Everyone except the Margaret Atwoods of the world who are in fact from a world gone by. She even looks rarefied. And Charlie guffawing over the grande dam author makes you wonder how this world ever worked anyway. It worked for the few not the many.
The Democratization of selling books has allowed other authors to have some pie too. You can actually think about making a little for yourself by selling ebooks. Before only the Atwoods got shelf space and mid list authors were shoved into the corers if they ever made it into the store all. So I went to bed with Margaret staring at Charlie like the sycophant he was and preening as any queen should.
But she probably will be the last.
www.williamhazelgrove.com
The Pitcher
