Sent to people who signed up for emails from Simon & Schuster.
Simon & Schuster has teamed up with Author Solutions, the world's most leading provider of self-publishing services, to create Archway Publishing, an author services provider that bundles all the services you would need to get your book on the market.
Author Solutions is the biggest vanity press scam artist. S&S reached a new low.
It may be that their dead-tree book market has dwindled to Walmart shelves and airline terminal book racks. Desperation knows no lows.
You're probably very close to reality there. Which is a sad statement. I still enjoy the feel, smell, and sight of a good dead tree book. My children, and in two cases, grandchildren, look at me like I'm deranged when I tell them that.
The number of dead-tree books stocked by my library has dwindled dramatically in the past few years. The library authorities blame it on cost-cutting, but they always seem to have plenty of money to throw at trendy initiatives.
No doubt the virus will give them a reason to prune their stock even more.
Post-apocalyptic stories where survivors raid libraries to stock up on 'how to' books may soon be obsolete :-(
AJ
Post-apocalyptic stories where survivors raid libraries to stock up on 'how to' books may soon be obsolete :-(
They'll have that all downloaded to their phones, until the phones run out of power.
An expansion of your post.
Downloaded to their phones and then stored on the Cloud. Accessible until their phones run out of power or the Cloud's servers go down. :)
A couple of points come to mind, as you've jogged my memory bone, Ernest:
1st: digital media storage is about as permanent as newsprint in the bright sun.
2nd: storage formats are about as stable as the latest social fad.
3rd: the 'cloud' is about as reliable as its economic underpinnings. Here today; gone tomorrow, like real clouds.
The one bright spot is the more-or-less universal format, epub. If one can keep a library of epub editions backed up and preserved, there's a good chance there'll be a computer somewhere that can open and read them. Like plain ascii text, it's ubiquitous to the point of being universal.
Unless Amazon has its way of course, and DRM has them all locked out when they're salvaged and transferred to new media.
Anybody ever see a print book with a padlock on the cover, and only the original buyer is issued a key? That's the absurdity of DRM, yet Amazon Kindle persists.
3rd: the 'cloud' is about as reliable as its economic underpinnings. Here today; gone tomorrow, like real clouds.
More like Here this morning, gone by the afternoon.
Anybody ever see a print book with a padlock on the cover, and only the original buyer is issued a key? That's the absurdity of DRM, yet Amazon Kindle persists.
Just like music, they want to charge you everytime you read it, and twice if you use both eyes.
The one bright spot is the more-or-less universal format, epub. If one can keep a library of epub editions backed up and preserved, there's a good chance there'll be a computer somewhere that can open and read them. Like plain ascii text, it's ubiquitous to the point of being universal.
That's because they're based on html, meaning that any browser can display them, while most ebook formats need specialized readers, which are rarely supported for long. Even Amazon largely abandoned its once popular .mobi format.
In fact, the vast majority of ePub readers rely on your computer's local browser to render the text for them.
ever see a print book with a padlock on the cover
At one time there was a book out called "Visual Guide to Lock Picking" sure it was a see threw plastic lock but it was attached to the cover. Then there are all those juicy diaries out there as well ;)
ever see a print book with a padlock on the cover
Aren't magazines like Hustler (if it still exists) encased in cellophane?
3rd: the 'cloud' is about as reliable as its economic underpinnings. Here today; gone tomorrow, like real clouds.
I could never understand why someone would put their most important info someone has no control over.
There's a place for cloud servers. I've found that Dropbox is handy, and it does provide backup storage as long as you have the account login and a computer handy to retrieve your stuff in case the orginal 'puter is lost/died. Same is true for the Canadian app, "Sync".
BUT, that said: Dropbox disqualified my older gear and OS (Mac) so that killed my access & backup. That's the "other" danger of digital works: obsolescence. And the Cloud is guilty at both ends. They go away, or they turn you away. So... good only in very temporary circumstances.
And for all those folk who make archive copies of important works on CD's and DVD discs? Sorry, Charley!
Better luck next time. How long does thumb drive data last? Let's see: we went through tape drives, three sizes of floppies, low- and high-capacity CD's, single & two-sided CD's, single & two-sided DVD's, and... they're all obsolete and gone. I got a basket full of SD cards and thumb drives. So, now we archive our stories and writings to... What?
So, now we archive our stories and writings to... What?
Clay tablets, which can then be fired and preserved for a few thousand years. Available with optional wedge-shaped stylus!
Clay tablets, which can then be fired and preserved for a few thousand years. Available with optional wedge-shaped stylus!
Stone would last even longer.
Stone
The Ten Commandments were on stone, but I believe I heard there originally were Fifteen, but Moses dropped one of the three tablets.
but I believe I heard there originally were Fifteen, but Moses dropped one of the three tablets
Do you imagine that clay tablets would survive similar treatment?
Haven't seen that movie in a long time. I'd be interested in seeing how it faired in the cancel culture.
They'll have that all downloaded to their phones, until the phones run out of power.
Yeah, that was a major focal point of my own PA series, The Great Death. But few PA books ever stop to even consider the issue.
Post-apocalyptic stories where survivors raid libraries to stock up on 'how to' books may soon be obsolete :-(
At which time it sucks to be Burgess Merideth.
The number of dead-tree books stocked by my library has dwindled dramatically in the past few years.
I've noticed that too. Books that might actually be useful are mostly many years out of date (e.g. Windows 3.1 Handbook), and there are very few. While romance paperbacks fill the shelves. I suspect the library gets the paperbacks free, when they don't sell as well as expected. Or maybe these are the "self-published" leftovers.
I suspect the library gets the paperbacks free, when they don't sell as well as expected. Or maybe these are the "self-published" leftovers.
Most public libraries take donations of used books.
I suspect the library gets the paperbacks free, when they don't sell as well as expected. Or maybe these are the "self-published" leftovers.
Actually, other than relying on 'Library networks', few libraries will even stock books by self-published local authors who provide their books for free for unlimited distribution (been there done that, never saw a single book in a single library).
Basically, if your self-published book somehow sells 100,000 copies in a few months, then they'll consider it, otherwise, they won't touch it with a 10' pole. :(
There is nothing like the feel of a paperback book. I say that as someone who hasn't really read a paperback book in quite awhile. It's just so convenient to have the book in the kindle app on my phone and read when I want to instead of carrying around the book or waiting until I get home.
That being said I really do wish we used physical copies of books more. One of the best smells in the world is going into a used book store in some small town and soaking up all the history those books can offer.
That being said I really do wish we used physical copies of books more. One of the best smells in the world is going into a used book store in some small town and soaking up all the history those books can offer.
As I've noted multiple times, everyone claims to prefer paper (typically mass-market or trade paperbacks), but virtually no one will actually pay the additional cost to produce them.
The ONLY paperbacks most readers will even consider are the most recommended best sellers, which artificially inflate the price of their ebooks. (the majority of bookstore purchases are by teens, who's parents foot the bill to encourage them to read more).
In my experience, a difference as little as $1 will cause readers to flock to the cheaper ebooks, which makes paper impractical, as they often cost $7 to $11 simply to produce.
I continue producing paperbacks for ALL of my books, but I mostly use them as either gifts or giveaways (say for online book promotions).
Coincidence? Today my brother send me an epub published by Simon & Schuster: Mary L. Trump, "TOO MUCH and NEVER ENOUGH - How my family created the world's most dangerous man". Although I only skipped through parts of it's an interesting read to say the least.
I think she messed up. That title should have been: "TOO MUCH and NEVER ENOUGH - How my family created the world's most flatulent man."
Okay, okay... I'm leaving.