In this issue: war and paperbacks, the end of pocket books, early reviews, and a video.
War and paperbacks
OK, first up, some grousing.
It is the last thing one would think of during disruptions in global markets, crises in oil production, and the bombing of civilians. But perhaps it reflects larger issues when a small thing, like a paperback not being released, is a victim of war.
Murder at the Gasworks as an e-book was released on time March 6, everywhere. The paperback was not.
I publish paperbacks in two places: IngramSpark (higher quality, distribution to bookshops) and Amazon (faster, popular). Ingram was affected by the weather and its own non-caring monopoly status, so I expected those to be late. Amazon, however, had its AWS installation in the Middle East bombed.
Amazon Web Systems is not just books, and not just Amazon. AWS is the biggest “cloud” operation on the planet, and is used by governments and militaries as well as retail. What was my book doing on a Middle Eastern AWS server? I don’t know, but it gives an idea of how widespread multi-national corporate operations are.
Support says they are working on it, but has no timeline for a fix and no intentions to notify authors. Instead they are telling us to use a new ISBN number and do the whole complex publishing process over again. Now, ISBN numbers refer to a particular format of a book, in this case a paperback. I purchase my own so I can also publish on Ingram with the same number, which follows the rules. I’d have to do the whole process at Ingram again, too, and lose the ISBN number I paid for.
So I have no paperback copies of Gasworks to sell or gift, and neither has anyone else, and there is no revised publication date in sight. An inconvenience and a bother only, to be sure, compared to the more heinous effects of war. But when we consider what things are “secure” on other people’s systems, it’s worth a thought.
The end of the mass reading audience
Ever think about the size of paperback books? I do, because I like to carry them in my purse. My collection of mass-market paperbacks is well-used. They’re about 4″ x 7″, or smaller.
In recent months, publishers have decided those days are over. ReaderLink, the big gorilla of paperback publishing, has discontinued printing them.
For decades I have been mystified by the popularity of “trade” paperbacks, the ones the same size as hardcover books. Wasn’t easy portability the whole point of a paperback?
And there is another point: affordability. From the 1940s onward, mass-market paperbacks were comparatively cheap. They made it possible for people who couldn’t afford books to own them, carry them around, spill coffee on them without crying about it. They also made it possible for authors like Stephen King and Ray Bradbury to reach a mass audience.
The end of mass-market means the end of a mass audience. We all know fewer people buy books, but now it’s clear that, with the exception of the second-hand book shoppers (raise your hand!), only people who can afford to buy expensive books are buying them.
Small presses still can publish in whatever size they want, you say. It’s true. My own paperbacks, when they aren’t being bombed out of existence, are smaller than trade size. But eventually, the huge section of mass-market cozy mysteries at my local Barnes and Noble will disappear. It’s inevitable.
Reviews are in!
No grousing here as reviews of Murder at the Gasworks start to come in, even without a paperback available. Some samples:
“An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and interesting characters.”
-Vesper1931, LibraryThing
“This is one of those rare pleasures where the author’s description doesn’t just sell the story—it is the story, precisely and honestly.”
-Irvin Rodhe, GoodReads
“Every character came alive on the page. All of them were very well fleshed out. And the scenery was so descriptive that I could lose myself and feel like I was actually there witnessing each scene and each place.”
-Ruth McDaniel, GoodReads
“A delightful escape to historic London with a lovable cast of characters who have a murder to solve. Immersive and well-researched.”
– Tanya E. Williams, author of the Hotel Hamilton cozy mysteries
I’m very pleased!
And, I’m in a video
I was interviewed by this same Tanya E. Williams for her “Behind the Book” feature. Take a look (or you can click here).
Till next time, keep grousing!
