On Ebook Readers from Hope Clark's Funds for Writers Newsletter

Volume 10, Issue 36
September 5, 2010

WHY E-READERS ARE THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD [for authors]

I've heard it all. E-readers are too expensive...they are just another toy...e-books cost too much...blah, blah, blah.

Hey, people. E-readers and e-books are making people read more. They aren't moving their books from paper to electronic, either. Most of them are reading electronically IN ADDITION TO reading paper.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575448093175758872.html -- The ABCs of E-Reading, New Devices Are Changing Habits. People Are Reading More, Even While in a Kayak By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER And MARIE C. BACA

What does this mean for you?

1. More opportunity to land a contract.
2. More sales. [Yes!!--NS]
3. More chance to make a living as a writer. [Double, triple, quadruple Yes!!--NS]

People with e-readers seek out books. They feel entertained on those high-price electronic toys. They love the experience. Frankly, I'm not concerned with what the logic is. If e-readers
make people read more, I'm all for it! Write the books in crayon or laser beams, for all I care. I cheer for anything that peddles the written word.

11 million Americans are expected to own at least one digital reader by the end of September. U.S. e-book sales grew 183% in the first half of 2010. You can't blow off those numbers.

When I tout e-books, one or two readers fuss at me, accusing me of trying to slay the tradition of paper. I've heard "there's something about holding a book" as many times as I've read "writing is like breathing to me." It's become cliche.

I love this trend! Reading is resurging. And guess what? More men read e-books than women. It's opposite for paper books. Why is this so wonderful? Because little boys will be more inclined to read, if this statistic is solid.

This news excites me. I own a Kindle DX, and I have to admit that it's addictive. I also eye with envy the newest e-reading products. It's like buying a new phone, a new monitor, a new
laptop. You're intoxicated with the feel of that new electronic tool. You run home and open it up, maybe neglecting dinner and skipping a couple of television shows in order to play with it.

Hey, I see little wrong with reading binges. Sure beats the heck out of movie, television, video game and texting habits. It's reading back on track, on a high, and I'm all for it.

Hope Clark

Editor: C. Hope Clark
Mailto: Hope@fundsforwriters.com
Website: http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326

Authors and Writers: Make Us Want to Be You!

Make Us Want to Be You!

By C. Hope Clark

Quote from the FundsforWriters Annual Essay Contest:
"Come up with a promotional plan for your writing. Whether
you are a copywriter or a romance novelist, a poet or a
fantasy author, describe how you would promote your talent
over a one-year period. Maybe you have a book coming out,
or you've decided to grow your copywriting or editing business,
or you manage a newsletter and want to expand your platform.
What is your plan...and why? Remember, amaze us with your
innovation, your drive, your creativity or your ambition.
Make us want to be you!"

I just came back from a conference where most of the people
attending wanted to write but weren't motivated. They wanted
to be a writer. They wanted to write sweet words. They wanted
to be recognized as a wordsmith, an envy to others who struggle
with telling a story.

I could count on one hand the people who were ravenously
hungry to write hard, long and intensely enough to beat the
odds of becoming traditionally published.

"I just write stories about..."

"I'd love to one day write..."

"I've been working on a story, but..."

"No way could I do what he did..."

"I have a family and a job. It's hard for me..."

Most people listened to speakers say how they achieved
success then made excuses why those methods didn't apply
to them.

Or I heard the opposite. Authors self-published a book or
two and felt they'd arrived. There were no more hurdles.
They strutted, at home with their conclusion they were
a published author, and they could rest on their laurels.

The theme of the FundsforWriters annual contest is
"Make us want to be you." I don't want to be either of the
above author-types. I don't want to reach the end of my
journey wondering if I could have published. I don't want
people remembering me as pompous and arrogant.

What I don't see in either writer is a will to touch readers.
Somehow, when you have this fabulous story to be told, the
need to publish is replaced with a need to reach readers.
The genuine author doesn't want to be adored by readers.
He or she wants to touch others with their words - alter
lives - cause laughter - produce tears. The genuine writer
makes a reader want to be the author, possess a part of
the author, understand the author.

When the thought "I want to be published" is replaced with
"I want people to love this story," magic happens. That's
when the shyness or the arrogance of a writer disappears.
That's when the only goal is to write a great story.

This message is short, but I'm hoping it's potent. We can
write for ourselves or we can write for others. Guess
which one an agent wants? Guess which one a publisher
wants? Guess which one sells?

BIO
C. Hope Clark is rewriting her novels now with the readers
in mind. www.fundsforwriters.com