My Guest Today on the Mystery We WriteTour
My name is Susan Claridge and I write under the name, S.R.Claridge. I’m a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, an in-law and friend; but no matter what hat I wear, I’m always the same simply, complicated woman beneath. I love autumn, moonlight and Grey Goose Vodka martinis with bleu cheese olives. I believe
Friday nights were made for Mexican food and margaritas and Sunday mornings warrant an extra-spicy Bloody Mary. I love Jesus and know that any good in me comes from God. I believe in the power of prayer, in the freedom of forgiveness and that people can change. I have a terrible temper and a tender heart, and somehow they balance. At times I may appear teetering on the edge, but I’d rather walk dangerously where there’s a view than let life pass me by. Relationships intrigue me and so does the loyalty of Mafia families, which is why I chose these topics for my novels.
Welcome, Susan. What do you think the publishing industry will be like in five years?
I’m certainly no prophetic wizard, but I’ll take a stab at what the publishing industry will look like five years from now.
I have yet to make the switch from holding a “real” book in my hands to reading ebooks. I think maybe it’s because I spend so much time on the computer writing that when I want to relax and read, I don’t want it to be on a screen. As much as I love holding a book, statistically I am becoming the minority. Ereaders are growing at an exponential rate and the younger generations are quite comfortable with downloaded books. Within the next five to ten years I think the days of printed books will sadly and even-more-steeply decline.
The upside of the Ebook phenomenon is that it’s fast, it’s easy, and it brings instant gratification. It’s the McDonalds equivalent. But, what happens when you want a nice steak?
Amazon, Smashwords and various other sites have taken the Ebook phenomenon to a new level, allowing anyone to self-publish their work. This isn’t necessarily a “good” thing. It means that publishing industry standards are being ignored. Editors and Literary Agents are becoming obsolete. The Big Six are being belittled as un-necessary. I think this is a tragic downfall. Industry standards are there because of the quality those big houses, and even some smaller, independent houses demand of their authors. If they become obsolete, what happens to the quality of the writing that is put into circulation? Without those standards, more and more books of lower quality will continue to flood the market. It will be like having all McDonalds and no filet mignon.
It behooves all authors to protect and hold high the standards of the publishing houses, whether they are big or small. I believe we all need to be held to a higher standard in our work, regardless of whether that work is in the literary field, education or the medical field. Just because I can make an incision doesn’t mean I am suddenly qualified to be a doctor. Likewise, just because someone can write a sentence doesn’t mean they are an author.
I’d like to encourage readers to enter my giveaway contest. I will be giving away an ebook copy of TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH, book one in the Just Call Me Angel series; or if you’ve already read TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH, you may select another novel of your choice and receive that e-copy instead. Leave a comment below and you’re automatically entered. Include your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with
you should your name be selected at random. The winner will be announced on my blog (http://www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com ) on December 12, 2012. Good luck!
No Easy Way (debut novel; nominated for The Molly Award from the HODRW 2010)
Tetterbaum’s Truth (book 1 in the Just Call Me Angel series)
Traitors Among Us (book 2 in the Just Call Me Angel series)
Russian Uprising (book 3 in the Just Call Me Angel series)
Death Trap (book 4 in the Just Call Me Angel series)
Petals of Blood (short story; Pushcart Prize Nomination 2013)
House of Lies (political/cult suspense, to be released October 2012)
Links:
Website: www.AuthorSRClaridge.com
Blog: www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/SRClaridgeWrite
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AuthorSRClaridge
joyce lavene (@AuthorJLavene)
December 9, 2012 at 5:51 am
Thanks for your thoughts on publishing, Susan. Best of luck to you!
Jake
December 9, 2012 at 8:55 am
Publishing looks like a big decision for writers. Appreciate you letting world know you can still support holding a book. Looking forward to reading one of your books.
Kevin Tipple
December 9, 2012 at 9:13 am
Clearly a woman after my own heart as I agree with what she said here about publishing.
Marilyn Meredtih
December 9, 2012 at 9:44 am
I have some of the same feelings–I am quite happy with my small publishers, though I have been published by a biggie once–and I’ve self published one title on Kindle.
Jean Henry Mead
December 9, 2012 at 11:35 am
Sad but true. The market is already flooded with amateurish books and it will only get worse in the years to come. Even the bestselling authors I’ve interviewed are worried.
mmgornell
December 9, 2012 at 12:14 pm
So agree with you about high standards! Amazingly I’ve seen booboos in some big-house big-name books. Sigh…
Good look into the future.
Madeline
Patricia Gligor
December 9, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Unfortunately, even if your book is The Great American Novel, the whole process of finding a publisher can be difficult and frustrating and it can take a long time. I’m sure there are many wonderful writers out there who chose to self-publish because of that. Does that mean their books are garbage? Of course not. By the same token, it is so easy to self-publish that anyone can do it and, often, their books aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. All very confusing!
Susan Claridge
December 9, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Thanks for having me on your blog today, Earl. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and all of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour authors during this tour. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
W.S. Gager
December 9, 2012 at 6:08 pm
I too like to hold a real book but often find it is too difficult to carry with me so I opt for electronics.
Wendy
W.S. Gager on Writing
jennymilch
December 9, 2012 at 8:52 pm
What a brave and thoughtful post. In workshops I say, “The best thing about indie publishing is that it allows never-before-seen works to reach an audience without necessarily following the dicta of a publishing house’s infrastructure. And the worst thing about indie publishing is that it allows never-before-seen works to reach an audience without necessarily following the dicta…”
My hope is that the best of both paths can be retained, and writers can choose the one that is truly right for them, at a particular time, with a particular book.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here on Earl’s blog.
Collin Kelley
December 9, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Sadly, the “Big 6″ was slow to respond and is now trying to play catch up with ebooks and e-readers and changing demographics and technology.