OK I got this from my mom
She is a member of GUPYS
I was at a recent marketing lecture at the library, aimed at ebook authors and bloggers, and heard some stats that surprised me. (The speaker credited Dan Poynter's website as the source of the stats.)
81% of adults believe they could write a book
80% of US families did not read a book last year
Almost 60% of high school graduates never read another book after they graduate
More than 50% of new books purchased are never read through to the end
Women buy nearly 70% of all books purchased and make many of their purchases in grocery stores, discount drug stores and big box discount stores
The speaker said whenever people tell him that they want to write a book he asks what the last book they read was. He claimed that about 90% of the time the person can't tell him when they last read a book. He said his favorite response came from a guy who said, "I want to write books. Not read them."
One of his main points was that writers--no matter what genre or age group they write for--need to get involved in literacy efforts. He called it "recruiting future readers." His suggestions included giving more books as gifts for birthdays etc, volunteering to read at libraries and schools, aiming giveaways at book groups and book clubs, aiming giveaways at teens through sites like MySpace, offering what he called "e-serials"--serialized ebooks and collections of short stories--via free email subscription or blogs, and sponsoring writing contests for kids or teens. He thought writers banding together to do giveaways and newsletters was more productive than working alone. He mentioned the ITW newsletter and Access Romance as two good examples.
I'm still digesting it all but I am thinking about his suggestion to do a signing somewhere other than a bookstore. Since I write YA would you believe he suggested I do a signing at the mall food court?
Do I think I could write a book? Well no. Honislty I don't hav ethe focus to write a book. I write any number of short stroies, but honislty when I know the end of the bigger story, I'm not interested in writing it down any more. For me writting is a selfish act. I do it to please my self. I'm not saying that I don't liek people to coment on my stuff (I love it) or that I don't want to get better (I do) but honislty I don't write with the goal of publishing in mind - I do it cause I like to - or sometimes I just need to.
OK so the last book I read was Bride of the Rat God by B. Hambley. Befor that an R.L Stine book, a Terry Prattchet book and a book by Neil Gaimin, before that Jonatin Strange and Mr Norell and before that The Blue Girl by Charles deLint (this book has a chiericter named Jared who is tall and thin and both dorky and cool and has the same speach pattern as Jared - and still it took me half the book to go 'huh?')
So what/ why do you write (or create)?
And what did you read last (or if you are a visual artest who did you look at last - or heck - both)
I was at a recent marketing lecture at the library, aimed at ebook authors and bloggers, and heard some stats that surprised me. (The speaker credited Dan Poynter's website as the source of the stats.)
81% of adults believe they could write a book
80% of US families did not read a book last year
Almost 60% of high school graduates never read another book after they graduate
More than 50% of new books purchased are never read through to the end
Women buy nearly 70% of all books purchased and make many of their purchases in grocery stores, discount drug stores and big box discount stores
The speaker said whenever people tell him that they want to write a book he asks what the last book they read was. He claimed that about 90% of the time the person can't tell him when they last read a book. He said his favorite response came from a guy who said, "I want to write books. Not read them."
One of his main points was that writers--no matter what genre or age group they write for--need to get involved in literacy efforts. He called it "recruiting future readers." His suggestions included giving more books as gifts for birthdays etc, volunteering to read at libraries and schools, aiming giveaways at book groups and book clubs, aiming giveaways at teens through sites like MySpace, offering what he called "e-serials"--serialized ebooks and collections of short stories--via free email subscription or blogs, and sponsoring writing contests for kids or teens. He thought writers banding together to do giveaways and newsletters was more productive than working alone. He mentioned the ITW newsletter and Access Romance as two good examples.
I'm still digesting it all but I am thinking about his suggestion to do a signing somewhere other than a bookstore. Since I write YA would you believe he suggested I do a signing at the mall food court?
Do I think I could write a book? Well no. Honislty I don't hav ethe focus to write a book. I write any number of short stroies, but honislty when I know the end of the bigger story, I'm not interested in writing it down any more. For me writting is a selfish act. I do it to please my self. I'm not saying that I don't liek people to coment on my stuff (I love it) or that I don't want to get better (I do) but honislty I don't write with the goal of publishing in mind - I do it cause I like to - or sometimes I just need to.
OK so the last book I read was Bride of the Rat God by B. Hambley. Befor that an R.L Stine book, a Terry Prattchet book and a book by Neil Gaimin, before that Jonatin Strange and Mr Norell and before that The Blue Girl by Charles deLint (this book has a chiericter named Jared who is tall and thin and both dorky and cool and has the same speach pattern as Jared - and still it took me half the book to go 'huh?')
So what/ why do you write (or create)?
And what did you read last (or if you are a visual artest who did you look at last - or heck - both)