The difficulties of E-books

I was having a chit chat with BO XIAN via U2U and I thought this may make an interesting thread to get other views and see how other writers handle things. So let us start from the most difficult and go down.

Please note: This is not a thread on any of the merits of peoples sensibilities, just how we as Authors handle them.



One of the problems with E-books is who's sensibilities do you abide by. In the past the publisher could bring out different versions, suited to the country the book would be published in. Now, we write for a world wide group of readers.

Take age of consent laws. The age of consent in Mexico is bloody well 12, same in Vatican City! Then across the world, country by country it goes all the way up to 21. So, who do you write for?

By and large Europe has no problem with skinny dipping while some parts of the US go nuts. Meanwhile in many US cities girls as young as early teens openly prostitute themselves on the streets while the rest of society closes their collective eyes and pretends it doesn't happen. Can you write about it if you were so inclined?

It is difficult. Then you have to avoid a whole raft of words. Is it a footpath or a sidewalk? There are so many of these!

Decide whether to be Politically Correct or go against the grain. Can you call a dark skinned character stupid or will the whole world go up in flames regardless of other dark skinned characters who may be brilliant.

I never consider skin color, never mention it, it is not important to me. Will people assume that all my characters are white and therefore I am racist?

What about my Dragons, they are gold and silver, bronze, brown green and blue. I don't have any black ones. Racist! Rofl.

Just where do you stop considering the sensibilities of others and just get on with the damn story!

Hey, this would make a good thread! I just might do just that and I have.

What do you do?

P

reply to post by pheonix358


THX THX.

I suppose it has a lot to do with

WHAT IS THE GOAL?

i.e. What is the goal of one's writing?

1. To make money? Then, I suppose . . . one needs to appeal to a pretty wide audience. Maybe not the lowest common denominator widest audience . . . but a pretty large audience.

2. To influence politics? I don't know that THAT is possible in this age of the globalist oligarchy.

3. To influence people? What demographic? Then, one would need to tailor the writing to that demographic.

4. To start a movement? Tricky . . . again, with what demographic to what ends?

5. To entertain? Again . . . what demographic? What is entertaining to that demographic?

THEN, imho,

One has to consider . . . HOW BEST to write to those goals?

For example . . . Tolkien and his buddy C.S. Lewis used fantasy adventure to write about VALUES . . . particularly GOOD VS EVIL and particularly Christian, God & His angel army vs evil, satan, demonic forces.

= = = = =

How does one influence one's readers toward whatever direction one wants the influence to go? The direct type of sales job toward influencing tends to play less well in our era than probably ever. So then the writing has to become clever and complex--not just to maintain interest . . . but to effectively influence.

My 2 cents.

reply to post by BO XIAN


I have things to say in my books but I write for the pleasure it brings to me and hopefully to the readers as well. I was recently in thread where I could not see the racism that the thread was alluding to. I think 'I wonder if someone will scream because my book does not mention the black guy.

There are not many E-book authors making $$$$. Most may make some spending money if they are lucky and yet people write.

I just tend to ignore the silly stuff and get on with the story.

If you want to change the world, I do not think an E-book will do that. As I recently said in another post here

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Change takes time. The only affect I look for is to change my little corner of the world where I can. One mind at a time is fine. Actions speak louder than words and yet the pen IS mightier than the sword. Perhaps you need to realize that you never know how many your words reach.

One mind here, another there. Those minds change others, perhaps not yet, perhaps an attitude change in their children that flows through the generations. IMHO it is not necessarily the great orations that change us, it is the resultant change in the individual minds that flows forward on the winds of time. One mind at a time. Keep writing, get it out there.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Well put.

Certainly, one must tell a good story . . . or write something compelling to read . . . to achieve any significant goal through writing.

And, certainly influencing minds . . . is plenty tricky . . . particularly short of the oligarchy's 60+ years of full court press propaganda on all fronts possible.

I think it is wise . . . or best . . . or most productive . . . to have a passion for whatever one is writing about.

reply to post by BO XIAN

I think it is wise . . . or best . . . or most productive . . . to have a passion for whatever one is writing about.

I think that is essential otherwise you just become one of many in a blur. Passion comes through the writing. It can make a reasonable story into a great story.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Yet it can be tricky . . . the passion thing . . .

A shrill TRUE BELIEVER in the Eric Hoffer sense is not usually very attractive except maybe as a cartoon character foil to a hero . . .

Complex characters akin to the complexity of human nature and authentic human hero's seem to be the more attractive sorts.

= = =

It has been my likely flawed assumption that quality passionate narratives would attract eventually a sufficiently large word-of-mouth readership to be worthwhile. Maybe not.

I know there are lots of ways to gently advertise one's writings on the net . . . and some frowned-on heavy handed ways. I'm not good at any of them. Have mixed feelings about that. Don't like being a heavy handed self-advertiser. LOL.

I wonder how much collaborative stuff has been done on the net with the original author incorporating responding readers' comments into the narrative?

reply to post by BO XIAN


It used to be that the Publisher actually did some work. What they wanted in those days was a writer with the gift of story telling. The Publisher would check spelling and edit the work in close collaboration with the author. It was a team event. Then the Publisher would take care of all of the marketing and do a great job.

The Publisher wanted to make a reasonable profit at the end of the day and so did the Author.

Now! The publisher does not like risks. They only want books that are completed, none of this silly editing stuff. They want a best seller that makes millions. They don't accept new work so most Authors are moving to E-books where sadly most are horrific at the advertising and promotion part.

The creative writers often suck at the business end because they always have.

Welcome to the club!


P

reply to post by pheonix358


INDEED.

I've never been very good at self-promotion anyway. LOL.

Have tended to enjoy writing and was honored and blessed when someone would read and comment. LOL.

reply to post by BO XIAN


One thing that a forum has is random people commenting. You give the book to a friend, what? You expect them to tell the truth? Nah. On here, you can get real feedback, something I have enjoyed and look forward to.

I love constructive criticism, well, from someone that knows, always useful.

Being at retirement age, I need a hobby. Writing is one that I enjoy.

P