On behalf of all the Smart Girls Read Romance contributors, thank you to all those who are serving or who have served in the armed forces!
But what's this got to do with the
Freedom to read?
So you frown and say, "Of course I can read what I want. I've always read what I wanted to."
Well, you can. Now.
Up until a few years ago, a hundred or so people decided what everyone in North America would read. If your tastes ran more to the eclectic, such as genre blends and the like (you like mystery mixed with ghosts, romance, and humor? Ann Charles says yes!), then you'd have been out of luck. Not so today.
What if you prefer a genre that isn't popular? Three years ago you'd have been hard pressed to find many Westerns or Western Historical Romance because the large publishers weren't buying them. Not only that, they dumped the authors who were already writing for them. Now, there are enough releases in these two genres to keep even the most voracious reader satisfied. And guess what? Readers want them!
Just yesterday, Caroline Clemmon's The Most Unsuitable Wife was #10 in all of Amazon, and #1 in the Western and Western Historical Romance genres. Hmmm, it sounds to me like people are reading that genre! (Congratulations, Caroline!)
Go to any online store, whether Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, or many others, and you'll find a variety of books and authors that you've never had access to before, and at a lower price, too. What's not to like? There's never been a better time to be a reader.
Like free books? Join a Facebook author event--they're held all the time--and you're likely to win a book. Commenting on blogs will get you more free books. And besides, you'll find loads of bargain books, too.
Lots of authors offer the first book in a series for the low, low price of 99¢. I do. My Hearts of Owyhee series is set in a location that most people have never heard of--Owyhee County, Idaho. Currently, four books are available and I'm writing the fifth one now. But you can buy the first one, Much Ado About Marshals, for only 99¢. Yes, it took me a year to write. Yes, the cover and editing cost money. But I think it's a good low-risk opportunity to see if readers enjoy my kind of stories, the way I tell them.
Five years ago, a 99¢ book was unheard of--or if you did come across one, you'd assume it was low quality. Not so in 2014. The rest of my books are $2.99, which is also less expensive than most books five years ago.
That means not only do we have the choice of what to read, we can read more! Sounds like heaven to me. Might even have time to get a manicure.
Yes, it took me a while to figure out how to work in the picture of those terrific nails, but I just had to do it. :grin:
Have a happy and safe holiday!
♥ Hearts of Owyhee ♥
Nice post, Trail Boss! Aren't you glad the digital evolution has proved westerns and western romance DO sell? (BTW: I'm glad you bit the bullet and published the Hearts of Owyhee series yourself. Love that series. It would have been a shame for the reading public to have missed it.)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Caroline on THE MOST UNSUITABLE BRIDE's performance! That's another series I enjoy by another writer who's on my auto-buy list.
Keep writing, ladies! :-)
Actually, Tex, the Hearts of Owyhee series is published by Melange Publishing. The cool thing about today's publishing landscape is that small publishers like Melange and Prairie Rose Publications now have the opportunity to help so many readers find just the write story for them. I have self-published a few, though, including Sleight of Heart and some short stories and novellas.
DeleteEnjoyed your post, Jacquie! BTW - loved the nails! Am reading your series now and am thoroughly enjoying your writing! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI knew those nails had to be worked in there somehow. LOL. Thanks for the kind words! ♥
DeleteCongratulations to Caroline and Jacquie LOVE both of your writing. Just got the Most Unsuitable Wife and I have read all the Hearts of Owyhee (Kind of partial to those for some reason) and you ladies deserve a big hand. Boy those nails must have taken a bit to gt done, but they are Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLynda, thanks for getting THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE and for saying you love my books! I love readers like you.
DeleteHi Lynda! Glad you dropped by. :) Yes, I've been Caroline's fangirl since she first published with Kensington. The first time she emailed me, I was blown out of the water! I mean, she actually emailed me! Was a memorable moment.
DeleteJacquie, great post and thanks for mentioning me. Publishing has changed--and is changing--rapidly. We live in an exciting time. Hope you had time for your manicure and that you have a happy 4th.
ReplyDeleteI had to settle for the cyber-manicure and instead, we took the kids for a freeze-fest called fireworks. I wussed out and begged Mr R to take me home, which he did. But the kids stayed and they all had a great time.
DeleteWe're in the Wild, Wild West of publishing. I used that term years ago on a website Ann Charles and I ran called 1st Turning Point. People sorta discounted us. Now they're going around saying the same thing. Nothing like being ahead of the curve. :)