Protect yourself against floods


Internet Authors don't need fame

It must be awful being a publisher.famous people to do is divert us, take
Working in a Traditional Publishing firmus away from the mundanity we already
must be like working in the industry ofknow and let us dip our toes into the
flood prevention in Holland. In thatpond that is celebrity. It doesn't have
country, nearly seventy per cent of theto well written, it just needs to have
land is lower than the sea level, soenough gossip to titillate and amuse. If
it's a constant battle to make sure thatthere's references to other famous
the barriers and dykes are well servicedpeople, so much the better - it'll save
and watertight, otherwise water willhaving to read their life story. One
flood in and houses and people will bebook could cover several. Even better if
overwhelmed. Publishers say they knowit's a husband and wife team. If famous
that feeling. In their case it's notpeople marry each other, our curiosity
water, though, it's brown envelopes.is tickled even more. So much to learn!
Every day the postman staggers in toSo little time.
their office with a heavy sack on theirInternet Authors don't need to worry
shoulder - like Santa at Christmas Eve -about such matters. There's no hurdle
and unloads a stack of submissions ontofor them that says, 'If you're not
any spare surface available - desk,famous, you're not getting in'. They can
shelf or floor. Then minions have togo to an on-line publishing firm like
turn the envelopes over and try andLulu and upload their book, then they
identify who they're from and whethercan print off as many copies as they
they're worth reading. Anything with aneed, passing them round to friends and
famous name will get looked at. Mostrelatives, and placing a few in local
other stuff hangs about for a bit, andbookstores. They can even pay a small
then gets returned. If you're notamount for a listing in on-line
famous, you're ignored. Tough but true.bookshops like Amazon, so that people
Meanwhile the publishing staff, despitecan order their own copies, either soon
leaving the majority of submissionsor in the future. Meanwhile they're in
alone, still feel like they're drowningthe market, and there's still that dream
under the flood of paper. They takeof 'being noticed', of being spotted and
manuscripts home at night. They readtaken up by a national publisher, or one
them on the bus or train coming in toof the Traditional names. If so, maybe a
work in the morning. There's a sea ofcareer beckons, the life of 'author' and
chapters around them, all the timethe small amount of celebrity that will
threatening to cover them completely. Noentail. If not, they've still found a
wonder they feel under pressure.home for their creation and still seen
Luckily, there's some joy in the job,the work in print.
and that's when a piece turns up that'sThe alternative? Your work, so lovingly
a joy to read. Suddenly the weight liftscrafted, polished and presented, may be
from their shoulders. The plot dragsscuffed around the floor of an already
them in, the characters stir them, theovercrowded office, not being noticed
dialogue sparkles. The words leap offbecause no one knows your name. You
the page and everyone is hooked. Markhaven't got the fame - yet - and so you
that one up for publication, they cry!can't get the attention. It's a vicious
Then there's the actual stuff theycircle and few writers will ever break
publish. Check any Bestseller List andin and join the enchanted few. Most will
you'll see that it isn't the above, thelanguish, their books still in the brown
genuine work of literature, the 'joy toenvelopes, right up to the time they are
read' that we've just discussed. At thetaken out, given a Rejection Slip, and
moment the fastest selling books asput back into the Stamped Addressed
listed in the daily newspaper are all byEnvelope and returned. Undaunted, the
people you already know - singers,ambitious author and would-be writer
comedians, musicians, actors, TV starswill try again, and again, doing nothing
and sports people. Do their words grabexcept contribute small waves to the
you? No, but people want to read thisflood that may, one day, overwhelm the
stuff. Do they shock, enlighten, educateinsecure offices of each of those
and entertain? Not at all, but then,Traditional Publishers.
that's not what we want. What we ask



1 A B C D 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116