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Author: Mike Scantlebury

Internet Authors are farmers, really

Internet Authors are like farmers, in that they plough their own furrow. They work alone, often separated from friends and family, wondering - like all writers - if the stories they are producing work will ever see the light of day. Still, they are driven on by a conviction that what they have to say is worth reading and a belief, grounded in reality, that they will be able, eventually, to communicate their writing to the wider world, through the medium of the internet. In that, they are one step up on their fellow writers who choose to remain reliant on the world of Traditional Publishing, in that Internet Authors can be assured that the books they write will be uploaded, printed and seen, and will not moulder on the desks of publishing assistants and unhelpful Editors.

Of course, farmers in Britain are having a tough time of it recently. They find themselves in thrall to the giant supermarkets and find that the size, weight and price of their products are usually dictated to them by the retail buyers. In that respect, they are no better off than the traditional authors mentioned above, who are slaves to Traditional Publishers who aren't willing to move with the times, and assume that what was good enough for creative writers in the 1930s is still good today. Internet Authors have moved on. Similarly, progressively minded farmers have realised the trap they are being put in and have looked for other outlets for their products. In their case, it's local shops or Farmers' Markets. The advantage of both venues is that the farmers have a much more direct relationship with their customers. They are closer to them, and can hear from the people across the counter exactly what they are looking for. That's the case for Internet Authors too, who use modern tools like Blogs and Forums to communicate with their customers, the readers. They get feedback and comments almost immediately, and that modifies their plans and proposals in the future. Rather than rely on a whole range of middle-men, like Literary Agents, Editors, Publishers, Promotional Assistants and Illustrators, they can devote their energies to doing what they do best, creating stories and changing the map of the world that we all carry in our heads.

Farmers who feel their way of life is being threatened have another source of support, however: the government. In Europe, and increasingly in America, the authorities step in when they see that people who till the land are not making a living. This doesn't apply to authors, (although the Arts Council in England is being called upon to provide financial backing for literary artists as well as graphic artists these days). This kind of statutory help is rarely seen in the career of writers. Historically, respected writers have been supported by aristocratic figures, with pensions and handouts, but those working towards publication with Traditional Publishers have to make their own way and fund their own efforts. The alternative, up to now, has been the risky - and expensive - route of Self Publishing. In a way, the internet has taken that model and given it a good shake-out. Internet Authors are people who upload their books to print-on-demand publishers on-line, and then wait for surfers and web visitors to buy the book. Amazingly, the process costs nothing, which makes it clearly accessible to the majority. In that, Internet Authors are one step up on farmers. They don't need subsidies. They are free from the threat of financial ruin. They can focus on what they do best, writing, then see their books made available at no cost to themselves. It's a win-win situation, and a world away from the 'majority loses' vision of Traditional Publishing.

Every day, authors sits down at their desks and try to create new work, but only the Internet Author is in a position to know that the green shoots they are nurturing, watering and hoeing will eventually grow to maturity and bear fruit. For the traditional writer, in hock to the Traditional Publisher, life is still a gamble and their submissions are still a Lottery. Only the Internet Author can bring in the harvest, as farmers have been doing for themselves since the end of the last Ice Age. Finally, the Ice Age of Traditional Publishing has come to a whimpering and undignified end too.

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