[Studio717]

I'm not sure how things will shake out, of course, but I see a need for some sort of vetting of the manuscript before it gets thrown up onto the internet. Whether that happens through traditional publishing is the big question, but imo there needs to be some sort of filtering process in place.

The old stat of 80% want to write a book while 80% NEVER read books makes me shudder to think what kind of 'books' might get posted for my reading, uh, pleasure. I just don't have the time nor the inclination to wade through countless bad novels to find one I want to read. The situation now, while in many ways archaic, at least gives me books that have been through some sort of filtering process (even if it's only an agent and an editor).

I realize that much of reading taste is just that - personal taste. I also realize that what happens will have more to do with where readers put their money than any philosophical musing, but the idea of having no way to sort through the accumulating bilge is downright disheartening, especially with NaNoWriMo* just around the proverbial corner.


*National Novel Writing Month

(I mean no disrespect to NaNoWriMo coordinators or participants, but - again, imo - stringing 50,000 words together does not make one a novelist.)