Quote:
Originally Posted by omk3
Stephen King, though, is part of a commercial system designed to make money. Indie writers, offering their work for free, or even for some small amount, have no marketing backing. They only have their words themselves. Their signature doesn't have the power of a famous name, it can't mislead you into liking something (if that even makes sense).
I've discovered many indie writers I like. Part of it (the discovery, not the liking) is word of mouth, part of it is meeting them personally (digitally), part of it is I just stumbled on an interesting title or cover and decided to give it a go. Nothing was part of a commercial machine. Those writers that I like, I want to read more of them. Maybe I will like their next book, maybe I won't. I'll look at their books favourably though, because I have already some kind of rapport with them through the first book I've read.
There is a relationship between reader and writer, and it has nothing to do with marketing. It's like hearing the news of old friends. Maybe you don't want that relationship, but it is one of the things I like about reading. Both writer and reader evolve and change through time, maybe they grow apart or maybe closer together, and the dialog may grow interesting or stale. Like any relationship. Writing without signature may not be entirely impersonal, because part of the writer will always be in the story, but it takes this relationship away from me.
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You know I've never seen it in those terms, about taking something away, which now leads me into other paths of thought on this subject. Man, if only I was Stephen King
