Why So Many Newby Writers Without a Device

neilmarr · 07-26-2011, 09:29 AM

I make a habit of dropping a line of welcome to all newcomers to MR. But something's been puzzling me for months:

Why do so many self-publishing e-authors introduce themselves here to promote their ebooks when hardly any actually own an ebook-dedicated reading device?

Time and time again a new ebook-plugger will come along and his or her listing for 'device' reads 'none'. I always say a polite hello, but it's starting to peeve me to do so. I find it a tad insulting to members of the MR community who've invested good money to read the kind of stuff these folks aim to peddle and take such pains to advise each other on how to improve their e-reading experience.

Some well-established and admirable Knights of the Forums even lovingly prepare classics and public domain titles for the library here. No fanfares. Just generosity, outstanding, painstaking technical creation and sheer interest in their fellow e-reading brothers and sisters.

If you're in the business of selling cars, you'd hardly advertise the fact that you don't use one yourself and prefer to take a bus or ride a pushbike. So why so many new wannabe authors exploiting the ebook-reading market here with no reading devices of their own?

Apologies for the rant, lads and lassies. Bestests. Neil

amward · 07-26-2011, 09:34 AM

Maybe they're too busy writing to read?

Seriously, I hadn't noticed but it does seem strange.

HarryT · 07-26-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

Why do so many self-publishing e-authors introduce themselves here to promote their ebooks when hardly any actually own an ebook-dedicated reading device?

Isn't it obvious? It's because most of them don't give a damn about becoming a useful member of this community. They're just spammers after a bit of free advertising.

neilmarr · 07-26-2011, 09:40 AM

Exactly my feeling, Harry. I was reluctant to express it in such strong terms because I'm sure some do have good intentions. But it does smack of spam and abuse of the community. Neil

HomeInMyShoes · 07-26-2011, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Isn't it obvious? It's because most of them don't give a damn about becoming a useful member of this community. They're just spammers after a bit of free advertising.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Tell him what he's won...

neilmarr · 07-26-2011, 09:46 AM

You have noticed the growing trend then, HIMS. I first spotted it soon after Christmas which was something of a tipping time for ebooks with everyone wanting to jump on the band wagon, but it seems becoming more and more frequent that an self-publishing and self-promoting ebook 'author' has never actually read an ebook and has no intention of doing so. Neil

HomeInMyShoes · 07-26-2011, 09:59 AM

Everyone thinks social media is the way to your audience and it is, but you need to do it properly. Just saying hi, check out my book is a sure way of making me ignore it for the most part.

=X= · 07-26-2011, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Isn't it obvious? It's because most of them don't give a damn about becoming a useful member of this community. They're just spammers after a bit of free advertising.

+ 1 totally agree, tell them like it is Harry.

mr ploppy · 07-26-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Isn't it obvious? It's because most of them don't give a damn about becoming a useful member of this community. They're just spammers after a bit of free advertising.

There's a few I wish would take more of a part, even if it's only in the writer group, but I can sort of understand why they don't. Maybe you should put some sort of minimum post limit before they can use the advertising group if it's a problem. The ones you should really do something about are the ones that bump their adverts every few days and never post anything else.

Or maybe you could sticky the adverts from regular contributors

Suzanna · 07-26-2011, 10:06 AM

It's possible they might be reading using apps on their phones. I know someone who has a book review blog and for the longest time she read ebooks on her laptop. Now she uses her iTouch. She doesn't have a dedicated eReader, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying ebooks.

abookreader · 07-26-2011, 10:13 AM

Ah yeah. What Harry said.
My favorites are the ones who join in to post "Well, I really don't want to buy an eReader .... I like to read real books."

Because as we all know, there is no faster path to financial success than insulting your market within the first day or two of introducing yourself to them.

CRussel · 07-26-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Isn't it obvious? It's because most of them don't give a damn about becoming a useful member of this community. They're just spammers after a bit of free advertising.

Neil's too polite about this trend. I think Harry's dead on the money. And I think our members are, in general, smart enough to spot it and act appropriately.

Community is important, and we need to do all we can to support the community and it's real members. The spammers, OTOH, get what they deserve.

Charlie. (who's off to buy an omnibus from BeWrite)

queentess · 07-26-2011, 10:21 AM

Yeah, what Harry said.

Except that I don't list a device either, out of pure choice. One of them is a Kindle, but I hated the extreme anti-Kindle and pro-Kindle views that were eating many of the forums and eclipsing anything I had to say. So I removed my devices and stopped visiting MR for a while. And I don't ever intend to list devices again.

OneandonlyDoc · 07-26-2011, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amward

Maybe they're too busy writing to read?

Seriously, I hadn't noticed but it does seem strange.

If they're too busy writing to read, then they shouldn't be writing. Do filmmakers not watch movies? Of course not. Do advertisers not study other folks' ads? Of course not.

Part of a writer's job is to read, both inside and outside of their genre. It's part of what keeps us in touch with our craft. Artists should consume their art as much as they produce it, otherwise they lose the appreciation for what they do and lose touch with the experiences they're attempting to give to their audiences.

This said, to the issue of e-published authors not having dedicated e-reading devices...my only explanation is that they've decided to epub in the hopes of making money (thanks in no small part to the success of folks like John Locke and J.A. Konrath) rather than any actual desire to see more titles available on ereading devices. It's cheaper to publish electronically than it is to have your paperback/hardcover book printed.

Many of these people, of course, are likely to be the people pricing their ebooks in line with the Big Six publishing companies (unless they've been consuming blogs on the subject, in which case they may have wised up to the more attractive pricing structure of keeping books within the $2-5 sweet spot).

For my part, I'd like to read my own work on my Kobo. I'm sure there are a few more folks out there like me, but apparently not as many as we could hope, huh?

Hellmark · 07-26-2011, 11:37 AM

What bugs me even more is the people who come, spam their stuff, and never participate otherwise. Ok, maybe you dont have an ereader now, but are interested in ebooks and read on your iphone, but if you go to a place to advertise shamelessly, at least participate in the community.

07-26-2011, 09:29 AM	#1
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Why So Many Newby Writers Without a Device I make a habit of dropping a line of welcome to all newcomers to MR. But something's been puzzling me for months: Why do so many self-publishing e-authors introduce themselves here to promote their ebooks when hardly any actually own an ebook-dedicated reading device? Time and time again a new ebook-plugger will come along and his or her listing for 'device' reads 'none'. I always say a polite hello, but it's starting to peeve me to do so. I find it a tad insulting to members of the MR community who've invested good money to read the kind of stuff these folks aim to peddle and take such pains to advise each other on how to improve their e-reading experience. Some well-established and admirable Knights of the Forums even lovingly prepare classics and public domain titles for the library here. No fanfares. Just generosity, outstanding, painstaking technical creation and sheer interest in their fellow e-reading brothers and sisters. If you're in the business of selling cars, you'd hardly advertise the fact that you don't use one yourself and prefer to take a bus or ride a pushbike. So why so many new wannabe authors exploiting the ebook-reading market here with no reading devices of their own? Apologies for the rant, lads and lassies. Bestests. Neil Last edited by neilmarr; 07-26-2011 at 09:32 AM.

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07-26-2011, 09:34 AM	#2
amward Wizard Posts: 1,299 Karma: 2081110 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SW Australia Device: Eco Eclipse, Sony PRS 350 (pink), Ipod Touch, Kindle Touch	Maybe they're too busy writing to read? Seriously, I hadn't noticed but it does seem strange.

07-26-2011, 09:40 AM	#4
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Exactly my feeling, Harry. I was reluctant to express it in such strong terms because I'm sure some do have good intentions. But it does smack of spam and abuse of the community. Neil

07-26-2011, 09:46 AM	#6
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	You have noticed the growing trend then, HIMS. I first spotted it soon after Christmas which was something of a tipping time for ebooks with everyone wanting to jump on the band wagon, but it seems becoming more and more frequent that an self-publishing and self-promoting ebook 'author' has never actually read an ebook and has no intention of doing so. Neil

07-26-2011, 09:59 AM	#7
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Everyone thinks social media is the way to your audience and it is, but you need to do it properly. Just saying hi, check out my book is a sure way of making me ignore it for the most part.

07-26-2011, 10:06 AM	#10
Suzanna Living in the past Posts: 432 Karma: 6011289 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc	It's possible they might be reading using apps on their phones. I know someone who has a book review blog and for the longest time she read ebooks on her laptop. Now she uses her iTouch. She doesn't have a dedicated eReader, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying ebooks.

07-26-2011, 10:13 AM	#11
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	Ah yeah. What Harry said. My favorites are the ones who join in to post "Well, I really don't want to buy an eReader .... I like to read real books." Because as we all know, there is no faster path to financial success than insulting your market within the first day or two of introducing yourself to them.

07-26-2011, 10:21 AM	#13
queentess Reading is sexy Posts: 1,303 Karma: 544517 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: none	Yeah, what Harry said. Except that I don't list a device either, out of pure choice. One of them is a Kindle, but I hated the extreme anti-Kindle and pro-Kindle views that were eating many of the forums and eclipsing anything I had to say. So I removed my devices and stopped visiting MR for a while. And I don't ever intend to list devices again.

07-26-2011, 11:37 AM	#15
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,591 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	What bugs me even more is the people who come, spam their stuff, and never participate otherwise. Ok, maybe you dont have an ereader now, but are interested in ebooks and read on your iphone, but if you go to a place to advertise shamelessly, at least participate in the community.

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