Changes..
This has been a week of great
excitement, wonder, and yes… some fear.
Change, by it’s very nature, means that something is in its “unfamiliar”
place. Even good change is unsettling at the very least. Yes, big changes for Avalon writers and
readers alike.
But I’m writing this blog for my
Avalon READERS; those loyal, brilliant, delightful people who have been reading
our Avalon romances, mysteries and westerns for so many years. The question I’m hearing from several of you
by email and Facebook, as this “newsworthy” information is digested by the
public is this: “Is this the end of
Avalon stories as we know them? How is
this change going to affect us, the readers?”
I hope, wonderful readers, that
these changes will make our stories MORE available. I’m hoping that these changes bring more
opportunities to bring our stories to readers, new and old.
My first Avalon book came out in
1977. Many more followed. Amazing how
the time passes. Many of those original stories still exist in libraries, but
have been out of print. A good part of
this change will be to bring many of our Avalon titles back to availability. A
good change.
The publication world is
changing. The high cost of a hardcover
book makes paperback more attractive, and of course, the world of ebooks has
exploded! This is a major part of the “change”
that I know some of my readers are dealing with.
I know it can be uncomfortable, while it is unfamiliar. But we brave women (and men!) can deal with
this. Like our brave heroines and
heroes, who often are thrust into new and challenging situations, change can
bring a happy ending!
Avalon, in its original business
model, was not set up to present their stories as ebooks. Amazon is a master at this. Some writers have already “independently”
published their older Avalon books, in order to have them available to a wider
readership. Now, the opportunity will
exist within the publisher’s framework.
Even libraries, nationwide, are beginning to
offer ebook borrowing for their patrons, so Avalon’s presence in libraries will
continue, and hopefully grow.
While we still don’t know the
details of all that will come with these publisher changes, I am hoping that
this will mean that many of those older titles, rich in story and heartwarming
characters, will be available again, and forever. I am so excited about that. Even as an avid reader, there are so many
that I have not read! And hopefully, new titles will follow.
Some of my readers are admitting
they are intimidated by the idea of ebook reading. This change, I think, does take some
adjusting (for me, too!). How do we get
ready for this? Even without an
electronic reader, Amazon provides a
free “Kindle” program on their site that can be downloaded to any computer so
that their ebooks can be read. That step
helped me to adjust. And soon an
electronic reader followed. Change turned out to be good.
We will all (writers and readers
alike) work our way through these changes,
and we will ALL grow in the process.
I truly want my readers to know that I’m committed to continue to bring
you good, inspiring, entertaining stories that are wholesome and engaging, no
matter in what format they may appear. I think this concept is shared my many, many of your favorite Avalon writers.
I value your comments, and I hope
you keep them coming. Together, we will grow through these exciting
times, keeping the well loved legacy of Avalon Books alive while embracing these new, exciting opportunities! With our electronic world today, it is easy
to keep track of our individual favorite authors and their work. Stay tuned!
Christine
1 comment:
Well said, Christine. These are exciting times for readers and writers alike.
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