It has always bothered me how hard it is for writers to be published and earn a decent living for their effort. I do realize that so many people want to get published and that this in itself poses a problem. And just like those trying out for American Idol, most might not have what it takes. But there are more readers than there are writers and so it should be the readers who decide what to read, not some over worked editor in a large publishing firm. I love to read and I am always looking for new authors to read. My problem is that I do not have a lot of money to spend on books and do not live close to a good library.

I look at the discount rack at Borders, read a chapter or two and I can tell if I want the book. For big time authors I have to wait until their books get into paper back and then into the used book stores or garage sales to afford them. The sad thing is how little the author gets paid for that book that sells for $15. That big time author is not going to get any of that small some of money from me. Now if he came out with an ebook for say $4 making $2.80 profit for the author (lets say 70%) I would buy it the day it came out.

Look at it this way. When I’m going strong I’m reading 3 or 4 books a week. Let say I bought new hard cover books that would be around $45 to $60 a week or up to $240 a month. My wife would kill me. So to stay alive I wait and the writer of that book I want to read doesn’t get his buck or two royalty for the sale. And when the paper back comes out I still can’t afford it so he doesn’t get any money from me then. Then I purchase it at a used book store for $3 and he doesn’t get any money from me then. He could have got the whole $3 when the book first came out if it was an inexpensive ebook but he got nothing from me. I am sure that there are millions of other readers like myself and if that is the case then the big time writers are losing million of dollars with the present system.

Something to think about. What do your think?