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The Drood Review Mystery's Second Century A forum on the future of the genre Original essays Our thoughts Follow-ups This site is copyright (c) 2000-3 by The Drood Review. The Drood Review
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Mary E. Torkelson The Internet and on-line booksellers have had a major effect on the genre marketplace during the past five years. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. My immediate fears are: 1) that the independent bookseller will vanish, 2) that the volume of books marketed will overwhelm any quality considerations, and 3) that the Internet will degenerate into a vanity press for idiots. Maybe all three have already happened… am I afraid of the future, or the present? From my point of view, the best of all possible futures would be for expert writers, editors, marketers, and critics to influence which books get widely circulated and read. The means by which this happens will change, as it has many times in the past. And the method in which these experts are remunerated for their skills and creativity will have to change, too. I learned with interest that Baen Books is now offering an on-line membership where readers can download books every month to their PC’s or electronic readers. What a fabulous idea to merge customer convenience and faster, less expensive distribution with a guaranteed income stream to the publisher! One change I look forward to will be the increased availability of not-in-print books being distributed electronically, just like movies from the 30’s and 40’s are available now on video. There is some great old stuff on the publishers’ backlists that deserves a second opportunity and audience. I also look forward to packing for a vacation or business trip with weightless electronic books in endless supply, so I won’t run out and so I can pack a couple extra pairs of shoes. Some things probably won’t change. I have tried the electronic experts at Amazon.com for recommendations about what books to buy, based on other books I’ve read and liked. It hasn’t worked for me. And the reviews, both professional and amateur, that appear online don’t really give me a good feel about the putative quality of the books they recommend. My personal bookseller does a far better job — when he has the time to work with me. This leads me to think that this role of customer service will not go away. Someone needs to be there to winnow the wheat from the chaff. |