No, There Are NOT Already Too Many Books in the World
January 23, 2019
We all know or have encountered people who feel the need to take cheap shots at authors and their books. You might even be of one of those people.
I was.
For years, and from a cowardly distance, I mocked and skewered a few famous authors who were much more successful than I and—in my arrogant and asinine opinion—much less talented and deserving. If you’re itching for me to name names here, I’m sorry to disappoint. The way I see it, Stephanie Meyer and E.L. James have already been targeted enough on my blog, and I’m now above such shameful virtual bullying.
It wasn’t just the cease-and-desist letters I received from attorneys or the threats from bodyguards that caused me to stop hating on authors I felt were over-read and overrated. One day it just dawned on me, hit me in the face like a burning box of Fifty Shades of Grey books, that such negativity and vitriol toward any author—even ones who write erotica that makes you want to choke yourself—is not only completely uncalled for, but also a tremendous waste of time, energy and creativity.
What it all comes down to is this: It takes a lot to write a novel. And it takes even more when you aren’t very good at it. That’s why I now respect and admire anyone who gives writing a go. And honestly, so long as your novel isn’t a hate-filled manifesto in disguise or a story about puppies getting murdered or another Fifty Shades book, I tip my hat to you and welcome you with open arms to the writers’ table. Despite what some readers and many established authors contend, there’s more than enough room.
I’m not saying I like every novel. What I’m saying is I understand and respect the effort that goes into each one. There are far worse things a human can do with their time than try to tell a tale. There are acts much more abominable than a person stretching and flexing their imagination to fill a ton of blank pages with a story that speaks to them. You merely need to see/listen to the daily news at any given moment to be convinced of this—and to get why so many ambitious if not talented souls wake up every day filled with the urge to create, escape and explore via the written word.
If you find yourself still tormented by the vast number of “bad” books out there and the many more on the way, here’s something that may ease your suffering: You don’t have to read them. Any of them. Unless you’re an editor and have already accepted payment, nobody’s going to force you to read even one single “bad” novel. So breathe easy.
There are people who refuse to read the work of indie authors (authors unsigned by any of the large, “respectable” publishing houses). These people will often say something along the lines of, “There are already too many books in the world.” Now—and perhaps I’m a tad biased here—but, um, I beg to differ. There can never be too many books. Just as there can never be too many paintings or songs or symphonies, too much creativity or dancing or laughter. You know what there CAN be too much of? Hatred, violence, racism, misogyny, discrimination, greed, pollution. Oh, and let’s not forget pretentiousness.
So I say keep the books coming—especially works of fiction. Nothing against nonfiction (I read plenty of it), it’s just I really dig it when a writer takes on the task of creating something from nothing, something from their own perfectly diseased and fevered mind, something extracted straight from their blood and bones and marrow. And not ruined by a crappy cover.
Yes, keep it all coming. It doesn’t matter if it’s great or good or mediocre or awful. Because the truth is, it’s always somewhere in between. Just ask everybody, then average out the responses.
For some, Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight is the be-all and end-all of storytelling, and who the hell am I to mock those people or those books? Or the authors of those books? Yeah, I poked a little fun at said authors earlier in this post, and a lot of fun at them in years past, but that was just me trying to be cute and clever. When these authors wrote their books, they were trying to be something much more than cute or clever. They were trying to be creative. That's the opposite of being destructive, and thus nothing to scoff at. As a side benefit, they got filthy rich, which I imagine doesn’t suck.
If you, yourself, are working on a novel or want to and someone says you must be kidding or that your story’s ridiculous or that your writing’s bad or that nobody reads anymore or that it’s impossible to get published or make any money, or if they drop a “there are already too many books in the world” on you, do me and yourself a favor: Just smile and wave. Then continue typing.
There really are far worse things you could do with your time. And few better.
The people listed (and linked to) below would all agree with that last part. They are indie/small-press authors who write the same sort of stuff I do—crime fiction, transgressive fiction, noir, thrillers/suspense—and who each either have a new book out or one available for pre-order now. These folks write hard. Check them out!
