My Thought Monday #10 (ARC Envy)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

ARC Envy

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Writing these MTM posts gets more and more difficult each week because I feel like I'm touching on more and more controversial topics. Seeing as this is the entire point in this series, I don't intend upon stopping anytime soon. What I would like to remind everyone of is, however, that these are merely my thoughts on the book world and do not in any way, shape, or capacity reflect the thoughts of other bloggers, authors, or readers. That being said, let's talk about ARC Ency today.

This has become an increasingly more prevalent problem in my neck of the woods and from what I hear, it's happening everywhere. So what exactly is ARC Envy? Well, it's a little hard to put into words, but essentially it's when one reader/blogger becomes jealous to the point of rage over the receipt of an ARC, or Advanced Reader Copy, of an upcoming novel. Let's break this down a bit.

What's an ARC?

As stated before, an ARC of a novel is an Advanced Reader Copy, this copy is one sent out for reviewing purposes. ARCs are generally sent out to bloggers, editorial publications, and reading groups a few months before a novel is published in an effort to build early buzz, receive early reviews, and push sales. ARCs are generally sent out a few months before, but I have received them for up to a year early. (I recently received an ARC for a book that isn't due out until June of 2016!) ARCs are often early copies of books and are not always the finished copy that sits on bookshelves come release day. Some are in various stages of editing and often come 'as is', just a story. 

Still confused? Picture this. Your favorite film franchise is coming out with a new film next month, let's use Marvel as an example here. Say you're pumped for The Avengers 3 and then they send you an early DVD to view and offer your thoughts on before the film comes out. Big deal, right? You get to be one of the lucky exclusive folks to view the work before the public. Books work a little different, but that's the general gist. If you love the film you'll fave about it everywhere you can, building buzz. Got it? 

Who Gets ARCS?

This is tricky. Sending out ARCs is a highly selective process for some authors, publishers. Bottom line, not everyone is getting an ARC. ARCs are generally only sent to people with a purpose. For review, for presell buzz etc. Bloggers are the most common folks to receive ARCs of novels. As bloggers, we sometimes get the incredible opportunity to read and review a novel prior to release day, it's a great feeling, but with that comes a mountain of responsibility. You can't spoil the story, you clearly, cannot share your copy, etc. There are rules to adhere to. Some publishers have specific guidelines one must meet before even requesting an ARC and let me tell you guys from firsthand experience, the bigger the author, the less your chances of getting an ARC. When it comes to the big name authors, you can more or less throw your hat and walk off, unless you're rocking 100,000 blog followers or a syndicated column with your name, you're going to get told no ever so often. In fact, you'll get turned down more often than you get told yes, but that's okay. ARCs are sent out to build buzz and, unfortunately, if you don't have the following to help build that buzz, you don't qualify for an ARC.

More times than not, I do not qualify for ARCs. That being said, I don't often request ARCs of novels. I work primarily with indie authors so this generally isn't an issue for me. I've hit some instances of ARC Envy that have killed me lately though. 

One day I'll post about how one goes about receiving an ARC, but in the meantime there are some great articles out there on the topic. Go Google them and see!

ARC Envy.

As you can see, receiving an ARC is a huge honor. Doesn't matter if your blog is one day or 10 years old, if an author wants you to help build buzz around their upcoming release, it's a big deal. There are so many book bloggers out there (we number in the thousands), that being selected in itself is a huge deal. It is an honor that I do not take lightly. Do I feel like I deserve ARCs? Absolutely not. Bloggers *usually* have a pretty good idea of where they stand within the community and can usually understand why they would or wouldn't get an ARC. 

Some bloggers... don't. For years now ARC Envy has been a problem. Essentially some blogger will not get an ARC of one of their most anticipated reads and they'll lash out. Vocally. Anywhere someone will hear them. It's rather disgusting to witness. Jealously is a horrible thing and it's not befitting... on anyone. Most instances come in the form of Facebook posts or Tweets in which the offended party will ask others to refrain from posting about the ARC so that they don't have to read about it. Jealousy is ridiculous. 

Here's a recent example of ARC Envy. A huge group of people recently received an ARC of an authors upcoming novel (including myself). Said people were encouraged to post teasers, thoughts, etc on FB (while avoiding any spoilers, of course). Well one very bitter blogger posted, very publicly that she would like for everyone to stop posting about the novel because it 'isn't fair to those of us who didn't receive an ARC'. Get out. Seriously. Just get out. Quit blogging, quit reading, GET OUT. People like you are the worst kind of blogger. People like that are the reasons authors hate the blogging community. JUST BE EXCITED YOU EVEN GET TO SEE TEASERS. This case was even more rage-worthy, because everyone who requested an ARC got one if they signed up in the correct place. Clearly this blogger didn't sign up. This was an error on her part, not ours, not the author, not the publisher. Folks, nobody is going to come to you with a list of ARCs and tell you to take your pick, you have to get your name in the bucket if you want to be involved. With so many bloggers to pick from, what makes you special? Needless to say this very bitter blogger received some very harsh feedback from her peers.  

This bitter blogger falls into a category that, unfortunately, many in the blog world have fallen into. When it comes to ARC Envy, I have seen some terrible tantrum throwing. Like a three year old kicking and screaming in the floor after being told 'no', kind of tantrums. You know what happens to kids in my family who act that way? They're punished, severely. Why isn't it same with these bloggers? If you make an ass out of yourself, let it be KNOWN that you are a blogger behaving badly and you won't get any ARCs going forward. I'm not about public shaming, but if you can put your ARC Envy out there for everyone to see it, you deserve a slap on the hand (or across the face). I've seen horrible rants,, begging, pleading, and even illegal actions by some bloggers in an effort to get their hands on an ARC, and folks, it's just not worth it. It really isn't. 

I found this comment floating around on a public forum about ARCs:

"I had to unfollow some people on goodreads because they had arcs of things I am DYING FOR AND WOULD TRADE MY NON-EXISTANT FIRST BORN FOR"

People. It's a BOOK. A BOOK!!! What on Earth prompts this kind of attitude, seriously?

I won't act like there haven't been times that I haven't had ARC Envy myself. Sure I get a little bummed out when I see my blogging friend got a copy of my favorite authors' newest work. But did I go Godzilla on the situation and burn the you-know-what down? No. I got over it. And then guess what? I still got to read the book on release day, just like everyone else. I don't see a reason for going crazy when it comes to ARCs, you're ALL going to get to read it eventually. Just chill the hell out people. As a general rule, I just don't get ARC Envy, especially with a TBR like mine. Goodness gracious I don't even have time for all of the books on my shelves now, how could I get mad about not having yet another one? Getting an ARC is a lot like an unexpected Christmas gift to me. One day you just open you email and 'voila!' it's there. It's a wonderful feeling.

So many instances of ARC Envy has led me to develop a sometimes feeling of ARC Shame. The feeling where I am fortunate enough to receive an ARC, but I don't want to mention it to anyone in the effort to avoid conflict and resentment. Its sad, and I certainly feel that way, but goodness gracious, can you blame a guy? This book world is viscous when it comes to matters such as this. I receive ARCs all the time. Instead of posting all over God's Green Earth about them, I read them, review them, and go about my business. It shouldn't be that way, I, and others, should be able to post all about their ARCs without the resentment and drama. Some people just ruin it for everyone. 

Bottom line here folks? ARC Envy is ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous. Everyone is here for the exact same reason, why can't we all just be excited for those bloggers/early readers who DO get ARCs and then just read it on our own? I can absolutely assure you that you'll get to read the book eventually, why be a rude little snot about it and throw a fit? There's no need. If you want to act like that you can go sit in the corner like the child you are. And don't worry, we all know who you are. Bloggers Behaving Badly get nowhere in my books. 

International bloggers have RIDICULOUS amounts of ARC Envy that I'm not even going to touch upon right now because those peeps deserve a post all on their own. I get so rage-y when it comes to matters such as these. As for now, I'm just going to continue reading, reviewing, and sharing my awesome thoughts on the book world. ARC Envy isn't going anywhere and I certainly see it doing nothing but getting worse. I, for one, see no point in it. A little jealousy is fine, but this is completely uncalled for. 

As I've said before, reading is a privilege. We should all consider ourselves extremely fortunate that we live in a time where we have knowledge enough to be literate, that we have the time available to read, and that we have the freedom to read whatever we wish, whenever we wish. 

Don't be THAT reader, blogger, fan. Just pimp, support, and praise like a good person and STOP WITH THE NEGATIVE.

TL:DR? ARC Envy is ridiculous and all who lash out due to it should be ashamed. Live. Love. Read.

Amen.

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And there you have it. My thoughts on ARC Envy. Have you experienced this yourself? How did you cope? Let us know in the comments below. I'd love to hear feedback from fellow bloggers as well as authors. How has ARC Envy affected you? Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

My Thought Monday #9 (Falling Out of Love with an Author)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

Falling Out of Love with an Author

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As many of you guys know, I didn't do a MTM last week because I was on the way home from UtopYA in Nashville and just didn't have time to get one done. It's been a crazy week for me book-wise with all the catching up and whatnot. This topic has been stirring around in my head for several months now, but I think after some of the things I am seeing here lately on social media, now is the best time to let my thoughts be known. Today's topic? Falling Out of Love with an Author.

I read. A lot. Many of you read, a lot. In fact, you are reading right this very moment. Do I expect you to read everything I write? No. Do I expect you to agree with everything I write? No. Do I expect you to love everything I write? Of course not. Then why do we do it with authors?

Ever since starting this blog last March, I've noticed a growing trend that really irks me. Reviewers, bloggers, etc are sometimes afraid to let their honest thoughts be known. If they love an author, everyone knows it. If they hate an author, their closest friends may know it, but what happens when their favorite author writes a novel that's sub-par to them?

Nothing. 

We shrug it off, continue to promote it, and then either 1) neglect to review it or 2) lie in the review. I say 'we' as the reviewing community, not saying that I personally do such things. 

Anyone who reads my negative critiques knows that I don't go easy on them. Some of my all-time favorite authors such as Sherry Ficklin and Jon Messenger sure didn't start out that way. In their earlier reviews, I ripped their works apart. In the end, I still loved them and their work, but I wasn't shy about pointing out the issues I had. Do you guys remember my reviews for Gayle Foreman's If I Stay series? I hated that novel and I sure wasn't shy about admitting it. My whole point with this rant is to remember to be honest in your promotion and reviewing. Lying doesn't help anyone.

Personal story time. (I'm going to leave out specific names here in an effort to not single anyone out.) Earlier this year, I was approaching by an author to review the latest installment in a series that has been very special to me. I've been promoting it for well over a year now. I eagerly awaited my ARC, then flew through it, only to discover that I actually kind of hated the book. A novel I'd been waiting a long time to get my hands on, only to be extremely disappointed in the novel in nearly every way possible. I analyzed the read from every angel and facet and discovered that it simply was not the read for me. I was torn. In a big way. Not only was this series a favorite of mine, the author was (and remains to this day) a very close personal friend. What do I do?

I fought long and hard about my decision. Do I risk our friendship by posting this bad review? Do I just not share my thoughts? After consulting with several friends on the matter (many of whom agreed with me that this was not the author's greatest work), it was decided that I should not only post my review, but also reach out to my friend explaining why I judged it so harshly. So... I bit the bullet. I posted my review. 

The next day I sent the author a message explaining my thoughts and my review. The response? The author was completely fine with it. In fact, I was praised for being honest and pointing out some things that the author was also nervous about in the novel. Now, that being said, my thoughts didn't impact anyone probably, because the novel went on to be a best seller. The author explained to me that any review is helpful to them and their readers and that they only ask for honesty in their reviews. 

That meant the world to me. 

Just because I don't love what an author has written does not mean I can't continue to be a fan of their works. In a lot of aspects of the world the phrase "a _____ is only as good as their latest _____" can be said. In the author world, this simply is not true.

Authors are people too (gasp, surprise). Each time an author sits down and puts pen to paper, it's a different experience. Are they sad? Happy? Angry? An author must be cautious when writing because their feelings are displayed very clearly on the page. Are they writing on a deadline and just trying to hurry up and finish the novel? Yeah. I can definitely see when that is the case. Maybe their writing experience doesn't match your reading experience? Who can say? 

I can honestly say that in a majority of cases, an author gets better with each passing novel. That's how it should be. More experience= better writing, makes sense, right? This isn't the truth in all cases though. You know how sometimes an author will release a bestselling debut novel and then drop off the face of the planet? That's why. Sometimes people only have one story to tell, and that's completely okay. There have been several instances where I've read from a debut author (or read a debut novel) that was absolutely fantastic, only to be severely disappointed in later works. Writing is a fine art folks. Let's not judge too harshly. 

If you love the first novel in a series, don't let the next one affect your thinking. Even if it doesn't go the way you envision. Don't ever let the next read affect your overall views of the author, no matter how hard that may be. 

The bottom line truth is folks, it's going to be very seldom that you find an author that's going to release a 5-star perfect, fantastic read every time. Don't let that pressure get to you. All books are not meant for all readers. Embrace it. Own the no. Let your truthful thoughts be known. I can assure you that not only the author, but your fellow reviewers, will respect you so much more.

Nobody likes a kiss ass. If you've reviewed 100 novels this year and 99 of them were 5-star reads, you're in the wrong business folks. If you look at my archive, you'll see that many of my reviews are for 5-star reads. I also don't review near as often as other bloggers. Why? Because I don't take the time to review novels I don't care for. For every book I do review, there are probably 2 that I choose not to. I challenge all my fellow bloggers and readers to look into a reviewer carefully before selecting novels solely based on their opinions. I've come to find that they aren't all always the truth.

But what happens when you do completely fall out of love with an Author?

I've had this happen to me recently as well. It's hard to say who changed. Was it me? My life certainly has changed a lot recently and that is definitely being reflected in my reading choices. Was it them? Has their writing style changed so much that it's beyond recognition? Have they given in completely to the spotlight and stopped writing from the heart? It's hard to say. In this instance I strongly believe that the author has changed. Not just as a writer, but as a person. It's an author who's career I followed since the beginning, devouring each and every novel they'd written. I've watched for years while they rose to superstar status, while their books fell down the hill into poorly written trash. 

I fell out of love.

It hurt. I was offended. I never want to read another book they write. But guess what? That's okay. Nobody cares. I can be mad all I want to, but the only person it's going to effect? Me. Only me. That bestselling author and now superstar doesn't need my approval, they don't even know me. So I just let it go. They've released several other books now and guess what? I didn't read them. I don't care anymore. They've lost my respect as a person and an author. 

Yet the world keeps on spinning.

For every author I love, there are thousands out there begging for their chance to be loved by one more fan. I've come to the point in my blogging career that I no longer care what people think about who or what I read. I've crossed all genres and read from authors worldwide, always looking for that next shining star to add to my bookshelf. If I search hard enough, I'll always find one.

Reading isn't about The One. It isn't about finding that author who is your soul mate. It isn't about finding that singular tome that will change your life forever. Reading is about hope. Reading is about life. Reading is about losing yourself in the pages of another world for a short period of time. Books may only hold a place on our shelves for a while, but they stay in our hearts forever.

Remember that friends.

It's okay if you fall out of love with an author. Please don't let it get you down. pick up the pieces of your broken bookish heart and move on. There is another author hiding out there who would love to help put you back together again. Don't continue to suffer through the works of an authors whose works aren't what they used to be. C'est la vie.

So where does that leave us? In a world full of infinite bookish possibilities! Don't waste your time on authors you don't love anymore. Be thankful for the good times you had together and let's move on! Let another author fill that void, I promise you'll be more happy than you were! Maybe one day you can go back to that author you dropped and fall in love all over again. Who knows what tomorrow may bring! 

Keep reading, keep reviewing, keep loving, and keep following your passion. Just do it with honesty. Don't lie to anyone, including yourself. You'll never help anyone that way. 

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And there you have it. My thoughts on Falling Out of Love with an Author. Have you experienced this yourself? How did you cope? Let us know in the comments below. This was such a fun post to write and I hope you all got something out of it. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

My Thought Monday #8 (The Rising Cost of eBooks)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

The Rising Cost of eBooks

**I'd first like to start this rant off with a disclaimer. Here at One Guy's Guide to Good Reads, I am a huge supporter of debut and indie authors. All authors have to start somewhere, and I'm always beyond honored to help share a new release. Marketing is hard, selling books is hard. In this extremely over-saturated market, every aspect of publishing is hard. I have nothing but respect for every author who's hit that shiny 'publish' button on retailers online. Please do not take any of my rantings as being against indie publishing in any way, shape, or capacity.**

This week I had about 10 different topics to pick from for my MTM post and all of them are important to me. I couldn't decide what to post about until I checked my inbox this morning and inspiration struck. Let me set up the situation for you guys:

This morning I received an automated email from a publicity company about promoting a new novel. This particular novel is the debut work from an independently published author. The premise sounded interesting enough so I decided to check out the 'pre-reviews' before offering to promote it on the blog for myself. One quick click to Amazon left me speechless: $6.99. SEVEN DOLLARS?! And that's for the ebook version folks. It isn't yet available in print. I didn't even bother to read the reviews, I x'd out of that page, then deleted the email. Brash? Probably. But why should I spend time promoting a novel I can't sell? Sorry folks, we've got a problem here today. 

After exiting Amazon's sale page, I looked up the author. This brand new author has no website of her own and a very minuscule Facebook following, as would be expected from a brand new debut author. The 'novel' itself was only 155 pages (according to the Amazon description). Am I wrong in saying there is absolutely no way I would buy this novel? I think not.

At this point in my reading career, I pretty much read ebooks exclusively. Not that I don't love the feel and smell of a physical copy, it comes down to two solid points for me. 1) I cannot afford $15-$20/book with the amount of reading I do and 2) I simply don't have the space. Apartment life is fun, but I just don't have the room for numerous bookshelves. Have you guys ever tried traveling with boxes full of books? It's awful. Books are ridiculously heavy and having lots of them become a HUGE pain in the rear. This being said, I read almost exclusively on my Nook. 

One of the biggest appeals to owning an ereader is the cheaper price of books. In most cases this is definitely true. Not only for books, but for other media such as Newspaper and Magazines as well (I have multiple magazine subscriptions on my Nook that I pay next to nothing for). When the price of an ebook becomes 1/10 the cost of the eReader itself, who can justify paying it? This is why people pirate. 

Not only will this high price point effect your sales, it'll effect your readers thoughts as well, I can guarantee it. If I pay that much for an ebook and I end up hating it, I'm not going to go easy on my reviewing. I will light into that book, and I know most others would too. It's a sad fact, money doesn't grow on trees and I certainly can't afford to waste it. 

In addition to the lower sales, it's just bad marketing, in my opinion. You mean to tell me that ANYBODY thinks that paying $6.99 for a debut novel from an independently published author is a good idea? I can assure you, very few will think so. Every seasoned author or industry professional that I approached on this topic was astounded to hear of this issue. Selling is not an easy thing to rein in, but it's an easy enough concept to understand: lower price = more sales. Duh. 

At the point in which you are charging $7 and up for your ebook, I would just assume have the physical copy. Is that the goal of such authors? They'd rather see fans purchase the print copies instead? I can't say if this is true, and I doubt it, but seriously. For that price, I'll take the print copy or none at all, thanks.

So what is a reasonable price? I consulted Google who informed me that the AVERAGE price of a bestselling ebook IS INDEED $6.99. I'm still blown away. Are you kidding me? How do Indie authors make ANY money at this rate? They don't. Crazy, but true. This average can only make sense to me in the following scenario: big name authors and publishers sell enough of the higher priced books to raise the average from the millions of novels that are sold at or below a $5 price point. In fact, most all ebooks I see on my end of the market are reasonably priced at $3.99 and below. I very seldom see any novels higher that that.

For a DEBUT novel, I am a big believer in the $2.99 and lower price range, preferably free, especially if it's the first novel in a series. There's a great chance you won't be making your first million here, so why not get your feet wet and build a following, then up your price! I can promise you that you'll have many, many more biters at $1.99 than you will at $6.99. That's a check you can take to the bank!

Later I'll talk about some acceptable times for a higher priced ebook. 

I consulted with a few authors on this topic and got some incredible. 2014 debut author of Descent, Kallie Ross had a few thoughts on the subject. As a debut author, Ross had to best determine the pricing that best suited her needs. She set the price point for Descent at $2.99 for release day, but a few months later marked it down to free. Ross added this to our discussion:

"Starting out, my debut novel was priced to grow a readership. I wanted to make Descent available for everyone. From teens to grandmas, I believe a lower price point provided an opportunity to grow a fanbase, not make a quick profit."

Kallie touches on another very important aspect of the publishing industry that ties specifically into indie publishing as well. Writing is not a get-rich quick scheme. For every successful author who is able to write full time, there are thousands of other authors struggling to make ends meet while punching a clock. Writing is a passion that, with talent and the right kind of marketing, will definitely earn you a profit, but it's about so much more than just pricing your novel and reeling in the profits.

I've never published. However if I were to write a novel and consider publishing it, like many of my idols and friends, I would probably pursue the indie route. I have strong faith in indie publishing. That being said, I know this is one of those industries where you have to 'work smarter, not harder' to succeed. All of my thoughts on this topic may be completely invalid, but I have definitely seen many an authors career be forever altered by one bad marketing decision. Haven't we all?

Now that I've shared all my ranting about the topic, allow me to share some 'acceptable' times a novel may be priced at a higher point.

First, if your novel is published by a Big Six publisher, I can understand a slightly inflated price point. Not only do the profits for each book sold have to pay an author, they have to pay the publishing company and the small army that worked to get it there. This is by no means something that the author can control, as it is completely out of their hands when a publisher gets involved. Doesn't make it right, but that's the sad fact. I see authors all the time posting about "I had no idea, but apparently my book is on sale this week. Get your copy quick before the price jumps up!". I hate seeing those posts, they make me sad for a number of reasons, but that's a topic for another day.

Second, who you are. If you are Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, or Nicholas Sparks, you know you're going to sell a million copies REGARDLESS of the price. These authors have massive followings. They have earned the right to charge whatever they like. I'd just like to point out that that this, however, is the reason I am so far behind on Stephen King reads. I simple cannot afford $30 for a book and I downright refuse to pay it. Just for reference, Stephen King's latest release, Finders Keepers can be purchased on ebook for $14.99 while the print is available for $17.99. Crazy, right? Either way, I'll have to wait until this read hits the bargain shelves before I fork out my dollars for it. I'm fully aware that King didn't set this price and that he probably gets less than a dollar off of each sale, but seriously. COME ON. I'm still not saying that I think this is right, just understandable.

Lastly, if this high-priced ebook is part of a collection or anthology. If I'm paying $6.99 for an ebook, I sure as heck better get $7 worth of read out of it. I recently spent $7 on an ebook and it was the most I've ever spent. It was for Sarina Bowens The Ivy Years boxed set and it included ALL FOUR novels in the series. Making them each less that $2/book. Incredible pricing if you ask me. I paid it and never thought twice about it. Nearly 1000 pages of reading that I loved every second of, it was well worth it. If you're going to sell me $7 worth of book, then I don't see a problem with the high price point! Anthologies as well. I don't read a lot of anthologies for a number of reasons, but I have purchased numerous ones that the profits went to charity. Those are great. Also you get LOTS of reads for one price. That's a great bargain!

So you see, there are always some exceptions to the rule.

Do I think this trend will change? Nope. I think ebooks, like most other things will actually continue to rise in price. And with it, piracy will also rise. Piracy is an awful, horrible thing, but good golly people, sometimes I can't say I blame them. Only time will tell for sure, however!

As you can see, my thoughts are blunt. I refuse to pay $6.99 for your ebook. I don't care how amazing it is. I love literature, and I love every single author I've met, but why should I pay that much money for one 150 page novel when for that price I can very nearly purchase the first three novels in a series? I take a lot of things into consideration when promoting works on this blog. Will my promotion help? Is this something I will enjoy? If I cannot answer yes to either of those questions, I apologize that I won't be featuring your works. If your DEBUT novel is $7 in digital format, there's nothing I can do to help your sales Mr./Mrs. Author. I just can't.

Whenever you decide that price point isn't working for you and you want to re-release with a more reasonable number, give me a ring. Until then, I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree on this one friend.

What do you guys think? how much is too much when purchasing an ebook? Sound off in the comments below! Huge thanks to my dear friend, Mrs. Kallie Ross for contributing to this post! Until next time, Happy Reading! 

-Ethan

My Thought Monday #7 (Page to Screen Adaptations)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

From Page to Screen: My Take on Film Adaptation

Like most every person on the planet, I love films. I have been a huge film history buff for as long as I can remember. If it hits the silver screen, I'm already loving it. Hollywood has supplied us with some of the greatest moments in cultural history. An art form that will forever be passed down from generation to generation. Whether or not you are a reader, there's a good chance you're going to watch films.

While the idea of adapting novels for film certainly isn't a new one, it seems that every trailer you see in the theatre is for an upcoming film. I don't know about you, but I have mixed views on this. On one hand I love seeing my favorite novels on the big screen, on the other, do they ever do the novel justice? Today I'm going to talk about some of my favorite and not so favorite parts of film adaptations! Here are some of the biggest points of interest for me. 

Where did the idea come from? This is something that constantly shocks me. There have been so many times that I'll watch a film and think 'wow, that film had an incredible writer' only to discover that it was first a novel. You may be thing 'Ethan, you run a book blog, how do you not know when something is a novel first?' but you'd be wrong. In fact, I'd wager that most of us have no idea where film adaptations come from. As I type this I am looking at a list of the top grossing movies of 2015 so far. Guess what? 80% of them were adapted from novel. Most of which I have never heard of. Some of them such as The Hunger Games are a no brainer, everyone is familiar with Suzanne Collin's epic dystopian trilogy. Other films? Not so much. Did you guys know that Jurassic Park is based off a 1990 Michael Chrichton novel? Mrs. Doubtfire? Shrek? Forrest Gump? Pitch Perfect? Every one was a screen adaptation of a novel. I don't know about you, but that shocks me! Some of the most acclaimed and best known films in history have been adaptations. Let's give credit where credit is due! Also, I challenge you to find some of the novels that your favorite films are based on, pick up a copy, and see how you feel about it!

Casting. Oh man, here we go. This is a big one. I want to strange Hollywood casting directors sometimes. Do they even read these novels before they cast the film? Sometimes I don't think so. Replacing men for women, combining characters, changing names/race/country of origin, it all just drives me up the wall. I'm all about diversity in film, don't get me wrong, but if this is an adaptation of a film set in China then why are all of the main cast member white? See what I'm saying? We've all seen this before and it drives me nuts. Now, on that same issue, I'm all about changing up race if the option is there. Unless an author specifically says 'this female has fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes' I don't care if they change it up. That being said, if they cast an African American actress in that specified role, I'm probably going to have a problem. That's just one example, this happens everywhere though. I have to say that I specifically applaud the Harry Potter series for including so many ethnicities into the film. Whites, Blacks, Asians, Indians, etc we're all represented in the film adaptations and I loved that. Go WB! 

Getting the story right. Sometimes, my biggest faults for films come in the play when I see a film that I haven't read the novel of. Filmmakers really have to do a lot of work to lay the groundwork for their world/setting, but it isn't always handled in the best manner. The perfect example of this is the Harry Potter series. My brother and myself have always been huge Potterheads. My mother, on the other hand, hasn't touched a book since high school. She had no idea what they were about. While she absolutely loves the films and watches them constantly, she still has so many questions. Little things that are crystal clear to readers of the novels wouldn't question it, but for people who hadn't Harry Potter was a mess. The whole series. Sometimes you have to ask yourself who a film adaptation is for. Is it for the books fans or is it for a new audience? Harry Potter was definitely for the book fans. 

Making Unnecessary Additions. Sometimes this can go both ways. In some instances, like The Hobbit, for example, I welcomed the addition of numerous scenes that weren't in the book, but still helped to move the story line. A recent trend I am seeing is to completely remove certain aspects of the novels and just rewrite them for the films' needs. That drives me up the wall. If author says that MC dies, then damn it, you kill them off. If the author doesn't have a love interest for character A, then why did you have to go in and add one? One of my favorite parts about YA literature is the lack of hardcore romance. Hollywood must've missed the memo. They've taken the small romance element from so many novels and expanded it to make a film a romance. Let's take Divergent. The novel certainly places a large emphasis on Tris and Four's relationship, but damn the film took it to an entirely new level. It's ridiculous. Same with Twilight. Sure the novels were full of romance, but it was nothing like the films. Those movies made Stephenie Meyer a joke.

I'm a huge glutton for punishment when it comes to film adaptations. I'll sit in the theatre and when the previews come on I'll go "seriously, that's gonna suck" yet I'm still the first person in line for a ticket. I just can't help it. The worst part? Even when the movie is COMPLETELY different from the novel, I still end up loving it. Seriously.

There have been so many amazing page to screen adaptations over the years and I only hope they continue. Each time a book is made into a film, sales skyrocket and millions of fans are joined into the fold. It's only when the film turns out to be terrible that I have issues. 

Let's talk about those 'bad' adaptations for a moment. I hate calling some of these films out, because they're based on some of my favorite books, but oh well. 

• The Hunger Games. I may be the only person on the planet who just absolutely detests these movies. I love the setting and think they got it perfect, but they just missed so much with the film, and I think the casting is absolutely horrible. Seriously. There isn't a single member of that casting that I even somewhat agree with, just don't get me started.
• Beautiful Creatures. This one hit me hard as this is one of my all time favorite series. The casting was fine (all but for Ethan) and the setting was superb, but the adaptation was horrid. Talk about some mistakes. Wow. WOW. They missed so much, the scripting was one of the worst I have ever seen. With such big names as Jeremy Irons and Emmy Rossum, I was hoping for a smash hit. Sure didn't get one here.
• A Series of Unfortunate Events. Lord I know this movie came out over a decade ago, but I still can't get over how bad it was. These books were my jam when I was younger and the film just destroyed it. I didn't even want to read the books anymore after that. It was really that bad. Horrible casting, the film was played off as a joke, etc. It was just bad. All the way around.
• Don't even get me started on Fifty Shades of Grey. 

I have a huge list of book adaptations that didn't work for me, but I wanted to share some specific examples so you guys could get a feel for what I'm talking about. 

On the other side of the coin, here are some of my favorite page-to-screen adaptations (there are so many more, but these come to mind first):

• The Fault in Our Stars
• It's Kind of a Funny Story (I actually liked the film much more)
• Planet of the Apes
• The Wizard of Oz
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Not that dreadful Tim Burton remake either)
• The Cat in the Hat
• The Grinch 
• Charlotte's Web
• Apollo 13
• Lord of the Rings
• The Hobbit
• Harry Potter (for the most part, but I have huge faults with this film series)

I'm not a Hollywood executive and I have no intention of ever becoming one, but I think there is a lot of work to be done in the page-to-film adaptation world. Authors often have very little control over the story and as a result, the fans miss out. It's beyond unfortunate, but it happens. 

So while I'll continue to fan-boy over each and every page-to-screen adaptation, there will always be that sense of resentment and disappointment that Hollywood has taken something I loved and didn't do it justice. They never do it justice! Right?! While I love and respect the work of Hollywood, I almost always leave the theatre depressed when seeing one of these films. Every reader of a novel interprets it differently, films don't. Everyone sees the same film, but not everyone reads the same book. Does that make sense? Some readers saw Bella Swan as a complex, intelligent, strong female heroine who had to face growing up and coming to terms with a life fulls of werewolves and vampires. Movie-goers saw a very sad, emotionless, brooding, whiny Kristen Stewart who did nothing for hours on end. It was grueling. See what I mean?

So here's I'll be, just anxiously awaiting upcoming film adaptations. Reading and re-reading so that when that special moment comes and I'm sitting in the theatre with a box of popcorn, I can rip that baby to shreds. Because I'm a horrible cynical person like that. Oh well. 

Upcoming page-to-screen adaptations that I'm excited for:

• The Scorch Trials
• Allegiant
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Fallen
• Miss Pergrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I'm sure there are many more, but those are the only ones coming to mind!

So there you have it folks, my thoughts on page-to-screen adaptations. Sure I love them as much as the next guy, but they also make me very angry. I also have a huge list of novels I would love to see adapted for future films, but that's a topic for another day! 

This week's discussion: What are some of YOUR favorite page-to-screen adaptations? Also, what movies didn't know you know were adapted from a novel?

Sound off in the comments below! Special thanks to my new bookish sister from 'Down Under' over at BEAUTE' DE LIVRES (BEAUTY OF BOOKS) for the inspiration on this week's topic!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

My Thought Monday #6 (The Curious Case of the Creative Cover Part Two)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

The Curious Case of the Creative Cover

Part One: The Current State of the Cover Market

So today's post is going to be a continuation of my last MTM post where I discuss my thoughts on the current state of the book cover market. I'll be talking about what I love, what I hate, and what I think we can change in order to benefit readers everywhere! 

If you missed last week's post, take a moment to catch up!

Part One: The History of the Book Cover

*****

Few things in the book world have fried my hash lately like cover. Love them or hate them, covers are one of the most important parts of a book. As I mentioned last week, if you have a crap cover, good luck getting your book on the shelves. Far too often have I read an incredible manuscript, only to have the cover make me want to hurl. How frustrating is that? In addition to some of my fellow bloggers and favorite authors, I've complied a list of some pressure points that I feel need to be addressed.

People or Places? A few friends and I have talked extensively about this topic. What do we like/hate on covers. It's actually fairly divided. Personally, I don't like covers with people on them. Plain and simple. I just don't think it does much to describe the plot of the novel. I mean, there are clear exceptions to the rule, but overall, I'd just prefer a more abstract cover or a setting. I'm not big on people. Now, if your cover does have a person, here's what I absolute hate. Cross sections. Don't give me an arm or a torso, show the whole damn person. That's a huge pet peeve of mine. Or when you do have a full person but they are out of focus. Unless that's a reoccurring theme in your story, get that business out of here. I love covers that have an item from the story or even a setting on the cover. It really helps me envision what is happening in the story. I know this is broad, but if you picture any number of book covers in your head, you're sure to understand what I mean. I also really like 'artsy' covers. Covers of hand drawn or animated scenes are among my favorites! Also, never underestimate a well placed font over a colored background. Just saying.

Examples of amazing, people-less covers:

Stock Images. Lord, here we go. Look. I'm sorry to all you shutterstock stalkers. I'm sorry to all you Pepe Toth lover. Guys. Let's quit using the EXACT same people/pictures for all these covers. Do you realize that your cover model has been used on 50 other novels? Do your research. It all comes down to being unique in your covers. you want to stand out. I'm sure 'hot shirtless model 643' would look fantastic on your cover, but do you even care that just this year alone he's been on three other book covers, a magazine ad, a national billboard campaign for a travel agency, and on the bus stop? I'm seeing the exact same stock images everywhere. You can only alter a picture so many times. Remember that. And don't believe me about Pepe? There's an entire Goodreads group devoted to all the covers that he is on. Actually. Wait. There are multiple shelves dedicated to this:

Shelf #1

Shelf #2

Shelf #3

Fonts. Not much with cause an OCD reader to flip over the edge like the font on a cover. It all comes down to clean folks. Pick a couple of strong fonts and formulate your cover around them. It's that simple. I recently saw a cover where the designed had used 4 different fonts. FOUR. It was probably the craziest thing I'd ever seen and I haven't heard a single good thing about it. Folks, if you're designing covers, you've gotta keep that business looking great! Remember, this is your readers FIRST impression of your novel!

Simplicity. As with most things, less is more. Why do some publishers feel the need to make my eyes bleed with so much going on with the cover? Dude. Quit overdoing it. If I have to stare at your cover for 10 minutes to figure out what it is, you've already lost my interest. Be creative. Pick a few key elements you want displayed in your novel and work the heck out of it. On top of that, the more simple and clean your cover is, the more likely I am to pick it up and say 'oh, what's this about?'.

Example:

Blue and white gingham dress? Must be Oz. I'm in.

Relativity. Folks. This is important. If you're writing a romance novel, own up to it. Put that gross romantic business on the front of it. You want to have near sex on your book cover, then by God, go for it. Just don't expect me to pick it up. Honestly though, I think 'relativity' is of great importance when designing a book cover. Undoubtedly my thoughts aren't shared by the publishing world though. If your story is a zombie apocalypse story, then put some damn zombies on there. SHOW ME some horror. Show me that I've made the right decision to both keep me guessing and scare the pants off of me. You've written a story about a talking squirrel who fights crime by night? You sure as hell better find an acorn for that cover somewhere. I don't want to see your cover with lipstick and a disco ball. Seriously folks. What gives? Why are covers so like this? I've spoken to numerous authors on this topic and they've told me two things. 1) Sex sells and 2) relativity is in the eye of the beholder. Both of these are very true, but at least I know what to expect when I pick up a romance-y cover. You hear me?

Example:

 Anybody want to guess what genre these books fall under? 

Cover Models. This is probably my biggest eye roller right here. Someone please tell me when the cover model for a novel became more important than the character inside the novel? Maybe it's because I'm a guy in this bookish world, but I have such a negative opinion on this raving about book cover model business. I have a few examples to share.

Last month I attended an author event where a number of romance/erotica authors were present. May of these authors chose to bring their models with them. The event was full of shirtless men who were being drolled on by woman of all ages. I was absolutely disgusted. People who didn't even know the author were lined up fifty deep to take a picture with these shirtless strangers. Now this isn't the fault of the model, by any means, but seriously people. Authors create these characters. They pour their hearts and souls into creating these characters for us to enjoy. Why are you fawning all over the cover model like this? It honestly sickens me. It's gross. 

Lats summer I attended another author event where a model, adequately clad (thankfully) was posing for pictures and signing autographs. I had read from the author and was excited to have her sign my copy of her novel. After speaking with her, she happily signed my book, then handed it over to the model to have him sign the cover. I nearly jumped across the table. NO! Why would I want the cover model to sign my book? I'm sorry, did you write this novel? No. Get the hell out of here. Not interested. No thanks. 

I could go on and on about this topic for days, but I won't. Just know that this trend doesn't sit well with me. You know, I don't know the first thing about modeling and a year ago I would have laughed if you'd told me I could point out and name any models. Sure enough, today I can look at a book model and there's a good chance I know his/her name, country of origin, and the last five covers they were on. It's ridiculous. 

Now the book models I have met in real life has been great people, don't get me wrong. But I'm not coming to author events to meet models and, in my honest opinion, events that feature models aren't nearly as appealing. In fact, I've strayed away from those events for that specific reason. Book events are suppose to be about sharing our love of the written word, not to faint at the sight of some attractive model. Whole lot of nope right there. To be honest, I know this part is bound to offend some people and I really don't care. I couldn't give a rats ass less about who is on your cover, as long as the works inside are great.

So what can we do to fix it? In the coming weeks right here on the blog, I will be interviewing a few award-winning and renowned cover artists where I hope to get their opinion on just that question! It's time for everyone in the book world to open their eyes to the issues around us. Readers are buying less and less physical books, why should we be putting out sub-par covers for them to see when they do decide on a physical copy?

I have so many more thoughts on this topic, but in an effort to not call out any particular author on a 'bad example' list, I will just stop here. I know lots of my readers have thoughts on this topic so I'm really hoping this sparks some debate and conversation about what you like in a book cover!

In this two part series, we've discussed the history of the book cover, why it's important, and the current state of the cover market! It's been a lot of fun to research the trends and history of the covers, so I'm really interested in hearing your thoughts. Tell me in the comments below what some of your favorite book covers of all time are! What makes you cringe? What do you love? Let me know!

Next week we'll be hitting on another pressing topic that I am so excited to talk about. You'll have to come back next week to see! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

My Thought Monday #5 (The Curious Case of the Creative Cover Part One)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I have received lots of positive feedback from my previous posts and want to keep the momentum going. This week I'll be touching on another topic that's important to all authors and bloggers. 

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

This week's topic:

The Curious Case of the Creative Cover

Part One: The History of the Book Cover

You've pulled into your local Barnes and Noble and are perusing through the aisles for your next five star read. With so many to choose from, how do you pick just one? Covers. 

When stacked up (literally) against the masses, what makes your novel stand out in the crowd? Captivating and creative covers. 9/10 times, I'm not even looking at who wrote the book. If you don't have a fun cover, good luck getting readers to notice your book. 

I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret. I do just a book based on its' cover. And guess what? You do too. So do your friends, so do other bloggers, and even authors. It happens. Whoever thought up that expression should have seriously picked another analogy. This one is false we all judge based on covers! It's a sad reality. It doesn't matter how great your written word is, without a great cover, you're going to have a hard time with sales and promotion.

Why are covers so important? When did this trend start? What are readers looking for? These are all phenomenal questions that we in the book world need to be asking ourselves. Particularly authors. 

So, I thought it would be fun to start out today's post with a history lesson. Put on your thinking caps people, we're taking a journey across time!

*****

Picture it: the bazaars of ancient Greece, the year 360BCE. The Greek philosopher Plato was well known for the intricacies of his cover scroll. Plebeians from all around harked at the sight of his creation!

This is a joke. Nobody was rushing out to get their hands on the latest edition of Allegory of the Cave. Was it because Plato had an awful sense of graphic design? Probably, but I guess we'll never truly know. 

Authors have been writing and readers have been reading since the beginning of human civilization. From cuneiform to mass publication, writing has come a long way. But at what point did the cover become just as important as the writing? Let's explore the 'modern era' of cover design.

With Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century, books were first able to be mass produced. It was decided early on that books needed a proper binding and 'cover' to protect the pages within, thus the 'cover' was born. As you can imagine, these early covers were more practical than eye catching.

For nearly three hundred years, book were bulky shapeless things that weren't even slightly aesthetically pleasing. Books were heavy, but more importantly, books were expensive. My research has shown me that in today's numbers, purchasing a print novel with bound cover in those days could have costed upwards of $300. That a lot of money for a novel, am I right? Needless to say many were not purchasing novels. The entire system of reading for pleasure really wasn't what we see today. Cheaper, boundless versions of books were abundant, but for obvious reasons, many of those didn't make it to today. Centuries of use and decay would have rendered those manuscripts worthless quick. 

So you see, covers are made for so much more than just us to look at. They have purpose. Protecting the works inside from the elements. Ensuring the the ink didn't fade and that the durability would protect that binding during travel. 

Boy haven't times changed?

Side Note/Fun Fact: Books were most always bound in leather during the early period, but not always. A variety of animal pelts have been used for binding, include human skin. Yes, you read that correctly, human skin. Totally morbid, but it's on my bucket list to one day own a book bound in human skin. How crazy is that? Here's a picture of one from the collection of the Harvard Law Library.

Anyway.

So, as you can imagine, things got complicated over time. Books were published more and more often and I can only imagine it became more and more difficult to distinguish the works of one author from another when you have ugly brown/black covers all over the place. Someone eventually had the bright idea that in order to make a book stand out, they were going to need to utilize all that blank space on the front of a cover. So... with the eighteenth century equivalent of a rhinestone gun, the creature minds got to work. Jewels, paints, and drawings were used to bring the beauty of a novel onto the outside cover. Bringing covers, as we now know them, to life.

You guys have probably seen covers like those above before. They're beautiful works of art and are really just as much an expression of art in human history as they are book covers. With these covers we now have something both useful and aesthetically pleasing. You could sell your books (well you weren't selling your books, but that's another topic for another day) and people would know it was yours, how awesome!

By the mid nineteenth century, another new trend had emerged: dust covers. Or 'book jackets' as we often call them now. Early dust jackets were printed cloth that was only meant to protect the novel from the place of production/purchase to home. At that time, the cloth (and later, probably once they realized how wasteful the cloth was, paper) would be disposed of. These early dust jackets were only meant to protect the book, but were quickly found to be excellent promotional materials. The use of dust jackets has persisted all the way to today, where they are common among most all hardback novels. If you're interested in learning more about the history of dust jackets, there's an entire website and museum collection devoted to them. Check it out at the British Library Dust Jackets Collection site. Probably the most well-known example of a modern use of dust jackets is the Harry Potter series. Most all readers own the hardback copies of these novels and can see the usefulness of the dust jacket.

It wasn't really until the mid to late nineteenth century that we really began to see the emergence of book covers that we can relate to today. Ones where the cover art showcased what the insides words relayed. Covers that were relevant to the story. And that is where the real fun began.

For obvious reasons, this was kind of a big deal. 

 (These books are worth so much money, ridiculous amounts of money people.)

From very humble beginnings, book covers came from a place of convenience and efficiency and have evolved, slowly, to the covers we know today. While they aren't all attractive, by any means, each cover told a story. Each cover was a labor of love and something both the author and the reader could cherish.

The twentieth century came and the literary world exploded. The vast numbers of high quality literature that came out of the late 1800s left the world with lots to read. From romance to horror, the world was a readers paradise for the first time. Publishers popped up left and right, printing books for the masses. Libraries were stocked, schools were provided for, the world was a bookish place. With literacy rates at an all-time high, the world was ready for the next big thing.

Paperbacks.

Early Penguin paperback. As you'll come to learn, Penguin played one of the biggest roles in the implementation of the paperback novel. 

Gone were the days where a book needed the kinds of protection a hardback would offer. With printing prices on the rise, a new type of print really took off. I intend on one day doing a whole post on the history and impact of the paperback on the literary world, so this part will remain brief. With a paperback novel, printers were able to mass produce a cover and a book in one quick print. They were cheaper to make and easier to transport without sacrificing the quality of the novel within. This also introduced a much easier world of cover design. Much like printing a piece of art, covers could now be designed in any way and printed with ease.

This was an awesome addition to the literary world and one that has, clearly, had one of the largest impact on the book world.

Coming into the later half of the twentieth century, we saw the invention of computers, bringing with it the developing software and machinery to really push publishing into the next stage of evolution. The field of graphic design grew, propelling us to today, the twenty first century.

As you can clearly see, the book world has undergone some massive changes over the years. It's nothing close to the world it was in its' infancy. Like all things, a continued evolution of human society and civilization, in addition to emerging technologies, will continue to alter the book world. 

According to 'Google's Advanced Algorithms', there are over 129,864,880 published novels in the world today. That's nearly one hundred and thirty million, and growing each and every day. That's 130 million covers to see! What are you waiting for? Get to looking!

*****

To be continued next week...

The Curious Case of the Creative Cover Part Two:

The Current State of the Cover Market

I just threw a whole lot of information at you guys and I hope you were able to not only follow along, but learn a bit about the history of book covers. This topic started as a discussion about what I like/don't like out of book covers, but I thought it was important for us to fully understand the purpose of a cover before I tear into my critiquing them. This will be my first 'two-part' series. Next week's post will dive into my thoughts on the current state of the cover market and, trust me, I have many. 

I hope my historical tirade hasn't bored any of you to death quite yet. Did you learn something in today's post? What did you find most interesting? In the comments below, share with me your favorite old time-y book cover info. Maybe a favorite novel in it's early state. I'll be continuing this discussion over on Facebook where I will be hosting a giveaway for one lucky discussion participant! 

Head over to our Facebook page by following the links in the top right-hand corner of the blog to join the discussion!

Be sure to comment below with your thoughts! Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Hey friends! In case you missed my big announcement last week, I have some absolutely incredible news! I am honored to announce that One Guy's Guide to Good Reads was nominated for Best Blog of the Year at UtopYA! The UtopYA Awards honor the best of the best within the literary world and I am beyond blessed to be up for consideration. Nobody is quite sure how my name got thrown up in there, so.... I encourage everyone to go vote before they realize the error ;)

Also, while you are there, cast your votes for some of my all-time favorite authors! If you have questions, please don't hesitate to shoot me a message! Voting is open until Thursday 5/21! Don't forget to vote! Share with your friends and get the word out! There are some incredible nominees this year and I cannot wait to see who walks home with an award!

I cannot thank you all enough for your constant support over the past year! God Bless and Happy Reading (and Voting)!

**Follow the link below to cast your vote**

http://bit.ly/voteutopyaawards2015