[ SECRET POST #5036 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5036 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 34 secrets from Secret Submission Post #721.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

(cozy werewolf anon)

I really feel you on this one tabaqui, limited budget, not being able to get to bookstores, (too sick to get to the library,) and especially about the sci-fi section. The way bookstores buy books for the scifi fantasy section is insane. Do we need an entire shelf dedicated to Ben Bova? Why is Asimov turned out? Why are we stocking 3 versions of the Tolkien novels? Then when you walk through the bookstore itself and see these long shelves of "Sale" books. They aren't putting out new voices or there are new voices but the bookstores aren't stocking them. (Forcing you to go to Amazon. Ugh.)

As an indie, it's an effort not to cry. So much wasted space on older authors. COVID is making this worse. Debuts are being dropped so established authors can earn out their advances.

When I was working I think I bought close to a dozen authors and their first three books in their series. I didn't really end up keeping any of them b/c they ALL had issues. I passed them on. I don't even want to keep up with Butcher anymore. I'm like "I'm done. You waited too long." Trad Pub puts out a lot of crap too.

You aren't alone on the defensive and huffy.

[tabaqui]

Right? For the love of fuck, you can buy Asimov, et al, at any used bookstore, and if you *need* a brand new copy, that's fine, but do we have to have EVERY SINGLE BOOK EVER? Asimov, Bova, Nivan, Edison - sure, they're popular writers, but damnit, make some room!

And order something NEW and INTERESTING.

The newest book series I have been reading and actually buying is the Expanse series, because it is EXCELLENT, EPIC sci fi. I buy books (when i buy books) at Better World Books online. Indie with a huge stock of used and out of print, carbon-free, cheap or free shipping, the donate books to countries around the world, and they donate to literacy programs, *and* you can drop off books in collection boxes (in big cities) or mail them books you don't want anymore and they'll resell or donate. I luff them.

But yeah - I can read and re-read Brideshead Revisted a dozen more times (i read it at least twice a year), but then reading 100 fan-fics about Steve & Bucky isn't going to...what...negate that?

[(Anonymous)]

(Cozy werewolf anon, again.)

Ohhh, I'll tell dad about the website. My mom is buying used McCaffery books. (He built her a library shed. My mother is spoiled. I am jealous.)

I'll keep the Expanse series in mind if I get KU this Christmas. (So far, that is the plan b/c I am having a HARD time with the free indie stuff getting good stuff to read most of it I got on 'sales' so it's not all permafree stuff and my wishlist is huge. If I have KU... yeah.)

No. Reading fanfic isn't going to negate you rereading your novels. I mean. Come on.

Just, there are big issues in publishing and giving these HUGE advances out that authors CAN'T reasonably earn out is one of them. So, they don't get a lot of new authors. And then book buyers sometimes seem to buy more for schools than you know, actual fans of the genre.

I go to reddit and everyone is going "read Pratchett, read Sanderson, read Le Guin" and it's like, 'um, how about, I dunno, people who aren't these huge names everyone knows?' And Amazon algorithms/search functions don't help anyone. And goodreads is bad... just... bad.

I'm sitting on a ton of general frustration right now. At least while reading fanfic I can usually find something to scratch my ID while my head hurts and I'm tired and doesn't you know, add to my frustration like picking up a random trad/indie book might. I'm probably going to hit at least 100 indie books this year I couldn't finish.

So yeah. Thanks for letting me vent a little.

[tabaqui]

Aw, no worries. I feel the same. I *love* reading. I read for 99 percent of my entertainment, always have. I hate that I can't go to the bookstore and find awesome stuff to read all the time.

When I was a kid, and a teen - books were everywhere, there was so much to read! Now, it feels like I've read most of the 'classic' stuff that interests me, and most of the new stuff I attempt to read is just...boring, or tropey, or bashing me in the face with het, or grimdarkargh.

Fanfiction, yes, entertains me and caters to my wants in reading, period.

Also try the Murderbot series - it is also some excellent sci fi. I'm waiting to (hopefully) get some xmas book money to get more of the series.

[(Anonymous)]

(Cozy werewolf anon)

LOL sometimes I feel like one of the most boring people in existence. "What do you do for fun? I read books and write fanfic?" "What do you do for work? I read/review and write/edit indie books?" Like, it's just what I love doing. (I mean I also enjoy doing fashion design/illustration but most of my time is reading and writing.)

Even ten years ago it felt like there was so much different STUFF on shelves. Maybe I had a good buyer at my store. I dunno. Maybe bookstores overdid it cutting back in fear of kindle stuff. Millennials are BUYING books from stores, if we can actually get good stuff. And that seems to be the sticky bit lately. Especially in genre fiction.

I will confess I think I spent several hours trying to find a cozy fall romance fic I'd read a couple years ago. I found it! (Not the way I expected at all.) And it made me happy b/c it was the type of fic I wanted to read in October. I then promptly saved it to my harddrive b/c omg I was not going through that again!

[tabaqui]

Yeah, a lot of it is down to a good buyer or a good librarian(s). Last time I went into my local library, I was like....where are all the shelves?

It seems they have gotten rid of a lot of stuff or something, because half the floor space was bare. ARGH.

I mostly slooowly rebuy old favorites (much like your fanfic search) that I used to have and don't now, or buy up the books of authors that were really hard to find back in 'the day', like Tanith Lee.

I suppose I should be grateful that my very favorite author pretty much publishes only once a year, so at least I'm not missing out her stuff all the time.....