My
first book was published in 1984 and had the oh-so-exciting title, Creating the Perfect Database. It was
published by a major publisher (Scott-Foresman) and launched a writing career
that has continued for nearly thirty years. Along the way, I moved from
non-fiction to suspense/thrillers and historical adventure. I’ve seen many
authors come and go and a very few remain entrenched in this industry.
And
over the past five years, I have witnessed a revolution.
It
was about five years ago when I made comments during many of my public
appearances that although the rest of the world seemed to be moving full steam
ahead with regard to technological advancements, the major publishers seemed
determined to do things as they always had. But since then, with the wide
acceptance of the Internet and eBooks, small to mid-size publishers haven’t
waited for the Big Guys to take the lead. Instead, they have led the publishing
industry into the next century—with the major publishers following.
I
received an iPad for Christmas. My husband already had one and all my books
have been available (through a smaller press) as eBooks. I thought for a while
that I wanted the feel of a paperback, the smell of the paper, the ease of
carrying it on a plane, in my handbag, on the beach. What caused me to change
my mind is simple. I ran out of space.
Over
the past three years, I have donated hundreds of books to nursing homes,
libraries and schools simply because my bookshelves were overflowing. I would
finish a great book and want to keep it to read again later, only to find that
I had no place to put it. Books were crammed in, some lying sideways across the
tops of others, and many more were stacked on nightstands, end tables and any
available horizontal space. I tried placing a box on the back porch in which to
put books I didn’t think I’d read again; when the box was full, off I went to a
non-profit to donate it. And still those I did want to keep grew and grew and
grew.
I’ve
read several books since the first of the year on my new iPad and I am hooked.
I love the backlighting and the ability to change the font size. But most of
all, I love the fact that I can finish a book and still keep it in the palm of
my hand. It takes up no more space than an invisible speck on a chip I will
never see.
I
am told if the average eBook is 200KB, I can store more than 50,000 books on my
iPad. The knowledge at my fingertips is mind-boggling. What’s more is the way
my grandchildren use it: they are adept at computers by the age of three, they
know intuitively how to move through a book and can even show me how to create
individual libraries and organize them. Their
future is one of electronic books; not of bookshelves crammed full with paper
that can crumble and fade over time. But one of the world at their fingertips;
books provided by anyone who wants to write them, without regard for whether a
few editors think them worthy enough to be published. The authors’ fate is in
their hands.
And
when my grandchildren move—as they will throughout their lives, from home to a
college dorm to perhaps a new job in a new
city
p.m.terrell is the award-winning,
internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books. Vicki's Key, one
of the first books in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, was one of five
finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense) and 2012 USA
Best Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense.) River Passage, an historical work
based on her ancestor's migration to Fort
Nashborough
Prior to becoming a full-time author
in 2002, terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington , DC
She is the co-founder of The Book
'Em Foundation, whose slogan is "Buy a Book and Stop a Crook" and
whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high crime rates and
high illiteracy rates. She founded Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference
and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy and reduce
crime.
For more information on Book 'Em North Carolina
p.m.terrell's website is www.pmterrell.com and her blog is www.pmterrell.blogspot.com.
p.m. will be awarding a Celtic Knot Necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so I e
ncourage you to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/12/virtual-book-tour-dylans-song-by-pm.html
