Accounting for taste

Interesting post over on the UK Historical Romance blog (scroll down to the post headlined 'There's no accounting for taste' on 30 December 2005).
The author argues that current commercial publishing is too focussed on fast-selling books and is failing to produce interesting authors, particularly in historical fiction. She says "Don't forget, fellow authors - when you sell your first book, you are not selling to the reading public, you are selling to agents and publishers. When the public gets to know you, then you can create demand and write what you want to write, but until then, you are not selling to the public". Rather a bleak prospect, I think, for both reader and writer.

However, she then goes on to talk in the post and in the comment thread about the developing importance of the internet in connecting writers directly to readers. The Grumpy Old Bookman discussed some examples of this on 20 December. Then on 22 December he followed up with the example of Gerard Jones, who has made his book Ginny Good available on his website for anyone to read or listen to as an audiobook. The internet means you can write what you want to write. You may not get paid for it, but if you hope for readers, rather than for an income, the choice is there.

Now there's an inspiring thought to take into a New Year.