4.14.10: Statistical Aftermath
On April 9, the Association of American Printers (AAP) issued a press release, stating that the domestic net eBook sales for February 2010 rose a startling 339% from the month previous and gathered in just under 29 million dollars for the month. An impressive figure, considering that adult hard covers garnered $80 million during the same period, paperbacks $106 million. These particular sales numbers for eBooks do not even count the burst of digital literature downloads from March’s debut of the iPad, so I–among others–am agog with anticipation for next month’s statistics.
Such news seems to invoke in me a burst of creative enthusiasm or, at least, it causes my hibernating writing inklings to renew themselves in a body. Additional “typing time” has been discovered in the cracks of the floor and behind the couch cushions; our unfinished eNovels–which reside in both note form and various Word files–have been unearthed, re-read, pondered, and added to considerably in the last week. If online literary message boards are any indication, then we are not the only eBook writers taking note of the February Frenzy. Because consumers of literature have shown themselves both able and willing to read a plethora of eBooks, then writers–and also those whom have never thought of taking up the pen before now–may find the opportunity simply too delicious to pass by unheeding.
In springtime, however, I sometimes wonder if I am not at a slight disadvantage than many of my fellow novelists, being already immersed in a seasonal “temporary insanity,” which seems to beset all gardeners. Lately, my available time soaks directly in the black soil of the backyard, verses being expended in front of the PC… especially since my trusty HP laptop’s battery-pack gave out sometime last summer. The garden’s allure is not the only force which vies for my attention; beyond its earthy borders exist three other realms, all of which voice throaty demands: the living souls within our four walls, the usual housework and diurnal cooking sessions. Also–as a book reviewer–at any given moment, I am quite aware of a stack of tomes sitting upon my desk, waiting patiently for individual perusal and opinions rendered thereof.
Nevertheless, the writer within remains unquiet. Writer industry news acts much like a troubador’s melodic call for wide-eyed Inspiration to awaken from its slumber and make a round of appropriate suggestions. Because it has been almost a year since my husband and I last completed a new eBook, this stastic-borne call to action is most welcome and will be put to use with all expediency.
–Meredith Greene
Meredith Greene has been a reviewer for SBR/SFBR since April of 2009; a wife of thirteen years, mother of four and self-published novelist. She, nevertheless, finds time for poetry, blogs, home projects, and gardening.
Come on over and read what Meredith has to say about home, gardening, and other general musings in her SBR column Greene Ink.
Visit Meredith’s website www.BelatorBooks.com.
