OOpppSSSS is that the time...sheesh!

Oh dear, it would appear that I'm a bit late getting this one up, so late that when I remembered it, I had to leap up out of bed and come write it up now. Here in Ireland its 2.11a.m. in the morning. I am that dedicated lol. 

I think in the Business of Being an AUTHOR, one needs to define what an author is. I chose this A subject to begin with because I'm always seeing people debate online what is and isn't an author. The simple answer to that question, is some one that has something published.

By that I mean a short story, a poem, a novel, even an article in a published news paper or magazine (local or online), an anthology, as vanity press, self published or traditionally published. All these count, and if you've done even one of these then you are an author.

 Following on from that, anyone that writes anything at all fiction, non fiction, journal updates, articles, reports, even academic essays can call themselves a writer (yes, I will include diary entries in this as well). Just as e-books are books and audio books are books and listening to them, is considered reading (I know that without them my dyslexic wife couldn't have read a good many of the Discworld books with me).

But I digress...

A is also for Amazon, the dreaded company that seems to have spread it's wings all around the world and has enabled those who have self published, or even used vanity press, to print and sell their books. Traditional Publishing is always the goal, but so few make it across the line, or even out of the slush pile. 

I publish my eBooks and paperbacks on and through Amazon, but it doesn't stop me purchasing books from the brick and mortar stores around me. There isn't a local bookstore, but I do love my local library, I also buy books from Eason's (though they seem to be ditching a lot of their books, I also buy from O'Mahony's book store, Vibes and Scribes in Cork, as well as Waterstones in Cork, and Charlie Byrnes in Galway. Online I buy them from whom ever can get it to me the quickest, which of course means a good many of these bookstores and more.

People who publish with Amazon, or Kobo, or any other E-Book supplier, aren't bad writers. On the contrary, I have found many great writers there, and many excellent books for free. I've even found classics and some trad published authors as well. 

Okay, I'll step down from that particular soap box.

Now, you have two A's for the price of one....how did your first letter go?

TWW