guest post: Author Scott Nicholson

I would like to welcome Scott Nicholson, a Paranormal Thrillers author to Darlyn & Books. I've read one of his amazing book, The Red Church and you can read my review here.

The New Era of Reading

You probably grew up with paper books if you’re reading this blog. If you are like me, you probably get nostalgic over the smell of a book, or remember the bright colors on the pages of your first books and the great feeling of sitting on a lap while someone read to you.

But nearly one in 10 books sold is now a digital book, and the revolution is gathering speed. I’d dabbled in ebooks six or seven years ago, and like most people, I didn’t want to sit at a computer and read a book. I wasn’t keeping up with technology, and the Kindle has now met readers and readers at a place called “affordable convenience.”

When I experimented by putting out The Red Church in January, it was almost an act of desperation. The book had been out of print for five years, even though it had sold very well, and my last book on the shelves was in 2007. The publishing industry had changed so much that I wasn’t sure my books would work there any more, and even if I did, the wait would mean it would probably be 2012 before I had another book out.

The Red Church immediately found a new audience and that was very satisfying—not just a chance to get some sales and make income, but a chance to share that story and those ideas with readers. And that is the biggest advantage of the digital age: all work can be available instantly, all over the world, at all times. I was so pleased with the reaction and the ability to connect with readers again that I put out two original paranormal thrillers: Drummer Boy and Speed Dating with the Dead, as well as the suspense thriller The Skull Ring and three story collections. I love it.

More than anything, I love the instant new community of readers and writers I’ve found through ebooks and primarily the Kindle. Readers can email me in the middle of the book and are not just shaping the commercial landscape, they are helping create the content by sharing what they like and don’t like.

With my wife at a comic convention.
She's only read one of my books but I love her anyway.

In fact, I am working on a new idea that will put readers right into the book if they want. And readers also benefit from the digital age because they have more power over pricing than ever before, and their purchases will directly influence the market. I’ve heard wonderful stories about the ability to change text sizes that has helped people with vision impairment rediscover books, and teachers taking Kindles into classrooms. I am embarking on a Kindle giveaway tour from September through November, because the device has launched Act II of my career. You can learn details here.

You don’t have to fear change—digital books are putting the future in your hands.

About the author

Scott Nicholson is an author of 12 novels, four story collections, six screenplays, and four comics series. He’s also a freelance writer and journalist in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

You can visit his web site HERE

Thanks so much Scott for your time at Darlyn & Books! I really agree with him. An E-Reader would probably change our reading, in a good way. I will need to get one though. =)