I keep hearing this rumor that people don’t read any more.
It’s a scary thought, to a debut author working toward a writing career. If people don’t read, then who will buy my books? I have had a midnight wakeful moment or two, worrying.
A couple of days ago, a co-worker asked me if I’d read a certain book that just happens to have the word Grey in the title. A few days before that, I received a Facebook message from a friend I haven’t spoken to in several years asking the same question. Now, while I personally wish they were reading some other book, they are reading, and I took their question as an opportunity to refer them to The Siren, by Tiffany Reisz. I figure all of those Fifty Shades lovers out there are going to need more books to satisfy the craving, which means they will be buying and reading more books. By other authors.
And people are reading other books. All the time. Everywhere.
Yesterday, when I was in talking to my supervisor about something, I noticed a hardcover of the new Charlaine Harris sitting on her desk. One of the finance people in our office sits outside during her breaks and reads a book, every single day. Yet another co-worker asked me for recommendations of something to read on vacation.
Even at the Walmart, people are reading. A couple of weeks back my Viking took me to the Walmart photo department to make a poster sized print of the draft artwork for Between. Bless the man, he wanted me to have one on my writing wall, and didn’t want to wait for the final product. Anyway – the woman who helped us with this project said, “will your book be on Kindle? I will buy it. I read a lot of books.” I got a similar response at the shoe store, (yes, there is only one in this town) and at Dress Barn in Spokane from the wonderful woman who helped me choose clothes for writer cons, and from the photographer who took my author photos. All of them interested in books, all of them readers.
Small town, small cross section, but I figure if there are people reading here, in the town of Colville, they are probably reading other places as well.
Even though there is no guarantee that any of these readers will buy my book, I find this comforting.
‘People aren’t reading anymore’ is a scary thought for writers. If no one is going to read my books, what the heck am I writing them for? And then I stop and think about it. Like many rumors, this one is nasty and false. Thanks for reminding me of that. I may not see other people reading around this little burg, but I know they’re out there. Someone’s buying the books that disappear from the grocery store shelves. Other people are filling up the parking lot at the library. They’re out there. They’re just hiding inside, like me – reading. ;o)
Yes, people are reading.
One evening I was on the Max (Portland commuter train) and it was pretty full. Looking down the isle I counted six people reading tree books and three more reading e books, plus a couple reading news papers. There were basically as many people reading as there were people doing things on smart phones or lap top computers (and some of them may have been reading too).
I’m pretty sure there will never be as many people reading as I’d like, But I seriously think rumors of reading’s demise h ave bee greatly exaggerated.
I’m remembering that movie scene the village of readers, was that in Fahrenheit 451? – The village of Book people, all reading and each memorizing at least one book – in it’s entirely.
Thanks for this, Kerry.
I agree. People reading, everywhere.