4 ms·
Theoretically, the wide availably of user-reviews on sites like Amazon and GoodReads, should allow unknown writers to gain visibility and reach the full market
by whack 8y ago
Theoretically, the wide availably of user-reviews on sites like Amazon and GoodReads, should allow unknown writers to gain visibility and reach the full market of readers who would enjoy that book. The fact that JK Rowling has failed in her anonymous writings, points towards the great opportunity that still exists for platforms/apps that can surface great books from unknown authors.
On a tangential note, it would be amazing if the guild/union of authors collectively agreed that all books will be published anonymously for the first year, with the author's name only revealed after the first year anniversary. This would allow newer authors to step out from the shadow of the established ones. I doubt this will ever happen of course, but I think we would see so much more dynamism in the industry if it ever did.
- underwater 8y agoSolving the visibility problem is only a problem for uneatablished authors, not readers. I would guess that most people are happy to read something from an author hey know rather than taking a chance on another author who is “better”.
- SuoDuanDao 8y agoI would fall outside your supposition - the few creators whose work is so good I know I'll enjoy it don't produce as much media as I consume. All else being equal I'd prefer novelty when taking a chance on content. I actually thought that was the default.
- whack 8y agoThe visibility problem affects the readers as well. Consider the ~million readers who enjoyed reading the Bachman/King books after the author's identity was revealed. There are probably a 100 other "Bachmans" out there whose books they would have enjoyed reading as well, possibly even more than their favorite King books. Except that because of the author's lack of visibility, they never discovered these works. Yes, the readers aren't "losing" anything. But nevertheless, they have still missed out on something they would have enjoyed.
- underwater 8y agoI'm sure that there is a bit of "wine tasting" effect. Knowing that a brand-name author wrote a book probably makes it more seem better to many readers. But even outside of that, the reader isn't really missing out by not experiencing the best author. Many light reading experiences are fungible, even if there are some quality differences. I read the "Robert Galbraith" books. I would have never read it if I hadn't known that J. K. Rowling wrote the book. But I wouldn't have felt like I was missing out, I would have just read some other detective novel instead and been equally as satisfied.
- maehwasu 8y ago> On a tangential note, it would be amazing if the guild/union of authors collectively agreed that all books will be published anonymously for the first year, with the author's name only revealed after the first year anniversary. This would allow newer authors to step out from the shadow of the established ones. I doubt this will ever happen of course, but I think we would see so much more dynamism in the industry if it ever did. The much, much more likely outcome would be a massive surge in interest for textual similarity analyses.
- hamilyon2 8y agoAnd then in gaming them!