Daniel Errico
December 5, 2011
Post #2770 – 20111205
Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
I have a few questions for you. If for any reason you can’t answer a question, or any questions, or a part of a question, for an undisclosed or even obvious reason, then I don’t know how to feel about it because that’s a really vague excuse.
1. Do you see all of the big six publishers surviving through 2050?
2. In your opinion will children’s books be the last stand for the reign of traditionally published books?
3. Do you find that last question presumptuous?
4. I’m primarily an ebook author with the vast majority of my last 50,000 sales being from digital titles, but I am a devout fan of real books. Do you believe that something is lost by children reading from a screen rather than the visceral experience of opening a book, smelling the materials, and feeling the pages?
5. Do you like vikings or pirates more?
Thanks so much for your time!!
A fan,
Danny
Daniel replies:
1. There are six big publishers? I didn't know that. I see all six, or however many, big publishers being converted into urban poultry-raising facilities within the next 5 to 10 years.
2. I don't understand the question.
3. I don't understand this question either.
4. You had 50,000 sales? Of ebooks? Wow. Pinkwater.com is currently engaged in research and development of a book-smell computer monitor spray, which will be non-toxic, friendly to electronic components, and at the same time a useful screen cleaner.
5. I like vikings and pirates about the same, but identify more with pirates because there were numerous Jewish pirates, and practically no Jewish vikings.
6. (Bonus answer to a question you did not ask.) The main feature of interest about ebooks is that people can create them without recourse to publishers and editors. This can be a good thing in some cases, but most writers need editing. I cite your own ebook, The Journey of the Noble Gnarble, http://thejourneyofthenoblegnarble.tumblr.com/ which has truly spectacular illustrations by Tiffany Turrill, and is a charming homage to Edward Lear, but maybe, possibly, in the personal opinion of this reader, also exemplifies another feature of ebooks, that the author can make them as long as s/he likes with no one to say them nay, or make useful suggestions about pacing, beginning middle and end, and that sort of thing. It may be that the age of ebooks, now dawning, will turn out to be a golden age for freelance editors.
