Something disturbing has been taking place in the near 50 years since I graduated from high school. Fiction books have become an endangered species in traditional publishing. There are many reasons for this. For starters, people just don’t have enough free time. They have to either work two jobs or extra hours just to make ends meet, and have ever increasing commute times. When they do finally get a few hours to themselves, they’re usually too mentally and physically exhausted to immerse themselves in a good book. Other factors such as social media, gaming, and prime time TV also steal away the precious time they need to read. In recent years, major publishers are opting for non-fiction books by politicians, media figures, and celebrities who hire ghost writers to write the book. Unfortunately, that leaves many talented and imaginative fiction writers to depend on self publishing, and promotion which can be very expensive.
There is another point to all of this that should be stressed. It’s much easier than it was years ago to self publish, so many inexperienced, and generally terrible writers are flooding the fiction market with their inadequate books. The experienced writers have to take extra measures to get their works noticed, and make them stand out through clever marketing campaigns, a lot of personal hustle, and acquiring reputable reviews. It can be a big investment that some are unable to afford, and a writer also must be aware of all the scammers who seem to be lurking on every corner, promising a surefire method to sell more books. Non-fiction on the other hand, pretty much sells itself. As mentioned, the author is usually a celebrity or politician that is able to garner a lot of free publicity simply by being a public figure, and having already established name recognition with the general population. People always tend to be fascinated by the lives of the people they idolize, and are eager to hear what they have to say.
Alternately, a good fiction book can take you away from all that everyday reality. It can take you to places you’ve never been where you can meet intriguing characters who are larger than life. Each chapter can offer a new adventure. This is especially important in today’s turbulent society where we all seem to be overdosed on reality. These little ventures into fiction are vital in securing our sanity, as well as expanding our minds to imagine. In today’s world, where we’re constantly dumbed down by our electronic devices, and subliminally brainwashed by the media, and those in authority, it’s a healthy habit to escape into a good fiction book that can offer an alternative view. I can only hope that the population will rediscover the joys of reading a good story once again, and that fiction will once again become a respected medium. Have you read a good fiction book lately?
