Why would anyone want to write a book nearly two decades and a half into the new millennium?
It seemed like a more viable thing back in the 80s when electronic books (weird writing that out isn’t it?) didn’t exist, television (also weird seeing that written out) was the sole screen we had for in-home entertainment and telephones (slightly weird) still had cords attached to them. The public wouldn’t gain access to the Internet until the 90s. Yes, it was a different time and books seemed to carry more weight in the education and entertainment space.
As we’ve seen, time changes everything. Having a computer in that era was a sign of luxury. Now, we have phones (with screens and without cords) that cost twice as much (or more) than many of the budget TVs on the market. Antenna, cable or VHS movies were the only way to watch movies and TV shows. Today, any screen serves as a vessel for digital content.
As you can see, books had much less competition in my childhood years. My parents had a massive bookshelf (enough to cover a living room wall) with amble space for hardcover books from multiple genres. It felt like having a mini library at home. Today, I could use my fingers to count the number of friends who have a bookshelf bursting with books. The same goes for those with the plastic towers lined with CDs or the shelves with rows of DVDs and Blu-rays.
On a similar note, how many large-scale, brick-and-mortar bookstores do you see these days? Twenty years ago, you could find a Barnes & Noble or Borders close to any shopping center. Today, you might find one Barnes & Noble if you expand your search to a 50-mile radius. At least there’s still a decent number of independent bookstores, but not as abundant as before.
So we come back to the original question? Why write a book (or plan to craft several more) in today’s marketplace? Naturally, I don’t think books will fade away or lose their luster entirely. After all, the first printed books appeared during the Tang Dynasty between 618 and 907 AD in China, so the medium has proven longevity.
But when you speak with today’s youth to gauge their interests, books and reading rarely come up. The general, unscientific consensus is many of today’s youth have their hearts set on being a YouTube star or influencer. Perhaps I should jump into that saturated market and see if I can carve out a new niche. It seems to be all the rage these days.
In the end, though, why write a book? The landscape is not what it was, and traditional publishing is only getting harder to crack. Why? Why? Why? Because I love it. It’s a lengthy, sometimes grueling process, but I love the joy of creating new stories. I love diving into the nuances of my characters. I love digging deep into fascinating concepts and seeing where I can take them. I love adding layers to a simple plot. I love seeing people light up when they visualize the words on I put on the page.
Sharing stories taps into something essential to my being. From verbal stories as a child to countless articles in newspapers and magazines, this element has been with me all my life. A book allows me to share a larger story on a grander scale across time. You never know when someone is going to pick it up. I still see my dad reaching for books all the time from that sizable shelf. Yes, they still have it.
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