By Dave Weich
Kids won’t want to read books written by other kids? Who says? Must have been an adult.
“Over the past five years,” Elissa Gootman reported in the March 31 New York Times, “print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self-publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to bypass the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who can call himself a ‘published author.’”
Dave Weich: “Since when are kids only interested in ‘meaningful’ fiction?
“Critics say it is wonderful to start writing at a young age,” Gootman continues, “but worry that self-publishing sends the wrong message.”
The wrong message for whom? As messages go, I’m okay with telling kids that it’s alright to apply your fledgling passions, creativity, and discipline toward the achievement of a tangible, rewarding goal. Formatting a book hardly guarantees its author readership. Gootman makes that clear. No one’s promising wealth or fame. So who loses here?
