The Writing Center

…Charles Bock and Random House are offering his novel, Beautiful Children, for free online — you can download the PDF here for the next two days.

I can certainly see why authors and publishers find this a good move — any free content draws both publicity and readers, and I imagine that most readers who like the book would buy a traditional copy anyway, especially those who want it signed (let’s hope readers don’t show up at Bock’s signings with printouts of the PDF).

Granted, this is an author who doesn’t need any publicity — he’s gotten tons of pre-publication buzz, and his book is already on the NYT bestseller list. But it’ll be interesting to see if his ranking goes up or down, thanks to the giveaway.

Authors who are thinking of starting a blog might want to check out this post on BookSquare in which Kassia Krozser writes, “I believe that most authors should not blog, especially if they’re accepting the messy diarist definition of blogging.”

This may come as a surprise to authors (and publishers) who are counting on blogs, in part, to draw interest toward their books. But as Krozser notes, “Sad truth: most people are not good at writing about daily trials and tribulations with wit, verve, and voice. It’s hard work, and for many authors, it’s the opposite of what they prefer to write. Good blogging is good writing, but not everyone can or should do it.”

She makes a very good point (and I’m becoming quite self-conscious myself as I write this post). But for those authors who simply must blog, I wouldn’t go far as to say you need to give it up (and neither does Krozser) — but if you’re worried about cringing readers, try keeping it short (note how short some of these Writing Center posts are; enough said).

An even better idea is Krozser’s suggestion that authors should use everything that blogging systems have to offer, not just the ability to publish words: “Stop thinking of blogs as this one thing and start thinking of blogs as the tool you need to accomplish your goals. It’s your career, you know, and you have the power to make sure you’re creating the right impression when people seek and find you.”

Offering a book free online has proven (so far) that books aren’t yet going the way of the VHS — this AP story about Suze Orman’s book Women & Money, which Oprah made available on her web site, notes that while more than 1.1 million copies of the book were downloaded free, the traditional version is still selling — and it’s selling very well.

As Norton publisher Drake McFeely indicated, an Oprah endorsement would likely make publishers agreeable to offering free content; otherwise, they’re still wary of the free stuff hurting traditional book sales. But while it’s nice to get things for free, there’s nothing like having a real book to curl up with. (This is coming from someone who actually still has a VHS — but that’s another story.) Here’s better proof: As the AP reports, Orman’s book ranked No. 6 on Amazon.com as of Saturday, and the paper edition of “The 9-11 Commission Report,” published by Norton in 2004, spent months on the bestseller list.

I’ve been neglecting The Writing Center lately — but only because I’ve been spending my time reading and chatting away at San Diego Writers Online. So whenever our Writing Center gets a little quiet, visit this online forum hosted by San Diego Writers, Ink, where you can read about all things local and literary — from a discussion on whether winning contests can help you get published, to how important it is to be “media-genic,” to how to choose what to read during your three minutes at SDWI’s First Friday.

Enjoy.