Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Indie vs. Mass Produced


The other day I was talking with my sister and she asked me what mystery books she should look for the next time she went to the local used bookstore, I paused and in that moment I realized that I couldn't recommend any to her. But not because I didn't know any good mystery books she would like, but because I haven't read any mass produced mystery books in quite a while.

Now allow me to clarify something here. By mass produced I mean those lovely little paperbacks that we can so readily get our hands on by walking into our neighborhood bookstore or whatever brick and mortar place you buy books. By Indie I mean any book that you can't get your little hands on by walking into one of the said above locations. This could be any books that are self published or even published by small publishers. Either way you can't get your hands on a paperback instantly. (I know that is pretty vague, but that's how I see things).

And that got me thinking about my book choices. Before I got a kindle and discovered the amazing world of Indie books I read 100% mass produced books. Naturally, that was my only option at that point. When I first got my kindle I probably read 75% mass produced books and 25% Indie.

Now a little over a year later I realized that I probably read 90% Indie and 10% mass produced. And that totally took me by surprise.

Well not by total surprise I knew it was happening, I knew that I was physically reading less mass produced books as I still have a ton of them on my shelf sitting unread. Now it's not that I don't like to read mass produced books, cause I do. It's just that it seems I pay less and less attention to them the longer I am a blogger and the more I get to know the world of Indie (and all it entails).

I think it is really fascinating how a person can go from one end of the spectrum to the other in a year. I think it is time for me to make a bigger attempt at reading some more mass produced books. (I tell myself that, but will I actually do it is the question) Well I guess only time will tell.

So what is your reading like? Do you tend to lean towards one more than the other? Split pretty evenly or really don't pay attention?

Sit down sometime and take a look at what you read, it just might surprise you. I know it did me.

2 comments:

  1. I read mass-produced books more than Indie. I only read Indie books when the authors/publishers contact me for book reviews. But your switch from reading more Indie than mass-produced is quite interesting. What made you switch?

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    1. I think I might be in the minority on this one. lol

      You know, I really don't know what made me switch. I just started discovering all these really amazing Indie books and incredible Indie Authors and fell in love with them. I wanted nothing more than to support that section of the book world. I didn't mean to push out mass produced books, it just sort of happened that way.

      I still try to read mass produced books by authors that I love, but I noticed that half the time when I pick them up they just sit there. It's strange, but sometimes I think these Indie books are better than most mass produced books I read and it makes me wonder why those authors are published by big companies and not some of these small time authors.

      Lol....I'm not even sure I really answered your question. I guess the truth is I don't really know. But I will keep thinking on that maybe one day I will have an answer. :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

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