Rant 245 1/9/12 Subject: So many crap books

Rant number 245

Today, on the off chance that I might spot a gem (as I have (very) infrequently in the past,) I popped into one of those budget book shops. I think in Huddersfield alone there are around 3 of these shops, selling what my mother describes as 'books made to be sold as budget books.'

To elaborate what I mean, you get shops that sell clearance books (which are oft times proper books, sold at a discounted rate) and you get books that look like they were never intended to be anything more than very cheap.

I just don't understand why there is a call for these books really. It's mad that they should make books to sell for cheap. Surely you want your product to take off and fly - not fizzle along selling a book a week until they run out?

I love books and like nothing to sit down with a good one. I particularly like discovering a new author to obsess with! The thing is that most often these book shops do not sell anything that looks remotely readable. I genuinely don't know how the places stay in business!

Not everyone can be an author, it takes skill, pain and practice - like anything worth doing. Surely though, these publishers could be a little more tenacious in approaching the right people?

The thing that annoys me you see, is that - in my finite lifetime I will only have a chance to read so many books - along with all the other stuff I need to be doing. This being the case, I want them to be good books! Not cheap rubbish ones!
And the problem with them being so many rubbish ones being published is, theres a chance that statistically some of the bad ones are going to creep their way down into my hands and into my eyes!

I say keep away bad books - and certainly stop dedicating shops specially to them!

Rant over.