As we [as in the Sky Warrior Books authors] start to promote our books we are doing a blog tour, where we are writing posts for each others blogs, and then reposting them on our own. Here is my one that has just gone up on the Sky Warrior Books Blog:

For The Love Of A Good Story

From our guest blogger, Michael J. Parry, author of the upcoming novel, The Spiral Tattoo, published by Sky Warrior Books:

Apparently, or so I found out recently, there is some antagonism between authors publishing in e-print format and those in hard copy. I never knew.

Where did I discover this you ask? When an author with a traditional paper contract blasted other authors for referring to hard copy editions as “dead tree” or “legacy” formats. Evidently those authors using this terminology are disparaging and demeaning the hardcopy editions.

For myself, I thought this was all rather silly. I don’t really like the term “legacy format” but am quite happy to use “dead tree format.” I see it as a term of endearment.  To be honest, I’m not sure I will be truly comfortable calling myself an author until I have a paper copy in my hot hands.

Yet I am really excited about the possibilities that the digital age is reaching new readers. I have a friend who was sceptical about eBooks. She acquired a Kindle and is now buying cheap eBooks from authors she otherwise would never have tried. Indeed she’s finding it difficult to read her paperbacks.

I also love the way the digital world is re-entrenching the audio tradition of storytelling. No longer are audiobooks overly expensive after thoughts provided only for the visually impaired.

In the end though arguing over format is unimportant and misses the best point. What is important is that our stories, our imaginings, are making their way out into the world.  Isn’t it in the end, all for the love of a good story?