Wordbeams Closes
By Susan Bodendorfer
While many of you have heard that Wordbeams will be closing its Web site on December 31, others either don't know, or have only heard rumors. I'd like to set the record straight.
It's true--the Wordbeams Web site will close after December 31, 2002, due to medical necessity. This is, in fact, the ONLY reason that I would even consider closing Wordbeams, the company I gave birth to at the end of 1999 and nurtured into a publishing house that has earned the respect of the industry and my authors, and enjoys a fine, untarnished reputation for excellence and professionalism that helped catapult it to the upper echelon of the independent e-publishers. (Hey, I'm closing down, so I have the right to toot my own horn just a bit! LOL)
Sadly, our industry has experienced a rash of extremely unfortunate scenarios involving the closing of some less than professional e-pubs who've treated their authors shabbily, left their authors to fend for themselves without much notice (if any), and, in some cases, have withheld payment of royalties, as well as created a host of other problems. This disgusts me. I think it's unconscionable and I would NEVER want Wordbeams mistakenly lumped into this category.
Here are the facts concerning the Wordbeams closing:
I have a musculoskeletal autoimmune disease that causes severe inflammation of both soft and hard tissue. Because I was experiencing severe pain, a battery of tests were done and the results showed that part of my spine has fused together and other parts are deteriorating. This has been worsened by sitting in a chair for 15 to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for more than 2 years now.
Basically, I was told that my job is killing me and that if I want to save my health and reduce further injury, I mustn't sit for more than 4 hours a day, 5 days a week--with long breaks at each hour. Otherwise my future wouldn't be a very pleasant one.
There's just no way I could operate Wordbeams that way and maintain the quality for which it's known. Without those 15 to 18 hours a day, the work simply wouldn't get done. Like most independent e-pubs, it's basically just me working out of my home, wearing a dozen or so different hats, with a bit of freelance or volunteer help here and there. I know full well that many of the e-pubs who've been around for a while can understand exactly what I'm talking about. ;-)
My authors have always been of primary importance to me, so I wanted to give them as much notice about the closing as possible and told them about this just a few days after my doctor visit in the first week of October. My announcement was understandably difficult for all concerned.
I'd like to commend and thank the other e-publishers who, upon learning of the circumstances surrounding the Wordbeams closing, opened their cyber-doors to our authors, allowing them to submit their soon to be orphaned books for consideration. This they did even though most of them were closed for submissions, or were so busy themselves that they could barely see straight. Don't ever let anyone tell you that we don’t have some exceptionally warm, caring, and professional people in this industry. I've always looked at the other e-publishers as a part of my community, rather than as competitors. In order to succeed in this struggling field, I've always believed that we must come together and help each other, rather than to adopt a cutthroat attitude.
So many have asked me why I didn't sell Wordbeams so that it could continue.
Yes, I've had some offers for mergers or for buyouts, but I'm not interested. Wordbeams is my "baby" and, quite honestly (and with no offense meant to anyone else <g>), I just don't think anyone else could or would run it with the same love, devotion, and attention to detail that I did. It would be awful to see the Wordbeams name taken over by someone else and perhaps watch the company deteriorate. Remember what happened to Bookmice? I shudder to think of something like that tarnishing the good name of Wordbeams--or having something terrible like that happen to my authors. I've been fortunate enough to gain respect and a fine reputation in the industry--so, when Wordbeams closes, it goes out on top. <g> I think that's the best way to do it.
While I'm not going to disappear and will continue to have an online presence, I will be drastically cutting down the time I spend at the computer.
Yes, this is tough--rather like losing an extremity, because Wordbeams is my"baby"--but I'm going to come through this just fine. I'm a survivor and I know that when one door closes, another opens. ;-) To reiterate once more,the ONLY reason I'd consider doing this is for health--not money (or, considering the industry, should I say the LACK of money? LOL!) or pessimism about the industry. I LOVE e-publishing and KNOW that it will be a great success in the future. Yes, it will take time and a lot of patience, but I always knew that, right from the beginning. If you all hang in there, your efforts, perseverance, and faith in the industry will pay off--believe me.
It may take a few years, but ask yourself--where would you be in a few years anyway if you bailed out now? Stick with it and you'll be rewarded in the future.
Finally, I'm always asked if I believe e-books will one day take the place of print books. No, I believe e-books will eventually be an accepted and popular alternative when the public is educated about e-books and their benefits. We sometimes forget that most people still don't have any idea what an e-book is! <g> I believe handheld readers need to be vastly improved and brought down in price so that they're a viable option for the average consumer. And I believe that the dozens of formats out there now are hurting the industry and causing confusion and headaches among potential readers as well as industry insiders. One or two standard formats needs to be decided on so that ALL books purchased can be read on ALL handheld devices. Just my two-cents. <vbg>
You already know that I love e-books, but how do I feel about print books?(I'm asked that all the time.) I love them, too! In fact, I have hundreds and continue to acquire more. It's just not an "either-or" thing tome--never was and never will be. You don't have to love one and hate the other. It's not a loyalty issue. There's plenty of room for print and electronic to coexist and to complement each other beautifully. Books are books, whether in electronic format or print. I'm just an incurable book junkie and always will be. I adore reading. And I adore writing (which I'm eager to get back to).
I've so very much enjoyed getting to know and to work with my authors, as well as so many others in the e-publishing community. What a wonderful cyber-family I've had these last couple of years. It's been a ball! Thank you all for being such an important part of my life and for helping to make Wordbeams the great company that it is.
Copyright (c) 2002 by Susan Bodendorfer, Publisher Wordbeams.
- An interview we did with Susan at the beginning of her company.
- Epublishing series by C. T. Atherton.
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