Booked in

For over 30 years I ran a small independent book publishing company in Edinburgh, retiring in 2001. Since then, the book trade has witnessed the rise of the eBook reader, allowing books to be downloaded in minutes.

The question often asked is, will the eBook market become flooded with self-published rubbish and how will we separate the wheat from the chaff?’ Word of mouth is a reliable means of recommending anything and I believe this will also apply to the eBook. For example, I’ve just finished reading Catherine Czerkawska’s novel Bird of Passage, set on an island in the Inner Hebrides, Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It’s the best novel I’ve read in a long time and it’s available as an eBook for just £1.90.

It seems the author decided to self-publish after failing to attract interest via traditional publishing routes. I am delighted that such a fine piece of writing has not been suppressed. These are interesting times for the literary onlooker. I can only feel grateful I am observing these changes from the book reader’s side of the fence.

Gordon Wright

Mayfield Road

Edinburgh