The story itself drags you in and proves hands down that good writers exist outside of the traditional publisher-author dance floor. The world is engaging, the characters beautifully crafted; it’s a mix of mystery, sci fi and thriller. Oh and no one, it seems, is safe; I’m only just into book two and it seems like anyone, even protagonists, can be killed, no one is immune and that is half the charm.
The printed edition collects the first five installments of the series, the next three are prequels which explain more about the history of the Woolverse and the Silos, heck even the title is a nice little reference of something completely unexpected. The ninth – Dust – is hotly anticipated.
The big draw for me though – as a writer and a reader – is the series humble origins and the fact that Howey retains the digital rights. So, every time someone buys an e-book copy, the money goes straight to him and not to his publishers – who only hold the print rights – and this is an important milestone in digital publishing. It proves that e-books are not just a flash in the pan, that they, even those by indie authors dipping their toes into self-publishing for the first times, are just as legitimate as print publishing has been for the last few centuries.
Of course, while an awesome story to pass onto indie authors, Howey is one of the lucky ones. The heroes of indie publishing who has managed to not only write but also make a handsome living from it, yes the Holy Grail. Okay it probably won’t happen to me or to you but I champion how he encourages other writers to do it for their love of the craft and not for the possible financial reward.
Remember, it’s not about the money, nothing you love ever is and that is the point.
I’m loving Wool, it’s weird and compelling but it’s also a landmark case. Now if Amazon would just post some real stats that don’t focus on the Hugh Howey’s, the EL James’ and all the other best sellers. I want to know – as I’m sure many other indie authors do – how much people, average folk who write because they love it, who write for the stories – actually earn.
Hurry up now Amazon!
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