For those creative writers who have been discouraged to share their words with the world because of the small chance of becoming published, pick up your pens, there is a new solution.
Jordisbooks.com is a Web site that helps aspiring writers’ stories and poetry available to the public. Arroyo Grande resident Suzanne Morby created the site two months ago.
“A friend of mine, who is an author, said how much of a challenge it is to get into the publishing world,” Morby said. “That’s when we came up with the idea; (it is) a place for the authors to take control of their own destiny and I wanted to create a Web site that was really an asset to the authors.”
Welcome entries include fiction, non fiction, poetry and short stories. Authors can post to the Web site free of charge and visitors can preview the works for free or download for a fee.
Author of “A Story Almost Told,” Rick Karlsruher said Jordis Books helps writers get noticed and he said it is more beneficial than sites that charge a fee for publishing work on their Web sites.
“For being on a site that doesn’t make you pay and pays you it gives you a little more credibility,” he said.
Morby explained that Jordis Books’ main focus is to create an avenue to feature writer’s work but is also a great way for the general public to have access to stories that most likely would not have been available.
Most downloads range from $5 to $10. The price is set by the authors who receive 55 percent of the profit for each download with the remaining 45 percent going to funds for site maintenance.
Two Cal Poly students are helping with the marketing of the Web site for their BUS 464 senior project class.
“I’ve created a marketing sales strategy for the company and then I’ve designed the marketing campaign to actually go in and actually implement everything,” said business administration senior Ian Toner.
His plan has included looking for talent among his Cal Poly peers; visiting different campus writing clubs and majors. He’s already contacted the English, communication studies and journalism departments but said all majors are encouraged to participate.
Toner said there is a wide range of topics discussed in the different works.
“We have people that are writing about their experiences in South Africa and people who have traveled all over the world and sharing stories about their adventures. Some are really unique and interesting material that maybe you wouldn’t find that isn’t getting published but you should still read it because it’s interesting, it’s creative, it’s a new perspective,” he said.
Since the site is new it’s too soon to gauge how successful the site is in making authors more visible to publishers.
“The concept is that (Morby) will consider it a success when we leave her. In other words the idea is to get us out there and get people to see us and then get a real contract,” Karlsruher said.
Because these are e-books there is no wasting paper. “I think one of the side perks of this particular Web site is we’re not going to be selling books itself,” Morby said. “We’re out getting our site to where it is more on the green side.”