Earlier this year, Thomas was struck with a thought that left him hospitalised. Most of Thomas’ thoughts get him nowhere, so to end up in casualty says a great deal about its potency. The thought revolved around the fact that there are now more books in existence than there are people to read them, and, more importantly, how to help readers find new writers (and visa-versa) amidst their quagmire. This is the problem of dilution, where new writers find it impossible to be discovered among readers already overwhelmed with choice. As a result, Thomas wondered if there was a way to counter dilution. That is, to find means of being heard above the screams to be heard. Once the concussion wore off, he realised that there was and he called it Wordcasting.
Wordcasting: speed dating for writers and readers.
Wordcasting is a simple idea, but one that could provide a platform for new authors who don’t yet have an audience to cultivate one. Wordcasting could be a means to take indie book marketing in a new direction. It would be innovative, popular with both writers and readers, and provide an entirely new means for the two to meet. It could, in essence, be speed dating for writers and readers.
Enthused and excited, Thomas presented the idea to the head of an innovative global digital book aggregator in a carefully crafted business proposal. After some kind words regarding the effort he put into it, a large number of reasons were given as to why it wouldn’t work, including, but not limited to:
• Significant misunderstandings of social media usage • misassumptions of consumer browsing habits • delusional expectations of participant uptake • unrealistic financial modelling • flawed technical and informational concepts • inability to recognise obvious logistical conflicts • refusal to accept the extent of competition from existing media and • lack of basic common sense.
Thomas was disappointed not so much because his idea for a start-up was hugely flawed, but because Wordcasting would have been an excellent means to help find an audience for his Velvet Paw of Asquith Novels; something he’s always struggled with, and something that he’ll inevitably continue to. He’s put a great deal of time and work into producing these books, let alone the impressive amount of supporting media for them under the guise of polyauthorism. Sadly, however, it appears he will continue writing alone and in the dark, being the main reason readers haven’t found him and presumably never will. The fact that his writing’s dreadful doesn’t help.