A ghastly trend is here. Authors being born in the blink of an eye. The number of writers has surpassed the number of readers. Authorship is a new addition to the long list of things which have been degraded. Earlier we wouldn’t write, now we write too much. Authorship is not a bandwagon everyone can jump on.
The new brand of self-styled authors is on the prowl. We have authors who breed books like rabbits breed their young ones. It is funny that a person writes a book and it is being published without looking at the authenticity and ingenuity of the content. The rule is simple: you write trash and the self-publishing houses publish it. The golden rule here is: “Choose a financial plan of the publishing company and get published”. One is surprised to see the energy of an author who writes a 600-page book in less than 4 months. The speed of writing makes one wonder, how on earth such talented authors are hidden from the global arena? Our aspiring authors (mostly young ones) are being pushed into an illusion. The young authors should not feel discouraged, but understanding the value of authorship is the heart and soul of writing. Books are not commercial products to be manufactured and sold.
Needless and useless writing should be declared a punishable offence. The dignity of the author has to be restored, to encourage genuine talent. George Orwell described such a scenario as the “frightening torrent of trash”.
Technological development has given us the privilege to become self-styled authors. But poor publications are like spurious drugs. If the latter infect our body, the former suffocates genuine writing. The young aspiring authors must understand the value of genuine content rather than become part of the rat race for increasing the number of books. We need quality rather than quantity. Be a genuine author, please. Sooner the better.

The writer has a PG in Mass Communication and Journalism. [email protected]

Fida Hussain Sodagar