American Author Rides E-Book Wave to Become Breakout Sensation in U.K.
Online, November 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - (San Diego, CA) - In less than a month, a San Diego woman has become a surprise break-out sensation with readers of romantic fiction in Great Britain. Author Dee DeTarsio's novel, "The Scent of Jade" shot up to #6 on Amazon.com's UK website as readers quickly downloaded the book onto their Kindles, making it one of the site's romantic-comedy "quick picks."
The book is the quirky story of a woman who surprises her husband on a business trip in Costa Rica and finds herself on a strange jungle adventure.
After finding only lukewarm mainstream publishing success with her literary agency, DeTarsio pushed to get two of her books published electronically on Amazon, including "The Scent of Jade" . Since the day it first appeared on Amazon, the Rancho Penasquitos-based novelist has enjoyed a fast-growing fan base.
"It's been great to suddenly have an audience that appreciates my humor and my writing," said DeTarsio. DeTarsio is a former television news writer who has authored four novels.
By connecting directly with readers, DeTarsio is part of a growing trend as more authors are opting to offer their work as e-books, cutting out the middle man and changing the complexion of the publishing world.
In loosening that traditional publishers' grip on the book market, web-based companies like Amazon have the power to have a say in which books and authors succeed.
American readers are also discovering and embracing DeTarsio's work. In less than a month, some 1,000 copies of DeTarsio's books were downloaded from Amazon and Smashwords, another popular website.
In addition, DeTarsio is using social media like Facebook, Twitter (@deedetarsio) and her own blog to get the word out about her books. In the process she is getting direct feedback.
"I'm not on the New York Times' best-seller list...yet! But it's really gratifying to connect with people who enjoy my writing. I've gotten emails from around the world and I'm hoping they will let their friends know about my book. They can even read it on their smart phones!" said DeTarsio.
Fueling the shift is the growing popularity of electronic books, which few people were willing to read even three years ago. The iPad, iPhone and devices like Amazon's Kindle have made buying and reading digital books not only easy but an integral part of book lovers' libraries.
One independent market research firm estimates 2010 will end with $966 million in eBooks sold to consumers. By 2015, the industry will have nearly tripled to almost $3 billion.
"The Scent of Jade" and "'Til Somebody Loves You" are both available on Amazon.com
Dee DeTarsio is a former TV news writer and producer living in the San Diego. Her husband, John, is a director of photography and travels the world. She remains behind as the indentured servant of their two children, Tyler and Gianna. She is currently writing a screenplay for The Scent of Jade, and is hard at work on her next novel, Ros.