In the huge “Best Sellers” world with thousands of sales, publishing young writers seems impossible. But Manu Ortiz, Andrea Penalva, Virginia Buedo and Marina Pérez They show that you can write a novel, a fairy tale or a storybook and have a copy with your name on hand. Even from a city like Alicante, far from major editorial power centers like Madrid or Barcelona.
“The rules have changed, you can edit it yourself,” explains Manu Ortiz, “all my saints», published this year by independent publisher Cerbero. A fantasy novel reflecting death, love and romance.
“You have many publications, but often you do not know how to distinguish whether a work is well-written or interesting. Various opportunities have opened up, but not all books are of good quality”, confirms Marina Pérez, author of children’s illustrated stories «Alicante» is based on the legends and traditions of the province.
“Publishing is easy, the hard thing today is for them to read you. Going from being bought only by family and friends to a general public”, adds Andrea Penalva. This young writer also carries the book «.searching the world» is a novel about grief and communication through sci-fi, filled with an all-song soundtrack and a Spotify playlist to listen to while you read.
This is another key New talent from Alicante. The Internet has changed the way writers publish their work.
“Before living in a larger city opened up more doors for you, it was easier to find someone interested in what you wrote, but today, thanks to the Internet, we are very close even if you live in a cave,” explains Virginia Buedo. , author “in the shadow of my shadow» and a selector of several story anthologies.
But the advent of digital technologies has also changed the paradigm in which writers relate to each other and their readers. Inside social networks even if they live far from major literary events, they have formed a community that makes it very easy to publish their novels.
“Inside Alicante There are people who try to move this world, organize events and places for people who love to read. It is important to get to know their work, because it concerns us writers, but also all citizens,” exclaims Buedo.
youth literacy
And the thing is, while it’s often said that those under 30 don’t read numbers, they seem to deny the stereotype. More books are being published than ever before, digital books and audiobooks are emerging industries and Read or Wattpad they gather together thousands and thousands of stories by professional and amateur writers, so many that it took half-cutting of the Amazon jungle to turn them into paper.
“Thinking of young people as a homogeneous mass is part of the problem, we read a lotThose who think it isn’t do it out of adult centrism and literary elitism,” Ortiz insists.
“Another thing are the standards by which this word is spoken, some counting only from reading works they believe to be valuable, and what do we prefer?” asks Penalva.