Do All Words Have Value?

 

 

The words added to the dictionary over the past decade or two tend to come from our youth, minority groups, foreigners, and the tech world. These are the driving forces for cultural change. Each of them make up words that reflect something new or merely a new take on something old. So, if you want to learn the new lingo, talk to a black transgender adult, a teenager, a Hispanic immigrant, or a social media fanatic.

AI, crypto, NFT, LOL, and now 6,7 are part of our lexicon, along with emojis, and abbreviations, initials, street slang, and other newly minted terms. I used to oppose the annual inclusion of so many new words into legit dictionaries, but I understand it now. This is how it has to be. If the world changes, so does our language used to define it.

This means some old words must go to a graveyard, as well, which saddens me but that is life. Words, like people, come and go. Just as new things get invented and need a name, the things they replace and the behaviors or mores that no longer get practiced shall leave us, their label included.

Some words stick around, but they develop a new meaning, sometimes becoming the opposite of what they used to mean. What we don’t want is for language to become confusing or contradictory. We need accuracy and utility from our words. Our usage must be universal and consistent.

So, whether it is Spanglish, Ebonics, Yiddish, or just Gen Z-isms and tech-born words, it is imperative that we all get on the same page of out ever-evolving common-usage language so that we can mean what we say and say what we mean.

 

Our sub-cultures lead the way in coining terms, but whatever seeps into the ocean of everyday language must be recognized, understood, and utilized by all.

Do Book Readers Have ADHD?

 

Books were very popular before there were newspapers, automobiles, airplanes, movies, radio, or television. And before the advent of the Internet. They informed, enlightened, inspired, or entertained us like few things could. But what place does the book have in our world today?

I thought I would never question this. I am a staunch defender of books, especially the printed word, and will always love books — for what they have done and for what they could do for society and individuals. Still, something nags at me.

People are simply developing short attention spans. They can stream and binge-watch for three or four hours at a time, but it would not occur to them to read a book for an hour. And if they do, their phone is nearby to easily distract them. Life is made up of short, quick activities, the length of a tik tok video or a social media post.

 

What can the book industry do to counter this?

 

Encourage people to have a no-screen time policy for parts of one’s day. Set limits. The key is to go periods of time without constantly checking your phone. 

 

Promote the reading of books for short periods — like 20 minutes — and then seek to stretch these intervals to 30, 40 or 60 minutes.

 

Practice the habits of whatever those with ADHD do. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/adhd/managing-adult-adhd

 

In order for people to enjoy the benefits of reading books, they need to be exposed to books and reserve time to read them. Books should be top of mind and not afterthoughts. 

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum