Where Will Publishers Be in 10 Years?

I raise the question not because 10 years is a magic number, but because the onset and increased popularity of e-books and digital publishing leads up to the question I've been asking a while: in a world in which authors can make money self-publishing (in print or e-book form), will there be book publishers in 10 years?

It's an interesting question, given that we're coming to accept e-publishing as just publishing (without the "digital" modifier) (link via About Freelance Writing) Needless to say, publishers are trying to figure out how they fit in the picture.

Also needless to say, since e-publishing can be easily accomplished by authors themselves (even a technically-challenged sort like yours truly), this leads to the whole self-publishing debate. Some people in the business dismiss self-published authors as people who lack the patience and diligence to properly learn their craft and break into the business the way they did. Well, yes, some of them are like that and, as a result, some self-published work is awful. However, not all self-published authors are bad writers. And just because certain established authors had to suffer the slings and arrows of rejection before achieving "published author" status (or walk to school ten miles in the snow), that doesn't mean authors can't try to self-publish in order to be noticed. It's not easy, but it is a viable option.

This has been proven by authors like Brunonia Barry (bestselling mystery author) and K.J.A. Wishnia (Edgar-nominated mystery author), among others.

Even Joe Konrath (an author who first broke into the business with his print novels) has achieved such a level of success by self-publishing his out-of-print titles, he's considering self-publishing an e-book from a manuscript that the mainstream publishers rejected. In other words, we're talking about cutting out the publisher entirely. Although the post is titled "In Defense of Print," it's really about how he's embraced e-books and raises the possibility that authors can successfully publish e-books themselves (read the whole post). Caveat: Konrath was an established print author before he did this, so his e-book success probably won't reflect that of new and unknown authors. See the disclaimer at the bottom of this post.

In other words, it's still a good idea to seek an agent and traditional publisher. I agree with Konrath on this. But I also think it's okay to self-publish work that's been carefully vetted in some way while you do that. Just make sure you're putting out your best work. Get a professional editor to review it and help polish it up. Failure to do so could come back and bite you down the road.

Finally, as if digital publishing weren't enough to grapple with, now we have this! Looks like publishers are finding interesting ways to insinuate themselves in the digital picture. First graphic novels, now video books. What's next?

Quotation for the Week of October 25

"The best defense against the atom bomb is not to be there when it goes off."
-- Anonymous

Retailers Are Ready to Rumble (Over E-Books and Print Books)

Man, the world of bookselling is getting more interesting every day. Now, Barnes & Noble has come out with its own e-reader, the Nook. It's been reported in enough places, including Publishers Weekly, the New York Times, and Time Magazine (which did an article about the proliferation of new e-readers, in general).

Add to that the fact that readers are really warming up to e-books and you can see why various booksellers and tech companies are jumping on the e-reader bandwagon.

You've heard about the Sony reader, right? Well, now Nokia is getting into the act, too, with its Booklet 3G (Netbook).

But e-books aren't the only thing booksellers are competing on. Now, retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Sears (Sears?) are slashing their book prices to compete with companies like Amazon. (The article's headline makes it sound like the proverbial bloodbath. Steel cage?)

As authors, do we benefit? Absolutely. Especially on the e-book front. So while I'm at, I'll share a link with author Joe Konrath's blog. Konrath (a big proponent of e-books) has written an interesting post about an "edistributor" business model he's envisioned.

We do live in interesting times, don't we?

The Side Effects of E-Books

As an author, I'm a huge proponent of e-books. I've been able to make my novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, available at no monetary cost to me (other than the electricity I need to run my computer) as an e-book on Amazon, Scribd, Smashwords and even Lulu (which has published it in print, too, and for which you can get 10% off if you order from Lulu and enter the code FALLREAD at checkout--sorry for the commercial).

Anyway, I know people with Kindles and other e-readers who love them. I can see how they'd be great for travel, easy to handle, eco-friendly (maybe--there's still the issue of powering them and creating e-waste when you upgrade to a newer model or they break) and help de-clutter your house (though it's nice to peruse the titles of people's books).

Okay, I've already pointed out some cons, as well as pros. However, in addition, there's also the effect on independent bookstores. Not good. How can indie bookstores benefit from e-books? Can they get on board somehow? Can they do it collectively? Just throwing the questions out for consideration.

Along with indie booksellers, the act of browsing through bookstores is negatively affected by e-books and buying print books online.

And, of course, who needs a distributor when you can publish books online. So distributors will feel the effects.

That's the thing about progress. You know there had to be some pissed off candle and lantern makers when Edison invented the electric light bulb.

Quotation for the Week of October 4

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."
-- Mark Twain

A Few Guides to the E-Book Revolution and Publishing in General

Somebody posted Aaron Shepard's Publishing Page to a list I'm on and, while I haven't read his book, it looks interesting. He offers help with e-publishing formatting issues. Thought I'd share the link to his Web site.

And, while I'm at it, I'd like to recommend fiction author Joe Konrath's blog for his posts on e-publishing through Amazon, Scribd and Smashwords. Konrath's blog is the reason I tried e-publishing at all, and I can't thank him enough for posting his advice. You can find my novel, IDENTITY CRISIS, online as an e-book at Amazon, Scribd, Smashwords or Lulu. (Lulu has it in print and in e-book form. And the print version's on sale for 10% off this month when you order it through Lulu.com, using the code FALLREAD at checkout.)

In addition, there's an interesting blog called Self Publishing Today. Definitely worth a look now and then.

As long as we're talking about publishing in general, it never hurts to keep up with insider information. You can get that from Alan Rinzler's blog, The Book Deal.

And last (but certainly not least), there's The Writer's Edge. A great blog with loads of information about the industry and self-publishing.

That should keep you busy. :)