Recently, on the excellent "Connected" mailing list (connected@kenradio.com), a Book Publishing conversation has blossomed; one participant wrote:
"Once a widely-available and practical device is created that will allow
the user to download text to a portable, flexible screen, then the
publishing industry will change radically and quickly."
Mark Jeffrey's response then caught my eye:
"I totally disagree with this. I think the main key innovation is the widespread, low-cost print-on-demand of *paper* books. Nobody wants to read a novel on a screen. And paper doesn't crash or get viruses.
I was able to publish a novel using
lulu.com -- and it cost me absolutely nothing upfront. They make money when I make money -- 20% royalty goes to them, 80% to me. Period.
I think traditional publishers are in for a world of hurt in the next few years -- I think we'll have some Stephen King-level bestsellers break out in the POD category. That hasn't happened yet ... But when it does, Knopf, Penguin and the rest are going start quaking."
Mark Jeffrey is the author of "The Pocket and the Pendant", soon to be reviewed here at TRR. To learn more about the book, please go to http://www.pocketandpendant.com
# posted by Don @ 2:38 PM
