Technology has virtually eliminated the costs of printing and distribution – thanks to ebooks – and has even vastly lowered the barriers of printing hardcopies. What will be interesting to see is who the new gatekeepers will be.
For the reader, the barrier to reading enjoyment has seldom been cost. It’s mainly been who to trust when purchasing a book. Your best friend? Your daughter? Your stuffy librarian? That arrogant big name reviewer who’s probably bought off anyway? Since reviewers generally only consider what the major publishers present, it’s likely that going forward, they and the publishers will continue to dominate the industry, with the publishers getting the lion’s share of the profits. If someone finds a way around this duopoly, the floodgates will burst. And then maybe it will be the authors who get the lion’s share of the profits. Now wouldn’t that be ironic!
Dan Fleuris
Octavio Books
Octavio, LLC
Technology has virtually eliminated the costs of printing and distribution – thanks to ebooks – and has even vastly lowered the barriers of printing hardcopies. What will be interesting to see is who the new gatekeepers will be.
For the reader, the barrier to reading enjoyment has seldom been cost. It’s mainly been who to trust when purchasing a book. Your best friend? Your daughter? Your stuffy librarian? That arrogant big name reviewer who’s probably bought off anyway? Since reviewers generally only consider what the major publishers present, it’s likely that going forward, they and the publishers will continue to dominate the industry, with the publishers getting the lion’s share of the profits. If someone finds a way around this duopoly, the floodgates will burst. And then maybe it will be the authors who get the lion’s share of the profits. Now wouldn’t that be ironic!
Dan Fleuris
Octavio Books
Octavio, LLC