Democrat & Chronicle: Business

Democrat & Chronicle: Business

On demand publishing is a very interesting concept. I could write an entire novel today and instead of trying to get the major publishers to even look at it, I could go to lulu.com and have the entire manuscript uploaded and for sale in less than a day. This article gives an overall great description on how the industry works. Not only that they interview my uncle (part of the reason I read the article but not necessarily the reason for this blog entry).

It seems the digital world, which has already cost the music industry billions of dollars, is now eyeing the publishing industry.

Could Bob Young help create the next J.K. Rowling in the book business? Perhaps.

But this new industry may also increase the number of authors out there as well. Therefore, the amount of money each author is likely to make will probably decrease. Why is that? You increase the number of anything without increasing the market share the less each author is going to get. The non increase in the market share is highly likely to happen since there are so many reading choices now for people to take interest in (e.g. internet articles, newspapers, books of various shapes and sizes, etc.) that the traditional reading purchases may decrease over time.

Anyway, lulu.com and other such websites merely help to expand the reading choices we have out there as well as providing a way for people to publish their material without having to go to the major publicshers or after being rejected by the major publishers.

Rejection yet possible success you say? Just ask J.K. Rowling whose Harry Potter series was rejected time and time again until she found a publisher that was willing to take a chance. Question: Between Rowling and the publishers that rejected her, who is laughing now?