TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics
Scribd almost has it right—but how do I find good books? ‘Independent publishers’ a possible solution?
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009By Michael Harris, Assoc. Prof., Information Systems, Indiana U. - Southeast
An article in the New York Times notes that Web site Scribd now allows independent authors to upload and sell their own books.
Scribd’s authors set their own prices and keep 80 percent of the revenue. What’s more, smart authors can choose to keep their books DRM-free. Also, Scribd’s move should help lower the entry cost for first time and niche authors.
But if my tastes are typical, there are still formidable market barriers for these smaller authors.
Spotting the winners
For example, it isnt’t enough to print books—how to spot the good ones? Publishers can help. Anyone who has read through the slush piles of a major publisher will tell you that the dregs far outnumber the gems. Frankly, I don’t mind paying for someone else to pick out worthwhile books for me.
Closely related to this selection process is that of marketing. I find the online book search process at the Amazon’s of the world to be quite limiting. It works well if I want to find the latest book by a known author. It also works if I want to see similar works that are already hot. How do I find undiscovered works? Today, I turn to publishers I highly regard, such as Baen, and trust their recommendations.
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