We are the $.99

There’s a great article in TIME Magazine (you need to be a subscriber to view the whole thing) about the self-publishing industry. The article puts the whole eBook/self-publishing movement into perspective:

Since 2006, annual production of self-published titles has more than tripled, according to the research firm Bowker, and it now tallies more than 200,000; within that category, e-book self-publishing is growing at a rate nearly four times that of print. To a growing movement of indie authors–many of them working in pulpy genres like mystery, fantasy and romance–self-publishing is no longer a mark of shame but a route to freedom, affirmation and a potentially vast pool of readers: buyers who are willing to risk a few dollars on an unknown author who doesn’t happen to meet the (often opaque and arbitrary) standards of traditional publishing houses.

We spent two years talking to people and investigating a host of different ways that we could bring the stories from the Kingdom of Hamelot to the world. We considered trying to sell it outright. We flirted with building an expensive app. And in the end, we went with the solution that would cost effective, give us a lot of freedom and allow us to be part of a revolution in publishing.

This isn’t a business for those who need certainty. We don’t know exactly what the path ahead looks like, but we get up every day and take the next logical step. Our communications, marketing and production plans are constantly modified by the changing marketplace, toolsets and devices. Our eBooks will probably look outdated and simple in a year. We look forward to that. It means that the technology has improved. We will republish and make improvements. We can do that. We are in the driver’s seat.

There are those who are happy with the way things are and those who are excited for what comes next. Put us in both categories. That being said, we aren’t going to sit around and lament the death of the printed book or the way things used to be. Publishing is evolving. We are a part of that. In our small way, we are helping to mold the future. It is an exciting time for storytelling. It is definitely an exciting time for us.

 

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