Is The End Of Traditional Publishing Near?

The world of publishing was rocked yesterday by the announcement of AmazonEncore's new deal with author J.A. Konrath.  Amazon's publishing imprint will release Shaken, Konrath's 7th book in the Jack Daniels mystery series, in October.  What makes the deal unique is the decision to release the Kindle edition four months ahead of the print version.  The price tag for the Kindle edition?  Only $2.99.
Although Konrath can not discuss the financial details of his deal due to a non-disclosure...