Barry Eisler Blog
As with the ongoing print vs. ebook conversations amongst readers, I do not think that this issue has to be an either/or situation. I think it makes sense for authors to look for ways to take advantage of the new markets. In many ways, publishers have held the upper hand in the writer/publisher relationship for too long, and this might be an opportunity for writers to take some control. I also think that the creative control issue is a real one. I find that many of the independent authors that I have discovered through my kindle reading are doing some very interesting things and I'm enjoying discovering new writers. That said, I think there is still a place for traditional publishing houses. My hope would be that they would realize that working off an ancient and crumbling business model is not the way to survive. Publishing as an industry needs to try to quit choking ebook sales and embrace the new technologies. I am surprised that they learned nothing from the music industry debacle. As with any business, they must evolve or face extinction.
I do know that since I started reading on the kindle, I am buying twice as many books annually. This year, I may triple the amount. I attribute this to ease of use, convenience and the lower cost of ebooks. I still buy print books and I expect I always will, but for the amount of genre reading I do, ebooks have made perfect sense.
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here, but I would hope that we can continue to discuss in a rational and thoughtful manner.
