The revolution – part 2
In last week’s Observer, Robert McCrum explored ten milestones in publishing over the last decade, and I highlighted two that I felt were the most important from our point of view. Last week I discussed blogging and writing, and this week I want to look at what I believe is not only the single biggest milestone in the past decade for publishing, but which will continue to be important far into the future – the digital revolution.
McCrum highlights the release of Amazon’s Kindle bookreader, the first ebook reader that has actually got the publishing world excited, as at the forefront of this revolution. Whilst important, it is not the be all and end all of the revolution.
The popularity of the iPod and other digital music players enabled the flourishing of an online, digital music industry. Combined with vendors like the iTunes Music Store, Apple and other companies have ensured that we have music we can purchase from the comfort of our own homes, or on the move, on demand. Music is cheaper, easier to find, more convenient. CD sales have suffered in the way that vinyl suffered on the introduction of the CD.
There is no expectation that book sales will suffer in the same way should the Kindle, as is expected, take off in popularity. People seem to like the physical interaction with books and treat them differently to CDs. Yet the Kindle, and other electronic devices, ensure a portability and access to books akin to that seen with music. Book publishers are now digitising their back-catalogues, and many newly published books are also offered in digital format.
But the most exciting thing about the Kindle, is that the platform has been opened up to all, not just established authors. If you have written a book, even though it is not published, you can submit it for sale as an ebook format compatible with the Kindle and other electronic bookreaders.
This is not vanity publishing. This costs you no money in advance, and commits you to no minimum number of books you must publish. You submit the book, and Amazon will stock it electronically. Suddenly, the traditional publishers are cut out of the picture, and the publishing world becomes very democratic. Or perhaps more accurately, meritocratic. You still need to push to publicise your book and get readers, but the gates have been blown open. Your work will stand or fall by how good it is, not whether a publisher, on a whim, decides whether or not they like it.
In essence this is a digital version of print on demand (POD) services like Lulu.com and Createspace.com, physical book publishers in an electronic world. As many or as few copies of your book as you would like will be printed. You can offer the book for sale in their stores, and again for no money up front. With digital technology, self-publishing has become an easier and more affordable process.
Of course there are some drawbacks. I’ve already mentioned that you have to publicise your own book, and without a publishing house behind you that can be time consuming and costly, unless you are fortunate enough to get a devoted grassroots following. POD requires a minimum number of pages to be profitable, so very short fiction would only get a chance to be seen if part of an anthology, and the same for poetry.
I imagine ebook formats would be more forgiving of short fiction, but those searching through the Amazon ebook store and similar will be looking for established authors, and specific titles. It is simply not set up for casual browsing and sampling of untried and untested writers, and Amazon is merely providing commercial space – it will not market you, push your work, recommend you etc.
But the “iPod Moment” is upon us. Despite several false starts, the ebook format has gained acceptance. The devices to read them on are no longer bulky, inelegant and unusable, indeed many readers have screens that use “artificial paper”, leaving them unaffected by glare etc. The publishing houses are not only making future titles with ebooks in mind, but are seeking to exploit back catalogues. To go to that expense, they must be reasonably certain there is a future to it. And thanks to no-upfront cost POD services and ebook retailers, publishing is within the reach of many more writers than had previously been conceivable. Whereas the dwindling number of publishing houses left them with exclusive control of what was available, based on economics rather than merit, the democratisation of publishing now at least offers fledgling authors the chance to be heard.
The downloadable music market has effectively killed the sale of physical singles, yet at the same time has led to a renaissance in single sales.
Might a similar renaissance not be possible with short stories, an art form whose decline has been lamented and whose death has been announced on several occasions?
