Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
So the question Tor should be asking isn't "how much would you pay for an ebook?" ... it's "what would make you want to buy an ebook from us rather than them?"
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That's a very good point. And most of the rest of what you said is right on, also.
However, I don't think publishers have ever been gatekeepers, exactly. They're finders, nurturers, marketers of writing that they think either deserves an audience or will sell for some other reason. Publishers don't band together to try to keep the other stuff out. They don't exclude, except to say, "This one isn't for us. Better luck elsewhere." Sometimes good stuff gets turned away, sometimes bad stuff gets published. But mostly, what's published lies above some basic threshold of quality. And the editing process helps to ensure that. The same does not apply across the board to self-publishing.
But your main point is that the landscape is changing fast, and they need to adapt or they'll die. With that, I agree. I spend a lot of time myself thinking about the best way to adapt. I'm not sure I've found it yet.