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Old 12-27-2009, 10:06 AM   #4
LazyScot
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Posts: 3,201
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hants, UK
Device: Kindle, Cybook
I think it will get a *little* easier for indies, and potentially easier for authors, depending on what happens with reading devices.

If publishers and/or booksellers try to close devices, so that they can only read "their" books, then that would be bad news for indies and authors. Fortunately, I've not noticed and devices that are totally closed (especially with the likes of the excellent calibre -- thanks Kovid).

Given a reasonably wide range of devices, then authors and indies can make their writings available to these without the costs of printing -- essentially that cost is moved from the author/publisher.

Mainstream publisher can, as you put it, blanket push books, just as music publishers do. But just as web distribution and community/social websites make it possible for new bands and groups to come to the fore independently of the publishers, I think the same will happen with books. There are various authors (yourself included) that I've stumbled across here, and then gone on to get books (or add to my to buy list) -- that was not really possible before the arrival of the liseuse/reading device, or at least in the same way -- if you didn't have a printed book I wouldn't read very much as I didn't (and don't) find reading on a computer screen pleasant...
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