Will publishing move to the middle?

[L.J. Sellers]

I've been reading about new publishing start-ups with a different business model: no advance, bigger royalties, small POD digital print runs, and e-books published at the same time with competitive pricing.

The latter is good news for digital book readers.

Some small companies have been doing this for a while, but now Amazon, literary agents, and others are getting in. I think this is a sustainable, reader-friendly model that could be successful...if it gets the distribution.
What do you think?
L.J.

[vaughnmr]

Considering that I won't buy another cartel book, companies like that will get my business. That, and the used book seller, if I ever want a DTB again.

[mr ploppy]

I don't really understand what you mean by if it gets the distribution. The internet would be the distribution channel for the ebooks, and the shop window for the POD books with delivery through the post.

What sort of royalties do you get from those deals?

[L.J. Sellers]

Some small publishers offer 10 or 12% on print books and 50% on e-books. It's the distribution of print books through brick-and-mortar stores that gets problematic for POD companies. I think it will be less of an issue in the future, but for now many readers still like to walk into a bookstore to find or order titles.
L.J.

[Scott Nicholson]

LJ, I don't think bookstores will be around long enough for a new model to emerge--I think there's less than a 5-year window to have a viable distribution below the bestsellers (who I suspect will thrive in paper for probably a decade or two longer). Here's some illuminating articles, and I am not sure the "middle" will exist anymore. Though we are doing something similar to what you propose through Haunted Computer Books, small publishers may not offer enough to make up for the cut they will be taking.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...ublishing.html

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...g-options.html

Scott

[HistoryWes]

Originally Posted by Scott Nicholson

LJ, I don't think bookstores will be around long enough for a new model to emerge--I think there's less than a 5-year window to have a viable distribution below the bestsellers (who I suspect will thrive in paper for probably a decade or two longer). Here's some illuminating articles, and I am not sure the "middle" will exist anymore. Though we are doing something similar to what you propose through Haunted Computer Books, small publishers may not offer enough to make up for the cut they will be taking.
Scott

I agree. I think all the bookstores will soon be online, with a single aisle at Walmart/Target. Electronic books will increase to repleace traditional books quicker than anyone today believes.

[Rich_D]

I think b&m stores will be around for a while yet - at least another 20 years. E-readers are too expensive for the casual reader and most multi use devices aren't ideal as readers. I think the model you described is the future of publishing, but it's going to take a while before it's mainstream.

LJ - are your books available as ebooks? I did a quick search and could only find dtb.

[ficbot]

There was an article in our local paper about a guy who was opening a new bookstore and reserving the top floor of the store for meeting space, which he planned to rent out to local literary groups. I think this type of store (i.e. 'books plus something else vaguely book-related') will be the model of the future. For example:

- Books plus coffee shop
- Books plus used books
- Books plus meeting space for rent
- Books plus something kid-related (make your own book?)

[J. Strnad]

Years ago, I self-published my novel with a company and had an account with them. When a POD book was ordered, money went that day into my account. I drew from it as desired.

This was about a decade ago. I'm still waiting for a "real" publisher to offer a deal like this!

I've been through a "real" publisher now and am not planning to repeat that process. I have the rights back and I'm dealing with a micropublisher who is ebook and POD only. Sure, I'd love to have my book back on the shelves in bookstores, but not enough to return to the old business model with a publisher.

The big guys are now fighting the same losing war that the music publishers fought, trying to shore up the high profit margin on CD's...I mean, hardcover books...when they should be figuring out how to sell electronically, profit and thrive. Meanwhile, I'll be happy to see them price their ebooks at $12-15 since mine will, by contract, sell for less than $5, which gives me an edge.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

I think b&m stores will be around for a while yet - at least another 20 years. E-readers are too expensive for the casual reader and most multi use devices aren't ideal as readers. I think the model you described is the future of publishing, but it's going to take a while before it's mainstream.

I disagree that dedicated readers are too expensive for casual readers, and that multi-use devices aren't ideal as readers. As a user of a multi-use device (a smartphone), I can attest to the fact that they are easy to use and very readable. Anyone who doesn't want to pay $200 for a dedicated reader (and some will soon cost less than that) can easily use a multi-function device instead.

I can see bookstores not disappearing, but morphing into a different kind of store that allows visitors to peruse digital or special paper versions of the books, then conveniently download them to their reader of choice or print them in-house. Since they won't carry as many physical books, they will likely shrink in size, to fit into any medium-sized storefront. This will likely happen over less than a decade's time.

Hopefully these stores will be impartial to source, as opposed to selling only Big Pub labels... that will depend on licensing agreements and leverage, and influenced by successful indie novels (so, hopefully, there will be a lot of those!).

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

Some small publishers offer 10 or 12% on print books and 50% on e-books. It's the distribution of print books through brick-and-mortar stores that gets problematic for POD companies. I think it will be less of an issue in the future, but for now many readers still like to walk into a bookstore to find or order titles.
L.J.

What does the publisher do for the 50% that they charge you?

It might be different in America, but most of our independent book shops are already long gone. Most books here are sold in supermarkets, where you only tend to get best sellers and "celebrity" tie ins. I doubt anyone will get POD books in places like that.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I can see bookstores not disappearing, but morphing into a different kind of store that allows visitors to peruse digital or special paper versions of the books, then conveniently download them to their reader of choice or print them in-house. Since they won't carry as many physical books, they will likely shrink in size, to fit into any medium-sized storefront. This will likely happen over less than a decade's time.
.

I've seen coin operated kiosk machines here where you can choose a music CD or film DVd and have it burnt onto a disk for you, I'm sure they could easily include books if there was any demand for them. Better would be something that prints out and binds a book for you on order. I don't think a book shop would be the best position for it though. The real money would be in casual readers.

[L.J. Sellers]

Rich, my e-books are on Kindle, B&N.com, Fictionwise and others ($2.99). Thanks for asking.
L.J.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I've seen coin operated kiosk machines here where you can choose a music CD or film DVd and have it burnt onto a disk for you, I'm sure they could easily include books if there was any demand for them. Better would be something that prints out and binds a book for you on order. I don't think a book shop would be the best position for it though. The real money would be in casual readers.

I read about this about a year ago. I don't know how successful it's been:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...chine-launches

[cheerio6414]

Originally Posted by HistoryWes

I agree. I think all the bookstores will soon be online, with a single aisle at Walmart/Target. Electronic books will increase to repleace traditional books quicker than anyone today believes.

I agree, but i think it may be more in about the 5 year period