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Originally Posted by bhartman36
I think the most likely system to be used would be something like Amazon's (and other online retailers) where the customers review the books. The problem with that system is that, as we've discussed in another thread, "popular" doesn't always equate to "good". But on the positive side, with that system you get a review to go along with the rating that might tell you if the reader knows what he/she is talking about.
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I think that if we have any kind of gatekeeper (and I'm not at all sure that we will if we go by the experience of people who self-publish their music), it would most likely be something that Amazon (or a similar large retailer) would establish. Maybe there could be an "Amazon Indie of the Month" award, with a blurb on Amazon's front page. I have a hard time seeing other options really cutting through the noise.
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In the future we are going to see businesses set up where they offer various levels of services for the independent author. The most basic level would be simple proof reading and formating. Clean up the errors and format the e-book so that when it is sold it is in good shape.
The second level will be proof reading, formating, and editing. The author gets some feedback and can make the changes they are comfortable with.
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I'm not sure that we will, although it is much needed. Most indie authors may never find themselves in a situation where they can afford these services, or they may not want to take the risk. I'm not at all convinced that indie authors are going to have much real impact on publishing. 270,000 books are produced in the US alone every year. No one has time to read any significant portion of that. The problem is not that there aren't enough books; the problem is that it is hard to dig through all of the existing books to find the 10 or 20 or 50 or 100 books you'd like to read in a given year.