MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - It's October 1st. Soooo, what's the news?

JeFurry · 10-02-2008, 02:06 PM

Going a bit off the rails here (but this is my first post after a lot of reading, so I'm allowed)... but if we're looking for something that could shake up the eBook industry, perhaps we need to think of something a bit further out.

How about a new store where one could purchase eBooks as usual (but hopefully with major content partnerships), but also where aspiring (and professional) writers can upload their own eBooks for others to download? Much like they can in the forums here, but with an iTunes-like store, perhaps for money, optional DRM, and probably exclusive to Sony's Reader? Where writers don't need advance contracts, and the audience can tag, rate and review the books while the store will maintain charts and aggregate reviews? Sony could even partner with a publisher and offer editorial services or print book contracts to successful ones. It could be something like a cross between Authonomy.com and Apple's iTunes App Store. Just like that store, there'd be an awful lot of crap, but that would sink in the ratings in no time, and the gems would float to the top.

Since one of the greatest advantages of eBooks is the comparatively cheap reproduction and distribution, why not take advantage of that to completely undermine the traditional publication method with something like this that the traditional method simply can't achieve? It would also greatly boost the amount of eBook content, and shouldn't cost a massive amount. It could even tie in with National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org, but site currently in difficulties) in November.

Just an off-the-wall thought - it could use polish, and I haven't thought it through fully, but I think it's an exciting idea. I don't have any inside information, this is pure speculation.

-Jef.

10-02-2008, 02:06 PM	#69
JeFurry Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Milton Keynes, UK Device: iPad, Sony PRS-505	And now for something... a little bit different. Going a bit off the rails here (but this is my first post after a lot of reading, so I'm allowed)... but if we're looking for something that could shake up the eBook industry, perhaps we need to think of something a bit further out. How about a new store where one could purchase eBooks as usual (but hopefully with major content partnerships), but also where aspiring (and professional) writers can upload their own eBooks for others to download? Much like they can in the forums here, but with an iTunes-like store, perhaps for money, optional DRM, and probably exclusive to Sony's Reader? Where writers don't need advance contracts, and the audience can tag, rate and review the books while the store will maintain charts and aggregate reviews? Sony could even partner with a publisher and offer editorial services or print book contracts to successful ones. It could be something like a cross between Authonomy.com and Apple's iTunes App Store. Just like that store, there'd be an awful lot of crap, but that would sink in the ratings in no time, and the gems would float to the top. Since one of the greatest advantages of eBooks is the comparatively cheap reproduction and distribution, why not take advantage of that to completely undermine the traditional publication method with something like this that the traditional method simply can't achieve? It would also greatly boost the amount of eBook content, and shouldn't cost a massive amount. It could even tie in with National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org, but site currently in difficulties) in November. Just an off-the-wall thought - it could use polish, and I haven't thought it through fully, but I think it's an exciting idea. I don't have any inside information, this is pure speculation. -Jef.