MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Seriousness 2010: Rise of the e-book, fall of the Indies?

Steven Lyle Jordan · 12-26-2009, 04:54 PM

Pundits and consumers alike are predicting that 2010 will be "the year of the e-book," the year in which the publishers and device makers all finally get their acts together, and e-books become major-league successes on the commercial stage. But as the big publishers finally jump onto the e-book bandwagon, will they shove the independent authors and small independents off?

Indie authors used the e-book to get a market presence, when the publishers would not let them into the printed book industry. E-book tools made it easy for almost anyone to create and sell e-books in major and minor sales outlets, including Amazon. But those indies were already pushing and jostling each other, just to be noticed. And as the big publishers arrive, with their big advertising budgets, they could essentially throw a big concealing blanket over the little guys, and use them as a platform to stand on and hawk their own wares.

What do you think? Can individual authors and indie publishing houses continue to get noticed when the big publishers begin to fill the stage? Will the big publishers' advertising budgets overwhelm the indies? Will the sites that promote indie authors and publishers be replaced with publisher-supported portals pushing everyone to Dan Brown and Stephen King? Will indie authors find themselves in the same position they were in before e-books: Sign on with the big boys, or remain forever obscure?

Or will indies find another way to distinguish themselves? Will they maintain visibility next to the Big Pubs and continue to be viable in the e-book market?

12-26-2009, 04:54 PM	#1
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	2010: Rise of the e-book, fall of the Indies? Pundits and consumers alike are predicting that 2010 will be "the year of the e-book," the year in which the publishers and device makers all finally get their acts together, and e-books become major-league successes on the commercial stage. But as the big publishers finally jump onto the e-book bandwagon, will they shove the independent authors and small independents off? Indie authors used the e-book to get a market presence, when the publishers would not let them into the printed book industry. E-book tools made it easy for almost anyone to create and sell e-books in major and minor sales outlets, including Amazon. But those indies were already pushing and jostling each other, just to be noticed. And as the big publishers arrive, with their big advertising budgets, they could essentially throw a big concealing blanket over the little guys, and use them as a platform to stand on and hawk their own wares. What do you think? Can individual authors and indie publishing houses continue to get noticed when the big publishers begin to fill the stage? Will the big publishers' advertising budgets overwhelm the indies? Will the sites that promote indie authors and publishers be replaced with publisher-supported portals pushing everyone to Dan Brown and Stephen King? Will indie authors find themselves in the same position they were in before e-books: Sign on with the big boys, or remain forever obscure? Or will indies find another way to distinguish themselves? Will they maintain visibility next to the Big Pubs and continue to be viable in the e-book market?