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Old 05-17-2008, 11:04 PM   #8
emellaich
Wizard
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Mark,

I read a lot, but I really don't have time to plow through twenty self-published books to find one I like. This may not be the case in reality, but I'm afraid its the case in my perception. So, I'm trying to think through some useful advice for you. I guess I'm trying to figure out how to get the 'editor' into the mix, but I understand its not your business model.

The thought the comes to mind is some sort of agent/broker/affiliate model. Let's say that I find out that John Doe has taste that I trust. John reads new submissions and chooses ones that he recommends. I can go to John's site or to John's section of your site and see his reviews. This gives me an independent view of the quality of a book. John gets a commission for everything that is sold through his web site. Now if John is really good at this he may even take on an editor role. And if he is that good, the authors may listen in order to get listed on John's site.

I would guess that it would even be possible that there might eventually be multiple versions of the same book. The broker GI John might pick up "Perils in Panama" and edit it into a macho, gun-slinging adventure. Meanwhile the broker Torrid Terry might pick up "Perils in Panama" and cut a few of the action scenes while pumping up the emotional angst to deliver a tear jerking heart-throbber.

On the front page of your web site you would give considerable space to active brokers. Rather than plow through an endless set of books, I might search for a broker who has similar taste to mine, and then go to that broker to see recommended books. Aha, John liked both Heinlein and David Weber? He sounds like a guy whose recommendations I would follow.

This does have room for abuse, but I see a model that would give brokers ratings and that would show the volumes of books sold through each broker. This would give top-rated brokers the ability to build a business.

Michael
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