D-books Online

Top Author Shifts E-Book Rights to Amazon.com

Amazon will have the exclusive e-book rights to two books from Stephen R. Covey, a move that promises to raise the anxiety level among print publishers.

 I recently read an article about the “perils” of self publishing and the “delusions” of people who want to self publish books.  The argument basically being that not everyone is a Mark Twain or John Grisham, and even if they were, those stories are made up – and they weren’t even real self publishers, they were fake self publishers – and what’s all this self publish book nonsense, anyway? – Why isn’t there enough attention being given to the BIG publisher???, and well, #@%#$%…don’t ask me for help when you are brutally attacked by the Self Publish Bookieman.

It’s true.  People are losing their minds about how popular self publishing has become, and why shouldn’t they.  Current statistics state that self published material (paid and free) has increased roughly 40% from last year.  Now, if your saying to yourself (or out loud) “yeah, but that 40% also counts the free stuff too”, than you’d be right (and quite possibly talking to yourself.)  The important point is that it has increased, and there are no indications that it will slow down anytime soon either…ever.

You see, people have this annoying little desire to be free.  They often let this desire manifest itself by setting a goal, and if they don’t stop there it may end up becoming a cry for independence, and of course, when they have gone past the point of no “this is the way things have always been” return – a revolution.

The film and recording industries have seen it happen already.  As technology improves and allows everyday individuals to try their hand at shooting a film or cutting a demo, people will respond.  Those industries have actually resigned to the fact that they can’t beat them, so join them.  They have responded by snatching up independent artists faster than they can type YouTube or MySpace.  People are launching their own careers, on their own terms, straight from their backyard and bedroom (aka my Studio Lot and Recording Studio MOM!)

Now, that pesky revolution has made it’s way to the publishing world and it is turning things upside down.  People have the ability to get book publishing software for their computer, participate in free book summaries, create more success with the internet and self publish books.  If they don’t know how, they can learn (D-books Online, etc.)  If they don’t have the time to write, they can hire someone else (Gotham Ghostwriters, The Penn Group, etc.)  If they want it in print or digital, (LuLu, Smashwords, YouPublish, etc.) they can have that too.  The list goes on and on.

There is certainly nothing wrong with going the traditional route and trying to “land a publisher.”  Many writers who self publish books are always checking their radar for any activity from an interested publisher, scout or agent.  Any self published author who says they wouldn’t want to appear on Today or GMA is full of it.  The fact of the matter is though, that people have options.  Options that didn’t exist even a few years ago, and if you want to self publish books, you can.

Regardless of which path or paths you choose, if you should see or hear strange things, but can’t quite make out what they are, it may be the Self Publish Bookieman.