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> Well, and discoverability/signalling. The more books that are available, the harder it is to choose a book to read. That's a problem, yes. I'm not sure how t

by ivan_ah 12y ago

> Well, and discoverability/signalling. The more books that are available, the harder it is to choose a book to read. That's a problem, yes. I'm not sure how this will work out for novels, but for non-fiction I think this will be solved by authors going after very specific niches---the long tail. This is unchartered publishing territory because previously publishers would never take on a niche subject because it wouldn't make economic sales to pass it through their pipeline. > fewer Strosses can make a living as an author Your point about the dilution of attention and book revenue is valid, but let me partially offset it / counter it with an argument on margins. By self-publishing, authors retain 60% of the list price (say $15) as compared to 5-10% of profits (=3-5% of list price) regular publishers offer. It wouldn't be too wrong to say authors make as little as $3 per copy sold, so if you do the math, it's actually good for everyone: Superstar author, monthly: Previously: 10000*3 = $30k royalties In new world: 3333*15 = $50k royalties (assume 2/3 readership loss) Less known author, over the same period of time: Previously: 0 In new world: 300*15 = $4500 which is a make-me-wanna-write salary It's not zero sum if there are gains to be had from efficiency.

edavison1 12y ago
"I think this will be solved by authors going after very specific niches---the long tail... This is unchartered [sic] publishing territory because previously publishers would never take on a niche subject because it wouldn't make economic sales to pass it through their pipeline." Publishers have been doing this for a very long time. A lot of sales to publishers are built on the idea of having a built-in niche--even if it's not a smash hit, 'people who like x won't be able to pass this up because it's all about x.' Might sound crazy to the HN crowd, but this is still how the industry functions--baseball books might be a good example, though I'm not sure it's niche enough for you, they represent almost a guaranteed amount of copies sold to certain (acquiring) editors.

by ivan_ah 12y ago

edavison1 12y ago

"I think this will be solved by authors going after very specific niches---the long tail... This is unchartered [sic] publishing territory because previously publishers would never take on a niche subject because it wouldn't make economic sales to pass it through their pipeline." Publishers have been doing this for a very long time. A lot of sales to publishers are built on the idea of having a built-in niche--even if it's not a smash hit, 'people who like x won't be able to pass this up because it's all about x.' Might sound crazy to the HN crowd, but this is still how the industry functions--baseball books might be a good example, though I'm not sure it's niche enough for you, they represent almost a guaranteed amount of copies sold to certain (acquiring) editors.