I cribbed this from Warren Ellis.
* Createspace.com: Amazon’s Print On Demand operation. Very interesting. For no money at all, you can create a book (or CD or DVD or whatever), get an Amazon Buy It Now badge for your website, and let them take care of everything else. I understand Lulu and other POD operations are very good, but this is the killer app: you get Amazon’s distribution system. This is massive.
* Why is it massive? It’s fucking AMAZON. Self-publishing turns into a one-click deal. In fact, POD on this order transcends self-pub and vanity pub to a large extent.
It re-enables the small press for the new generation. You youngsters won’t remember what it was like, looking through fringe bookstores for the odd things, the new things, the weird things — things that were small and important, which people had had to gamble real money on the production and printing of. I still have boxes and boxes of this sort of thing from the 80s….* Also, just as an aside: given that sf magazines pay$50/1000 words and don’t publish much that’s over 15000 words, a determined sf
writer could release POD books in the novellette/novella length. Or even band together and create a POD imprint inside Createspace.
What possibilities emanate from this? I can think of quite a few….
OMG that is amazing!!! Anyone can publish a book and not pay for books that don’t sell. Well if it was something scientific, historically accurate, or something then I wouldn’t want anything that had not been reviewed and edited. But if there is a good book no one will publish then this would be a chance. People could write children’s stories, publish short stories and poetry, whatever. There is a large need for Afrocentric books in my opinion, especially for children. People could also publish their study tips, autobiographies, or speeches.
I think I heard that in Canada writers have to find their own distribution so this would really help in places like that where its very difficult to get books published…OMG, like in poorer countries or basically anyone without money who is an excellent writer can publish a book. If its really good then word about the book will spread and the person could really earn some cash. Aren’t many writers starving anyway (LOL). It would be great to get a lot of creative ideas from other countries. Maybe lesson plans and instruction manuals can be printed cheaply too so that there will be a how-to book on everything under the sun. Fantastic!
They typeset and print your book for free if it sells? I wonder how long they retain the publishing rights if you use their service.
Before even getting into the copyrights and terms of use, did anybody look at the economics/pricing?
Seems a little prohibitively cafepress-ish to me, but I’m no subject matter expert….,
Ummmmm, another route to the top of the mountain?!
Adrienne
http://meWeltanschauung.blogspot.com
Getting stuff in print is only a small part of the battle these days. It’s great to get a book out, but marketing it so that people actually buy the thing is the major challenge.
I agree FlyNerd, the marketing has to be relentless! Did I mention my forthcoming book, ‘Notes From the Mothership ~ The Naked Invisibles’ out 11/2007? Prepublication sales NOW @ http://chasewunderlickpublishers.com.cn
BUY THE BOOK!(no time 2 B reserved!)