A Creative Write?

Is the publishing industry making the same mistakes as the music industry? Print on demand (POD) the MP3 of the publishing world.

(PRWEB) February 24, 2004 --In seconds, the word file is uploaded to the server and the publishing process is underway. A new author is making their dream come true and its all made possible by new digital publishing technologies. Online houses such as iUniverse.com are scooping up many of the new talents that are disillusioned with an old fashioned and out of date publishing industry.

Stephen Bell author of The Magic Islands is one such new breed of author.

I dont have the time or patience to go through the old traditional route. For the The Magic Islands, I decided to try a newer method, inspired by the MP3 generation of technologies. It was cost effective, much faster and above all, I kept control of my work. To get The Magic Islands to a normal publisher would require an agent and probably a few contacts. Instead, I paid my fee and was published in less than three months. Their online support services were absolutely fantastic and whats more immediate."

An old concern of self-publishing was quality, however now these advanced companies have editorial services that ensure great standards and improve their authors work. They give rapid distribution and flexibility in the creative process; maybe thats why more and more traditional authors are now abandoning traditional publishers and flocking to the online technologies.

I had the choice of an e-book, paperback or hardback," adds Stephen Bell author of The Magic Islands. That was a critical factor for me deciding where and how to publish."

So, what does it mean for the traditional publishing industry?

It means that like the music industry they need to figure out the algorithm fast if they are not to see declining sales. They need to embrace this new technology and start to reach out to this new breed of author. In the digital world things move fast and the end users have gained the power, POD technology opens up publishing to the masses and allows new creative talent to emerge that may have remained un tapped.

It can only offer more choice and that must be good for readers," said the manager of a high street bookstore. Our percentage of independent titles is on the increase and thats good for business."

Authors once ridiculed self-publishing or vanity publishing as a way for amateurs to get their low quality works in print, however now the independents have become more organised and are poised to disrupt the whole industry helping undiscovered talents.

I cant imagine why Id choose the old way to publish, its been so easy with iUniverse," says Stephen Bell.

This new POD revolution allows the speed and agility of the new digital era but delivers the tangible paper book that readers desire. The question is can the publishing industry turn over a new leaf and meet this new challenge or will they like the music industry be playing catch up when the writing is already on the digital wall.

The Magic Islands is published by iUniverse ISBN 0-595-30336-6