Before the music industry melted down, I watched a series of associated industries collapse: first typesetting companies disappeared in the desktop publishing revolution; then prepress service bureaus disappeared as printers took that work in house – again fueled by a digital revolution. Now the conventional printing industry is watching it’s customer base racing to embracing digital printing, and again, it is technology that’s enabling the revolution.

But the real fun is yet to come. As authors – content creators – begin to realize that most of the constraints within which their works and ideas have been forced to live are ARTIFICIAL, and they begin successfully transcending what a book has always been, there are going to be amazing works created, and new connections between writers and readers will become possible.

I look forward to a day when the constraints of process will no longer be allowed limit creativity, expression of authors, and enjoyment and enrichment of their readers. A day when content finally trumps process.

Thank you Mur for standing up and speaking out.

Regards,

Paul J Gardner
The Conductor of Magical Printing

I may be trying this out myself soon, as well as some other unique alternative methods of reaching fame and fortune…and readers…

David

Hi Mur. I’m a fellow-podcasting author, giving podcasts of 3 books away for free on podiobooks. What’s different is that I’m a published author with 9 books printed, mostly by major houses, with foreign editions and occasional royalties paid in actual dollars.

Podcasting hasn’t worked out the way I expected. It hasn’t generated a lot of book sales – some, yes, but not many. It hasn’t generated very much in the way of donations, either, though podiobooks attaches a request for donations to my podcast episodes.

But there’s an upside. For one thing, I’ve found a vast new audience. In just the first month of my latest podcast, for example, more people listened than ever bought the original novel, even though the novel won awards and got good reviews. It’s a different audience, and a bigger audience.

For another thing, I love it. I love going back to the oral roots of storytelling. I love being able to put inflection, pacing, pauses, shouts – all the tools of oral drama – into my writings. And the audience seems to love it as well.

My advice is, forget the money. Maybe free podcasts will advance one’s career, maybe not. But if you’re like me, you’ll have a blast – and discover a whole new audience.

This made me laugh! But, yes, the democratizing force of the internet puts the power straight into the hands, er, hoofs of the masses. Right where it should be.

Embracing change, riding the wave, adapting to the new paradigm – whatever you want to call it – some people are more willing to take the risk than others. Those are called innovators, and I hope to be one of them as well.

Interesting times . . . (and I’m just starting out on my first novel)