Ebooks, giving power to the people.

So, just had some thoughts about what Mike Shatzkin had to say on The Kindle chronicles recently.

Mr Shatzkin stated "It's hard to see what's not there" in reference to his argument that things like Steve Jobs or Washington or Lincoln biographies would go away in a world without big publishing companies to finance long term writing projects.

"It's hard to see what's not there" is not an argument in favor of the publishers, since the case for stuff that's not there is every bit as strong with big publishing companies standing in the way of progress and publishing books with controversial or unpopular ideas. 

Also... I don't see his argument about the Steve Jobs biography, it has made so much money and sold so many copies. I don't know how something of that kind would be published in the future, but the sales are so high that I think someone will find a way. I don't think it is the popular ideas that need protection, because they will always find a way.

Kickstarter has been running for a few years now, and many authors have the money to write and publish books that way. That's the problem with a free market, we don't really know what's going to happen in the future, but I would say that any kind of book that is published now and makes money is going to be published in the future because it makes money, and people in the future will be every bit as interested in making money as people are today.

Mr Shatzkin failed to make the case that on the podcast that ebooks will be forced to drop below $9.99, so until I know what case he makes for that I don't really know how to respond to his insistence that high profile books and authors would be selling books for $6.99-$5.99 and driving beginning authors out.

He also said that the new e-publishing paradigm would be hard to break into for new authors... this is true, but it has always been hard. Some authors will find success that wouldn't have before and some authors probably won't. but if Stephen King can sell millions of books, but wouldn't have been able to without marketing and support, then there will always be a place for people or companies that can offer support to authors who will potentially sell millions of books. 

I don't think these future entities will hold the power that publishing companies have traditionally held, they will be partners to authors not masters