Seth Godin Abandons Print for e-books
Bestelling author Seth Godin announced over the weekend that his book Linchpin is the last one he will publish in the traditional way.
In an upcoming Mediabistro interview, Godin says “I’ve decided not to publish any more books in the traditional way….I like the people, but I can’t abide the long wait, the filters, the big push at launch, the nudging to get people to go to a store they don’t usually visit to buy something they don’t usually buy, to get them to pay for an idea in a form that’s hard to spread … I really don’t think the process is worth the effort that it now takes to make it work. I can reach 10 or 50 times as many people electronically.”
On his personal blog, Godin writes, “Traditional book publishers use techniques perfected a hundred years ago to help authors reach unknown readers, using a stable technology (books) and an antique and expensive distribution system. The thing is — now I know who my readers are. Adding layers or faux scarcity doesn’t help me or you.”
Godin, with 12 best sellers and an established speaking and consulting career, is better poised than many to call his own shots with regards to publishing. But this same prominence lends credibility to his move, and budding authors who want to sell books to readers – not publishers – will be tempted to follow.
