From Hugh
One of the barriers that I could not overcome in the years that I wanted to publish a book was the publishing process itself. Getting an agent, having them tell me how the book should be, getting a publisher, having them tell me how the book should be....
I also thought that a book should be long. But I am more a sprinter than a distance runner. The ideas that I have about networks are best written in bursts - like a Dickens novel. But conventional books have to be longer. Is this why so many business books are so full of padding?
Amazon make it very easy. It is almost as easy as Hugh's cartoon of the quote from Clay Shirky.
The whole process reminds me of blogging in 2002. The new tools were good enough then - thank you Dave Winer and Radio Userland - to enable a regular guy like me to have in effect my own magazine.
Now, as most people focus on the tiny form of Twitter and FB, the new publishing tools are driving a new long form. Not 250 - 500 pages but the 50-100 page long essay. The new publishing tools enable you to price to match as well. No need to have a $30 book. Mine are $2.99. Some cost less and some maybe $10. All in the range of a coffee and a danish.
Just as blogging drove an explosion of writing in a magazine style, now there is no barrier for all of us to write a book or two or three....
Well got to go now as I am writing book three myself with as many books as I can write still ahead of me. How about you? Have you got something to say?
