Book publishers see their role as gatekeepers shrink

Writers are bypassing the traditional route to bookstore shelves and 
self-publishing their works online. By selling directly to readers, 
authors get a larger slice of the sale price.

[Photo]

Science fiction writers Greg Bear, left, and Neal Stephenson created 
a subscription-based historical novel about Genghis Khan's conquests. 
(Kevin P. Casey, For The Times / December 18, 2010)



Joe Konrath can't wait for his books to go out of print.

When that happens, the 40-year-old crime novelist plans to reclaim 
the copyrights from his publisher, Hyperion Books, and self-publish 
them on Amazon.com, Apple Inc.'s iBooks and other online outlets. 
That way he'll be able to collect 70% of the sale price, compared 
with the 6% to 18% he receives from Hyperion.

As for future novels, Konrath plans to self-publish all of them in 
digital form without having to leave his house in Schaumburg, Ill.

Complete article:

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