On the internet, self-publishing is everywhere. Ebooks and Kindle books abound. There are literally millions of blogs. I am self-publishing this blog post. Information is being thrown at us from every direction. The question is: Do we NEED gatekeepers (i.e. publishers, editors, etc.) to filter these items for us?
Critics of self-publishing say that we need gatekeepers for our own good. The gatekeepers will make sure that we are able to find the best books and magazine articles. Otherwise, how will we sort through all of the available options and how will we know that the information is accurate?
Those that support self-publishing say that people are able to decide for themselves what they want to read. In addition, supporters claim that it is actually a GOOD thing that more sources of reading materials than ever are available. They also accuse the publishing industry of greed... obviously, self-publishing has the potential to substantially eat into their profits.
Where do you stand on this issue?
Posts
Ode to "Keith" or a Tale of a Dreamer
13 years ago
