"Last week, eBooks outsell print for 42 of 50 top books on USA Today list: http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-01-05/hunger-games-and-more-e-books-top-the-best-seller-list/596508/1 That's thanks, in part, to all the gifted X-mas e-readers being activated and early enthusiasm, but the trend will continue. "*

I think this pretty much sums up the statistics you've quoted on book sales.

*excerpt taken from Tim's Ferris @facebook wall

I've read no less than 20 books on Bi Polar and the DSM IV.

My brother too is Bi Polar and tells me there is no greater high than feeling or thinking you're godlike or have the spirit of god in you...

You are a hurt being who can't put a few sentences together with coherency or a dash of selfless brevity.

You are textbook crazy (although you'll be the last to know) and just now waking up to see that Corporations run the world and do not give a fuck about 'artists' - again, a textbook realization for someone your age.... as is your illness.

S&S treats you like an object because they own the business.. go make your own and stop bitching like a baby girl.

They made their business and had the balls, gumption, moxie, knowledge, money, time, effort to make it a global multi-billion dollar entity. There's millions who want to write; there are very few who want to run a real business. Leaders and followers..

The irony is both you and I'd say 75% of CEOs are self-centered, megalomaniac and egotistical twats. Don't kill yourself accidentally and you'll probably be successful.. either that or living in a box...shirtless.

Put on a shirt, dude! ;)
Otherwise, great video!
My friend Chris Devlin blogged about Amazon's Predatory Business Moves, but my blog posts The Mill River Recluse and The Rejection Window illustrate the malaise in the traditional publishing industry that Amazon is taking advantage of. Call it what you will, "predatory behavior" or "natural selection", the sea of change is undeniable. :twisted:

I think you're awesome, Sebastian. Write some books, I'll buy them.

I don't think Jim is going to like this.

Juil, public libraries are lending ebooks now. The selections are large and they can be read on Kindles, ipads, Nooks, etc. Yours might not offer that yet but at this point the majority do.

You sir, are amazing. (as always)

The only thing that saddens me about the situation is the state that public library system is in. No matter how great e-books become, there's a limit to how much one person can afford. With the current copyright laws in place, nothing in the near future will be able to replace the public library. Wikipedia and other information banks are doing a great job, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the greatest educational institution of all time.
I'm not saying that it's directly related to the publishing cartel, but both situations are definitely going to effect each other.

Awesome.

You know, for a very long time I based my success in this industry on whether or not I was published by a "traditional publisher" and many authors still base success on that "label". Obviously I felt I was a complete failure despite all that I've accomplished and am currently working toward. It wasn't until this past year that I opened my eyes to what was happening with what you so aptly called the "cartel" and realized how stupid and naive I'd been. No, self-publishing is not necessarily the answer, but 7.5% plus ass-kissing is not worth it either. Thanks for taking a stand for what you believe in and for the "artist" in this equation. Sadly, too many authors, agents and publishers still think the old way is the best way. I'm excited to see what the future holds for publishing and optimistic that someone will finally start thinking about not only the artists/writers, but also the readers.

Keep fighting the good fight. You're dead right. The Big Six used to have smaller and mid-list authors by the short and curlies, because distribution meant everything. Now that an author can arrange their own digital distribution the playing field is finally level, and the power is back in the hands of the artist and the reader, where it should have been all along.

Best of luck ;)

Taking a great stand there, Sebastian. The publishing houses are sometimes decades, if not hundreds of years old companies that are used to doing things the old and proven way. Now that the whole foundation of distribution is changing they're in trouble; I assume they can't even understand what's going on.

I wouldn't waste my energy on trying to make them understand, it's futile. The best way to prove your point is to be successful without them.

That was fucking awesome... hope I'm allowed to swear on here ;)

My concern re: the cartel is that each person in it has so much pressure from others in and around it that they cannot make a drastic change like you are suggesting without facing extreme hostility; so much hostility that they just won't be able to do it.

Alas, it still burns and change comes in one way or another.

I guess this is a good case study for why large conglomerates should try and create disrupt change in themselves (see 'Innovator's Dilemma'), instead of being taken down when it comes from the outside.