I self-publish largely because the query/conform/requery process is fundamentally broken (and was built on flawed assumptions), but also because I’m an OCD control freak. I’d rather do it my way and be wrong than to conform and be right. I don’t want my sponsor saying that I have to use some particular typeface or format or page layout, but these things would all be contract-specific, so you’d just have to be careful.

I think there can’t be any serious doubt that ebooks are the future. Eventually, print will simply go the way of illuminated manuscripts, written up by ranks of monks in brown robes. Before I can seriously consider it, they’re going to have to upgrade the software and hardware so that widows, bad word breaks, no typeface control, etc, all go away, but that’s only a matter of time.

My biggest concern has always been “How do authors get paid in this brave new world?” When content is free, it hurts authors in two ways, both of which you’ve covered. First, because all content is free, the author can’t get paid for the investment of time, and therefore will invest less time, and second, because all content is free, all content will be made available. You and I will have to compete with the lady down the street who can’t apostrophize correctly and can’t keep her homophones straight, and that won’t be good for anybody. Remember what Edward R. Murrow said: “Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.” Just because you CAN publish your writings for free on the internet doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

So my only question is “Who wants to sponsor my next novel?”

Levi