The ground underneath traditional publishing has shifted once again. Scribd, the “YouTube of documents,” has opened up a new store where authors can upload and sell their books. And here’s the clincher. You don’t need a costly gadget (like the Kindle) to read these digital books. Any computer with an internet connection will do. And apparently, you can use smart phones as well.
As noted in the LA Times, Kemble Scott, a bestselling author from San Francisco, has published his second book — The Sower — on Scribd, and it goes for $2 per copy. Of that, Scott will get to keep $1.60, which beats the cut he received for his first traditionally-published book. You can watch a video introducing the new digital book marketplace above. You can also read more about it in The New York Times. If you have some thoughts about Scribd’s new move, let us know in the comments below.
I think it will be good eventually, although at the moment it’s a bit patchy. A very mixed bag, some of it not very good. Could I suggest some better descriptions and maybe some “editorial” on the tags – when you find serious philosophical books alongside rather dubious self help books it gives the site a tacky feel. Maybe I am just being picky, but I would like to see this site succeed.