The Internet Has Opened the Publishing World to All Authors

It has been estimated that, before 1450, all the books in the world would fit inside a small library. A German printer named Johannes Gutenberg changed all that when he invented a moveable type printing press. Quickly the printing press was adopted - and improved - and its use spread across Germany and Europe. By 1500, there were 20 million books in print. Over the next century, as the printing press stormed the world, there were between 150 and 200 million books in print. 

Before the invention of the printing press, it’s interesting to note, books were a curiosity. Reading was a cherished privilege reserved for the elite few. As the printed word became more commonplace, reading began to be perceived as a tool that could be used by the public at large. It isn't easy to imagine a world without flyers, newspapers, pamphlets, or libraries, but that was the world before the printing press.

To launch his revolution, Gutenberg created and combined two amazing inventions: the hand mold, which resulted in unlimited identical copies of the same letter, and the printing press. Today a publishing revolution is taking place that may be equal to the revolution Gutenberg started. Like his, our revolution is the result of two brilliantly combined developments: the Internet and the digital press.

Today, when everything from refrigerators to wristwatches is connected to the Internet, it’s difficult to remember that the “world wide web" was only launched in 1989. Email was first made available to the public at large in 1995. This technology, created to allow researchers to share information, swept the world and - as with Gutenberg's press - resulted in immediate innovation, improvement, and unforeseen uses. By attaching caches of information to emails, bundles of ideas could transverse the world at the speed of light. Thanks to advancements in computer technology and software, it swiftly became possible for an individual to create a document - even a book - and print a copy from a personal printer.

Simultaneously the printing industry was undergoing a wave of changes. Moveable type, the famous “hot lead” technology envisioned by Gutenberg, had given way to the offset or “cold type” press, which used photosensitive plates to make prints. Offset printing drastically reduced the time and cost involved in publishing. It wasn’t long before someone put it all together and realized that books could be emailed to a printer, and multiple copies could be produced quickly and economically. 

Soon writers began to realize there was an alternative to the cloistered, insular publishing industry that had dominated book publishing for centuries. Some have compared book publishing before the 21st century as a “walled fortress guarded by literary agents.” Writers spoke longingly of having an agent who would scale the walls of the castle and convince one of the legendary “big five” publishers in New York City to accept and publish their books. There had always been the alternative of self-publishing, which had been derisively referred to as the “vanity press." This form of publishing tended to be quite expensive, and after spending thousands of dollars to print a book, an author had few means to promote it. Bookstores, who worked with and depended upon the large publishing houses, had little interest in giving shelf space to self-published titles.

Digital printing, however, meant that an author had the option of publishing a book, safeguarding it with an ISBN, and printing any number of copies, all for a few hundred dollars. At this point, the revolution exploded, as digital publishing embraced the Internet not just for production but also for promotion. With large, online booksellers making new books available for sale to the reading public and social media platforms readily lending themselves to promotion, a new revolution in publishing was well underway. 

As the world went online, authors embraced the Internet. There were so many new possibilities for writers, as one author said, "I felt as if the Internet was invented so that I could share my stories.”

With the advent of those early chat rooms and then full-fledged social media platforms, authors had no trouble establishing writers' communities. Ideas, publishing experiences, and of course, literature were shared. Friendships were made among authors who were nations apart. Many of these "crit groups” became self-promotion clubs, supporting one another with online reviews, buying one another’s books, and co-editing one another’s work. Book conventions became meet-up sites where authors who shared genres would finally meet in person those other authors who had cross-pollinated their writing.

Online literary contests began to proliferate in ways that could never have happened before the Internet. Many contests were especially attractive to small, independent publishing houses and to authors who self-published. There was, after all, no incentive for large publishers to enter; they didn't need the publicity, and anyway, some unknown author was likely to outshine theirs. Some contests were annual affairs, attracting hundreds or thousands of newly published titles in different genres. There were also publishing contests in which authors submitted book chapters that were reviewed and voted upon by readers, with the winner receiving a publishing contract.

Speaking of "indies," there was also a proliferation of new, independent publishing houses. Some of them focused on specific genres, like poetry or fiction for women. Others worked with authors located in specific geographical areas, like the Mountain West or the Southeast. There were many catchy royalty concepts set forth by these companies as they strived to get a foothold in the rapidly expanding publishing world. More than anything, what they had to offer the author was expertise in publishing, something a great many authors were beginning to acquire for themselves. 

Speaking in frustration, one of those first Internet generation publishers once made the comment, “After I had a dozen authors in print, I found myself constantly answering questions about how my writers could promote their books. Finally, I got so exasperated I sent them all an email saying, 'Hey, I'm a publisher, not a publicist!'" While the traditional publishing industry lost its sway over which books make it into publication, it still retained control over distribution and promotion and shelf space. Beyond the thrill of having one’s book in print, the question for the new generation of authors became, how can I get my book into the hands of potential readers?

The answer, once again, came from the Internet. As authors courageously shared their content and dreams, they began to build fan bases. They learned to cultivate lists of loyal readers, with whom they maintained contact, sending out newsletters and email blasts. In return, these readers - who previously never had the opportunity to engage and connect with authors - kept close bonds. Readers also invited other readers with similar interests to share, expanding the author’s fan base all the more. 

The Internet also provided opportunities for authors to plan and conduct small events that had lasting impacts on their literary careers. By connecting with a range of similar small groups - libraries, book clubs, women’s groups - authors were able to extend their contact lists and build their fan bases. With each new event, with each new conversation, an author’s confidence and literary insight would grow. It should be noted that, unlike bookstore sales or even online bookseller sales, selling books to an author’s fan base or someone referred to the author from a fan allows the privilege of knowing who just bought the book. Authors grow from interacting with their readers.

One of the most important, lasting developments in the world of publishing has been the author’s blog. Many authors have found that posting a regular blog not only reawakens the inner muse, stirring the desire to write but also reaffirms to loyal readers that the author is still active, still engaged in the literary process of which the readers have come to be a part. Blogging, some writers have noted, helps authors to get to know themselves. Others have said it gives the author "freedom to write about things that aren't going to be in the next book." As much as authors have come to appreciate blogging, their readers have come to regard it as an essential part of their literary experience.

With all the tumult in the world today, it can easily escape our awareness that we are living during a revolution - that we are part of changes in the world of publishing that rival or even surpass the astonishing changes caused by Gutenberg's printing press. As with all revolutions, where this tsunami of change will take us is unclear. We do know, however, that some positive changes are here to stay. Anyone who hears the voice of the muse can write and publish a book. Those authors who are willing to engage with their readers will learn and make profound personal and literary gains. Those authors who maintain contact with their readers through blogging or newsletters or emails will breathe enduring life into their literature as well.