Comments on: Gates, Filters, and Books http://flametoad.com/2008/time-poverty-in-the-economy-of-plenty/ Words of wisdom from a combustable amphibian. Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:54:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Prest0 http://flametoad.com/2008/time-poverty-in-the-economy-of-plenty/comment-page-1/#comment-4579 Prest0 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:10:54 +0000 http://flametoad.com/?p=570#comment-4579 The problem with customer reviews is that someone has to first find it and buy it before warning other people off. How many times do you want to be that guy before you throw up your hands in disgust? Consider that fewer than one in 100 slush pile submissions are accepted in the traditional book market. If the amount of material in the marketplace were to increase 100-fold, buyer dollars are going to be spread thinner while the odds of getting poor or mediocre work goes up. It would result in the "slumification" of the creative space. Either A) some filter has to occur before or in conjunction with distribution, or B) the stratification between "professional" and "amateur" will remain firmly entrenched. The professional markets will remain a safe haven for readers who don't have the time to sort through material of wildly variable quality, while the "amateur" market will be for those readers with the time to do the research or inclination to take risks and find the hidden gems. Kinda like the way it works now. The problem with customer reviews is that someone has to first find it and buy it before warning other people off. How many times do you want to be that guy before you throw up your hands in disgust? Consider that fewer than one in 100 slush pile submissions are accepted in the traditional book market. If the amount of material in the marketplace were to increase 100-fold, buyer dollars are going to be spread thinner while the odds of getting poor or mediocre work goes up. It would result in the “slumification” of the creative space.

Either A) some filter has to occur before or in conjunction with distribution, or B) the stratification between “professional” and “amateur” will remain firmly entrenched. The professional markets will remain a safe haven for readers who don’t have the time to sort through material of wildly variable quality, while the “amateur” market will be for those readers with the time to do the research or inclination to take risks and find the hidden gems.

Kinda like the way it works now.

]]> By: Matt http://flametoad.com/2008/time-poverty-in-the-economy-of-plenty/comment-page-1/#comment-4578 Matt Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:38:17 +0000 http://flametoad.com/?p=570#comment-4578 I think reviews are going to become the "filter" for good vs. bad product. Customer reviews on Amazon, RPGnet, various blogs and other retail sites will sort out the quality rather quickly. Word-of-mouth will do the rest. "Traidtional" publishers may not go away completely, but are becoming less necessary every year. Lulu.com, Amazon's CreateSpace and other PoD options are becoming more popular, more accessible and easier to use all the time. eBook sales are on the rise and digital music is quickly replacing the CD. Musicians can instantly offer songs for sale via iTunes, MySpace and AmazonMP3 and this allows them to skip the "industry" altogether. I think reviews are going to become the “filter” for good vs. bad product.

Customer reviews on Amazon, RPGnet, various blogs and other retail sites will sort out the quality rather quickly. Word-of-mouth will do the rest.

“Traidtional” publishers may not go away completely, but are becoming less necessary every year. Lulu.com, Amazon’s CreateSpace and other PoD options are becoming more popular, more accessible and easier to use all the time.

eBook sales are on the rise and digital music is quickly replacing the CD. Musicians can instantly offer songs for sale via iTunes, MySpace and AmazonMP3 and this allows them to skip the “industry” altogether.

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