Let the People Decide!

There was an interesting post in the blogger section of USA Today the other day about a new publishing model that is intriguing. The concept, believe it or not, is based on American Idol, and the premise behind it is to let the readers decide what is "publishable."

Apparently one stay-at-home mom came up with a concept for a children's book that was about a young character named Marley Barley who was coaxed into trying new foods because her parents let her get her clothes dirty. She wrote it, sent it off to lots of publishers and you can guess the ending. A stack full of rejection letters--not because the concept wasn't good but because she wasn't Madonna or Joy Behar or anyone of the stars who write children's books.

Enter WEBook, a web site that permits you to upload your book, or concept or work in progress, and let the readers decide if it merits publication. Apparently Marley Barley hit a home run with the readership and WEBooks found an illustrator and published her book. No advance but the author collects royalties just like any other author. Not a bad idea.

Regular readers of this blog know that the current publishing business model is based on the celebrity blockbuster book--the one being written by Chesley Sullenberger who landed the plane in the Hudson, for example, for which he earned a $2.5 million advance. But that doesn't mean that everyone wants to read what the pilot has to say (and truthfully what more can he say other than I landed the plane?) or that there isn't another model that is just as viable.

According to WEBook President Sue Heilbronner, there is a wide level of talent floating around on the website, but so far, "We have found that the community does actually have a pretty good way of finding decent work on the site and gravitating toward it." Plus if they do find your work and publish it, that story alone makes for great publicity.

And here's the best part: "Top vote-getters have enough fans that WEbook bets they'll make money, not unlike the rash of originally-written-for-cellphone novels sweeping Japan's best-seller lists."

I don't like to think that publishing a book can turn into a popularity contest--beleive me if there is a way to stack votes, writers will find it--but it truly is a fascinating idea, and one that appeals to me in a lot of ways. I have been saying for a long time that publishers should not have the final say over the editorial preferences of an entire nation. What if we don't want to read yet another celebrity tome? When the entire celebrity lifestyle comes crashing down along with the rest of the world's. I have a feeling that lifestyles of the rich and famous is going to be considered overindulgent, rather than desirable.

So go check it out and I'll let you know when I need you to vote!