With companies like Lulu, Kindle Direct Publishing and Outskirts Press, it’s never been easier to get your name in print, or at the very least, onto the screen of an e-reader. And for readers looking for new material, that’s half the problem – it’s so easy for someone to get their work printed on demand or converted into an e-book that it’s hard for readers on the hunt for new material to know if the book is the result of months of rewrites, checks and edits or simply a poorly written one-week effort bursting with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and easy-to-spot plot holes. Someone once said everyone has a book inside them – and someone else said that’s exactly where it should stay.
After pondering how to increase the profile of the more talented (though largely unknown) authors of self-published work, Apple has launched a prominent stand-alone section on its iBookstore called Breakout Books.
“Find the next reading sensation with this hand-picked collection of books from emerging talents,” Apple says in its new section. “All are independently published and have earned high ratings from customers like you.”
Readers are encouraged to check back regularly as the section’s contents will be updated as new books emerge. A cursory look through the current offerings shows various genres covered, including romance, mysteries and thrillers, and sci-fi and fantasy, among others. Prices range from free to $9.99.
The new Breakout Books section could help to raise the profile of up-and-coming authors who’ve either failed to get a publishing deal or who simply want to go it alone, while at the same time putting a few dollars in their pocket. Apple, of course, will also take a cut of every sale made through its iBookstore.
The new section is currently only showing on the US iBookstore, with no indication as to whether it’ll be rolled out to other countries somewhere down the road.
[via NYT]
