10-10. What other industries’ channels of distribution have been affected dramatically by online, mobile, and social media? (AACSB: Communication; Reflective Thinking)

Do you think that you have what it takes to write a bestselling novel? In the past, authors had to go through traditional publishing houses to print and distribute their work, but technology has turned the publishing industry on its head.
Although aspiring authors could always self-publish a book, selling it through the traditional channels—bookstores—was only a pipe dream for most. But that has all changed thanks to the Internet and social media. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is a popular platform for self-publishers, but others such as Smashwords, Author Solutions, and Fast-Pencil offer similar services with hundreds of thousands of authors and titles. For example, Amanda Hocking’s self-published e-book sales caught the attention of a publisher, and now the former social worker is a millionaire. Self-published books have grown nearly 300 percent in less than 10 years, with the majority being e-books. Almost 40 percent of readers now own e-readers, such as Kindles and iPads. That creates opportunities for anyone wanting to distribute their works to these avid readers.