E-books cause publishers to cleave to tried-and-true authors and series

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By Paul Biba

That’s the title of an article in The Vancouver Sun. Serial-type books are what is attracting publishers now, the article says:

With book sales stagnating in recent years, the nascent e-books market has thrown the industry into turmoil. In response, large publishers are taking fewer financial risks and betting more of their dollars on established authors, says Eileen Gittins of the self-publishing company Blurb. com.

“In the face of these economics, publishers just cannot take the risk,” Gittins said. “They need some sure wins.”

Similar to movie studios betting on well-known franchises to bring box-office gold, publishers want to market more blockbuster authors writing serial books featuring a distinctive leading character to lure repeat readers, as has been seen with the success of late Swedish author Stieg Larsson and crime fiction writers such as Michael Connelly

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