It seems as though Barnes & Noble has arrived into the publishing business with its release of something they are calling ‘PubIt!‘.  PubIt! is an online, self-service Web portal where independent publishers and authors can upload their eBooks and make them available for sale through the Barnes & Noble eBookstore.  Content can also be syndicated to the Barnes&Noble reader (the Nook) and various other supported eReaders.

Like the average publisher Barnes&Noble will take a percentage of book sales and writers will be paid a royalty off of the list price; eBooks with a list price between $2.99 to $9.99 will gain the writer 65% of the list price and for eBooks priced at less than $2.99 or more than $9.99, the writer will gain 40% of the list price.  We are still trying to figure out the motivation for the price points.

Nonetheless, we’re quite excited about what this could mean to the book publishing industry and to inspiring writers.  Firstly, inspiring writers now have a  low cost to entry access point where they can get their product read and voices heard.  The probability of that talented writer, being picked up by an agent using PubIt! as a source to find new talent, is also quite high.  Lastly, the drive for more self serve publishing will undoubtedly keep the larger publishing conglomerates somewhat honest.