Stephen King penned a great article about the state of culture, books, movies and TV recently. The feature came via the Poet as a page ripped from a magazine, so citing the exact source is not possible at this hour. All that can be noted for certain: the author is Stephen King.

“I love my Kindle but what appears there has (so far) been backstopped by great publishers and layers of editing. If the e-book drives those guys out of business (or even into semi-retirement), what happens to the quality? For that matter, who pays the advances?”  – Stephen King

The beauty of Stephen King is that he can openly question what an industry that for years depended on his output can not even dare to murmur. I have nothing but respect for him as a writer and businessman. He’s done more to advance the cause of fiction writers than anyone alive.

I’m going to run a little further with his words now–in my own very frank terms.

Publishing as nearly everyone knew it since the Great Depression is over. Always before, publishing “righted” itself after a downturn–even a chronic one. No recession ever altered the fact that a few strong houses dominated the distribution channel; thus they controlled the talent, and by extension the content available to readers.

What happens when NYC literati lose control of the channel and the talent realizes the potential reward of reaching readers differently? I should think the least of the established traditional Old World acts worries ought to be their advances.

How about the fact that there are 1000 more potential Stephen Kings offstage, who suddenly have the same level of access to readers? Much like television, the most interesting books could come from alternative sources. A cable network of books, as it were.

Thinking beyond advances, what could less fettered competition do to the royalty statements of even the biggest literary hitters?