Path Dependency & Way of Innovation
3 Steps to Self Publishing
‘Path Dependency’ — An idea that tries to explain the continued use of a product or practice based on historical preference or use. This holds true even if newer, more efficient products or practices are available due to the previous commitment made.
Often changing our daily habits or routines come out of the necessity to support our procrastination. Yes if you are a student and StudyRoom provides that much more comfort, it is wise to enjoy as much time laying out on the quad as possible. We are taught to be critical thinkers our entire lives. With honed capabilities we accept what change agents we have access to. Yet sometimes topping off your container in the dinning hall or using the restroom at the office becomes the same commitment as typing on the keyboard used by your great grandparents.
Humanity has seen August Dvorak, but why not make progress from the American Simplified Keyboard? Why continue to type like the keyboards we use now jam like the typewriters in the late 1800s? Keyboards do not jam anymore from letter arrangement, allowing for better user experience and efficiency.
Path Dependency is slow to take shape as it did decades before. In the age of the internet, UX Design and accessibility to subculture, a diversity of avenues exist for user consumption. This Path Dependency Disruption phenomenon can be seen in way of the rapid success of Sharing Economy business model. For instance, Slack and Uber have completely reimagined traditions such as email and taxi services, giving way to human interaction and ingenuity like never before. But no other disruption has occurred in Path Dependency and self publishing like the dissemination of publications. How would you publish a piece of your precious thought capital?
1. Clarify your goal.
“What are your goals?” — Eric Zed
“For most people, it’s less about technology and more about distribution.” — Fred Zimmerman
“Don’t conflate publishing with online distribution. You don’t need a self-publishing company because you, yourself, can be the publisher.” — Michele DeFilippo
2. Identify your market.
“Fiction and Romance, Non-Fiction; 1) How to Books, 2) Information products like a video + a book…. know your Target Audience” — Eric Zed
3. Create a solution.
“Kindle Direct Publishing (Self-publish your book to Amazon’s Kindle Store) and Smashwords (Ebooks from independent authors and publishers) for your ebook edition, and Createspace (Self Publishing and Free Distribution for Books, CD, DVD)” — Shawn Bell
“Amazon (CreateSpace) and Ingram (Lightning Source) are the two biggest pipes. That said, GitBook is pretty cool…” — Fred Zimmerman
“As a reader, I prefer gumroad” — Ivan Anishchuk
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