Yep, some amateurs are good and some are bad. Most benefit from the services of an editor. Readers benefit from screening services helping to point their attentions in worthwhile directions.

Publishing on demand and ebooks creates _more_ need for a publishing industry, not less. It chances exactly what the publishing industry is, but it doesn’t remove it.

It seems like the interesting questions are who becomes the new publishing houses and how are they organized? Personally, I don’t think the wikipedia/facebook solution — people editing each other for free and “likes” linking books — will win out. It might, but I think people like being pointed towards what is good too much. I expect someone will start hiring editors — probably distributed piecework — and providing a menu of polishing, packaging, positioning and printing services.

Pretty similar to McGraw Hill in many ways, but without the big building in NY. (Not that McGraw Hill still uses that building anymore.)

(Edit: #12, yes, I agree)