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Authors’ Views of e-Book Self-Publishing: The Role of Symbolic Capital Risk

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Abstract

A popular school of thought in the study of publishing, exemplified by Anderson’s [1] influential Long Tail theory, suggests that the economic advantages of e-books will lead to a boom in self-publishing. However, this position focuses on economic factors at the expense of other potential influences. By applying Azjen’s [2] Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study identifies a gap in the existing literature on e-book adoption by showing a lack of attention to normative influences, and to the viewpoint of authors. Through qualitative interviews with 11 authors in the Ottawa area who have self-published or are considering doing so in the near future, we find that symbolic-capital risk is a significant concern for these authors.

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Notes

  1. Note that, with a sample this size, the findings of this study are not generalizable. The topic was perceived to be best served at this stage by sacrificing generalizability for an effort to blaze trails for future research.

  2. The other codes related to factors other than prestige, which were less widely agreed upon or otherwise determined to be less significant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa, ON, K1L 7R9, Canada

    Adam Thomlison

  2. Department of Communication, University of Ottawa, DMS, 55 Laurier Avenue East, Room 11158, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Pierre C. Bélanger

Authors
  1. Adam Thomlison
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  2. Pierre C. Bélanger
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Correspondence to Adam Thomlison.

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Thomlison, A., Bélanger, P.C. Authors’ Views of e-Book Self-Publishing: The Role of Symbolic Capital Risk. Pub Res Q 31, 306–316 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-015-9422-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-015-9422-7

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