Virtual Publishing: The Arrival of a Truly Free Press

The term “paradigm shift” was coined in the 1960s by Thomas Kuhn. It is essentially a significant change in our fundamental vision. As an example, Kuhn cites the making of books. Gutenberg’s invention of movable type made books readily available, easier to handle, and cheap enough for commoners to purchase directly. As more and more people learned to read, these new devices started an information revolution in the 15th century.

Churches and governments began to lose control over what people could know. Over time, those who could pay for the printing presses and control the flow of information became highly influential.

Today, thanks to computers, the Internet, and printing technologies, anyone can afford to have their words “prepared and issued for sale or distribution to the public” (Published).

In fact, I was able to prepare and publish my book in 6 different formats, including a 337-page paperback, for free. Of course, I had to write the book, do a lot of research, learn new software, and mention the book in the right circles to generate enough sales to offset my costs. But even if I hadn’t sold a single ebook, my total investment would have been less than $1,000. And if my readers hadn’t insisted on a paperback, I could have published it electronically without spending a dime.

So if we can all afford to publish, can we all become highly influential people?

This is where we have not yet seen the paradigm shift. Or at least, we have not yet discovered the only method or process that allows us to control the flow of information.

There are millions of authors published digitally on the Internet. There are hundreds of thousands of published authors in print with books available in your local stores and online.

YouTube has millions of videos vying for our attention, while Podcasters, shock athletes, and talking heads preach their gospels to us every minute of the day. And let’s not forget the ubiquitous handheld devices that send us vitally important text messages about HBY, DYK, and LOL as we try to study, work, watch, eat, and sleep.

The presses have not just been released. They have been enhanced, fine-tuned, and digitized to provide us with an endless stream of information from an ever-increasing number of sources. And who controls this flow of information? YOUR!

Each individual can now choose to pay attention to what is important to them.

This is a tremendous responsibility that has been placed upon us. Just as our 15th century brethren no longer had their “benefic” Church and Government making their decisions for them, we are also losing the infallibility of our media moguls and celebrities as gods who control our ability to reason.

Your voice is now as audible as all the others. Your TV station is now another channel to browse. Your words are readily available to billions. So the question is no longer “How do I get published?” The question is: “How do I get YOU, the most influential person, to put me in their information flow?”