Think what you will about ebooks and electronic publishing (and it’s getting harder every week to be bearish on it,) people are buying ebooks, and publishers are making money off of them. For the first time ever, ebook sales outstripped hardcover sales last month, and the trend is only going to continue. Someday, ebooks will outstrip printed books of all types.

Like it or not, we are heading that way.

In an article yesterday, gadget blog Gizmodo.com explored best-selling authors that have started to publish and sell their work directly to readers via ebook format. This is a good read, as many of the benefits that these best sellers are experiencing can be had by indie authors as well. In fact, I think there are benefits that indies may realize that the big guys aren’t even effected by… or would have access to otherwise. Instant global distribution comes immediately to mind.

The post covers five reasonse why these top-selling authors are going “e” with their new books and I have to say… some of these overlap nicely with reasons we have been urging would-be best-selling authors to go indie in general. You know, things like, “You’re the Main Honcho” are right up our alley, but adding ideas such as “You’ll Have a Book Published in No Time” and “Epublishing is a More Cost Effective Route” aren’t too shabby either.

So take a look, but here is a quick-cut summary. Definitely worth your time to read the whole post.

Just recently the Association of American Publishers reported that ebook sales have increased by 176 percent in 2009, while print-book sales continues to decrease. The list of benefits for ebook writers is endless, but one major upside is that the authors are taking home more of the book sale profits. Not to mention that the editing process is simplified and that ebooks are produced much, much quicker. It also helps that authors have more control during the entire book production process and access to a whole new audience. The publishing industry is paying attention to the major move, including traditional publishers. More and more literary agencies, such as Andrew Wylie’s agency, have plans to start agencies that deal exclusively with epublishers. It’s no wonder why more authors are going direct.

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By Brad Grochowski
Brad is the IndieBookMan. He is the founder and owner of AuthorsBookshop.com, and his book is The Secret Weakness of Dragons.