A little over a week ago I asked for help in choosing between the two next generation movie formats: HD DVD and Blu-ray. I have had all the necessary equipment for a few months now (meaning, a nice HD home theater system minus a next-gen player) but have stuck with my regular old DVD player. I had hoped that my patience could last me through the ensuing format war. But then Amazon came along with this deal. (Actually, now there’s an even better deal.)

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Amazon has a new toy. It’s called the Kindle. The tool itself is interesting, and I might even get around to buying one (once they’re in stock again). But the thing that intrigues me more than the device is the possibilities.

As a published author, I know first hand the relationship between author and publisher. It is a love hate relationship, to say the least. Publishers are a necessary evil. You need them to gain an audience, get your work out there, and help with the printing process. But they come at a high price. You sign away all of your rights to your work. Publishers often keep 80-90 percent of the cover price of the book. If you end up with a small publisher (as you most often do), it gets worse. They keep movie rights, audio rights, etc.

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