So, you heard it on my co-author’s blog back in April http://markwilliamsinternational.com/2011/04/06/harry-potter-and-the-dam-busters/  and now the lady herself has confirmed it.

She’s going indie!

http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/06/j-k-rowling-opens-pottermore-com-embraces-digital/

Not only has she by-passed the big digital publishers with a move that Harry himself would be proud of in a Quidditch game, but she is also releasing some previously un-read back story.

So whilst the big players in the ebook publishing industry, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple etc, flap around, jumping through glowing hoops, wondering what effect the whole thing will have, J.K has just caught herself a great big, fat golden snitch.

Sony didn’t do too shabbily either. The move means that the books will be DRM free and available to read on any device. Ouch! That’s gotta sting worse than being hit by a bludger and will certainly send shock waves through and already muggled industry.

Oh, and one more thing – there really is no Potter no more!

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/529043/j-k-rowling-confirms-no-more-harry-potter-books.html

So what does all this mean? Who knows? Konrath shares his views here: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/06/jk-rowling-will-self-pub-harry-potter.html

I guess, on the whole, it is good news for writers and not so great news for publishers. If they weren’t reaching for the proverbial button before, they will be now. Wondering who will be next?

But what does it mean for us indies? Well, I’m not sure? It can only be a good thing that millions of people and kids will now be rushing out /harassing their parents to buy e-readers in all shapes and sizes and thus drive more people who weren’t quite ready to make the digi-leap yet to buy other  books online, but what else?

Will the massive authors with huge backlists not yet available electronically rush out and create their own sites and start selling?

I honestly don’t think anyone knows for sure, but one thing is for certain.

The digital revolution (the publisher’s Voldemort) is here and it is happening faster than anyone predicted (apart from us – ahem).

and this time,  not even Harry and his pals can stop it.

Personally, I can’t wait to visit the Pottermore site and re-live some of that magic and yet again, JK has led the way and proven her talents as a business woman as well as a writer.

I’m also quite sad that there won’t be another book.

But, I won’t dwell on it too long. Hell, I might even don my invisibility cloak and start writing YA Fantasy fiction.

Afterall, there is going to be one huge JK shaped hole to fill in the market in the not-too-distant future. 😉

Related articles

• Pottermore website: J.K. Rowling takes Harry Potter digital (Video) (rightcelebrity.com)
• J.K. Rowling Releases ‘Harry Potter’ E-Books and More on ‘Pottermore’ (moviefone.com)
• J.K Rowling reveals Pottermore details (geek.com)
• Update on J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore (magnaefamae.wordpress.com)
• J.K. Rowling to publish Harry Potter series digitally via her own website (slashgear.com)