E-Book Self-Publishing: Brave New Words

Mark and Lesleyann Coker wrote a novel, Boob Tube, based on her experiences as a soap opera reporter. They found an agent, who shopped it around to traditional publishers to no avail. Rather than give up, however, they decided to start their own e-book publishing company, Smashwords, to give their book -- and others -- a chance. "The entire traditional publishing industry is built around the notion that a book's merit is built on its commercial potential," said Mark Coker. "I thought that's the wrong way to value books."