Publishing industry insiders consider an “open market” as any marketplace where authors can sell their books directly to readers without using traditional publishers as middlemen. While such markets have existed since antiquity, their prevalence and growth have significantly increased as authors seek ways around conventional publishing processes.
Due to online retailing’s explosive growth, recent years have witnessed dramatic changes in the open market for books and publishing products. Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble have made it easier for customers to locate and buy books; publishers are more accepting of selling through various channels–including discounters like Wal-Mart–than before.
Consumers gain tremendously by accessing an open market. They gain more options, can easily compare prices, locate incredible bargains, and purchase items from multiple sources such as physical stores, online retailers, and catalogs.
An “open market” refers to any marketplace in which anyone may purchase and sell without restrictions; within publishing, open markets refer to markets where books may be freely bought and sold without limitations or restrictions being placed upon them.
An open market aims to facilitate the free flow of goods and services; within publishing, this means opening books up for circulation – giving readers more choices while giving publishers greater exposure.
Open markets provide many advantages but also present drawbacks that make finding buyers for less popular books easier. Furthermore, fluctuations within an open market make it hard to forecast how much someone might sell their book for accurately.