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In a recent community debate about online anger in publishing circles, an insight about Web life and its more hostile folks came to light, courtesy of the writer Paul Ford. Watch for the sneering, bookish-boorish in their wicked chain mail. They’re all asking, “Why Wasn’t I Consulted?”

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While some indie authors seem to see self-publishing as a crusade to convert other writers to their approach, other voices warn that lack of preparation and the sheer difficulty of the work are often understated and overlooked.

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At BookExpo America, London publisher Michael Bhaskar tells IDPF’s Digital Book Conference that a new power broker is afoot: the reader-as-curator now is top priority in an industry deep in transition.

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The publishing specialist Jane Friedman asks authors to reconsider a widely popular trend toward self-publishing as a means of attracting a traditional contract. “A serious epidemic of impatience,” she calls it.

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Having heard an earful from self-publishing authors for years, the books industry may get some new insights into how traditionally publishing authors see their experiences. A new international survey is open for input.

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As self-publishing adds so many more books to the marketplace — and as digital publishing means that nothing goes out of print — can we continue to dodge the issue of what talent might mean in the potential success for writers?

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When Jane Friedman left the helm of Writers Digest after more than 10 years with the $10 million dollar brand, we all wondered what would come next.