Publishing has been disrupted. There’s now a better way for the vast majority of authors. In this episode, David and I get into the biggest problems with traditional publishing: consolidatation, huge overhead, low royalties, and unearned advances. Much recent evidence bears out the fact that for the vast majority of newer and mid-level authors, big publishing is simply no longer built to serve them.

Meanwhile, there's a better hybrid model that partners with authors' upfront investment to create organic, sustainable, and long-term sales, book after book. Listen in as I ask David about the significant benefits and strategic differences at Lake Drive Books.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com and LakeDriveBooks.com

For too long, publishing professionals, ourselves included, have been chasing the largest possible audiences. But in this episode we tried to take our experience and apply some finer lenses to focus on the far-more diverse independent market.

We dug into some new research about book readers and their preferences, and discussed the common biases of highbrow and lowbrow book culture. While not immediately obvious, this distinction may offer more helpful way to understand why fiction is dominated by genres, and also why it's such a struggle to find books and book communities that transcend those familiar marketing categories.

Links to the readings mentioned:

"The Omnivore Dilemma," by Laura B. McGrath: substack.com/home/post/p-176741258

"The Publishing Industry Has a Gambling Problem," by Tajja Isen: TheWalrus.ca/the-publishing-industry-has-a-gambling-problem/

"Freedom Without Belonging: The American Spiritual Predicament," by David Morris: dvdmorris.substack.com/p/freedom-without-belonging-the-american

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com and LakeDriveBooks.com

In this, yet another episode of disruption from the bottom up, co-hosts Mick Silva and David Morris talk with author, creator, minister, and new literary agent Rohadi Nagassar about the shifting landscape of publishing and the rise of community-centered creativity. Rohadi discusses his Ink and Root Collective, a writing space for BIPOC authors emphasizing care and connection over commerce. The trio explores themes of decolonizing publishing, the challenges for marginalized authors post-2020, and the need for authentic community and sustainable models outside traditional, profit-driven systems. Together, they imagine a more liberative, people-centered future for writers and publishers.

Find Rohadi Nagassar at www.rohadi.com and be sure to check out his books including his new one in May 2026, Whole and Human: Forty Meditations for Liberating Body and Spirit, at heraldpress.com

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com and LakeDriveBooks.com