Blurb Opens New Chapter in Publishing

Developed initially as a way of producing picture books, Blurb has bulked up in novel and magazine publishing, and sees itself as the future of the industry - and a massive threat to traditional publishers. "The volume we're seeing globally is unbelievable," says Gittins. "We're entering the golden age of publishing. Back in Dickens's day, everybody self-published, and it only became stigmatised when mass publishing came along and you weren't picked. Even five years ago, there was a stigma attached to self-publishing."