Show HN: Softcover – A publishing platform from the author of the Rails Tutorial

This looks amazing and further increases my respect for Michael Hartl. I don't really have publishing intentions, yet making this as seamless as it is should allow people who have talent and desire to publish their works easily.

I see that Michael is answering questions here, so here is one. If someone decides to publish... let's skip anarchy, let's say erotic and porn novels, is this still game?

Now that I think this through, someone can use toolchain and get their stuff published anyway, I would just like to know, where are boundaries of your service?

Thanks for the kind words. We might not choose to highlight titles that could invite controversy (especially not early on), but our intent is to produce a flexible publishing tool that is limited only by the imagination of the author. If that imagination includes, e.g., erotica, I wouldn't in principle have any objections, especially if (as I would generally recommend to most authors) they opted to use a custom domain name.

Backend has become simple enough that you wouldn't have to pay much attention. The great design of this website has anything specific to do with its Rails backend?

Indeed. So as somebody who justed started thinking about self-publishing a book, that raises a question. Should I go with the 'established' platform or this upcoming platform that seems more advanced? Will I suffer from a lack of recognition by potential buyers? Are there other non-technical (financial) differences between the two?

Looks like it's time to start reading and comparing.

now, now, peter, let's not get cranky. :+)

you've seen other competitors before, and will probably see a whole lot more, and all of them won't be as incompetent as those you have faced down in the past.

ok, for those of you who might not know, peter is the force behind leanpub.com...

which is highly similar to this site, but has been around for a few years already.

so, no, this is not a "new" model, and there _will_ be similar tool-chains that will come soon, and i can guarantee it, because i'll be releasing one that i've been working on for over a _decade_ now.

but we do not need internal squabbling, because killing corporate publishers is gonna be hard, no matter how many of us are committed and dedicated to doing it.

yes, they are dinosaurs, and yes, they _will_ go extinct, eventually, even if we do absolutely nothing. but they are also dinosaurs with _very_ deep pockets, and that's a significant factor in the greedy money-ruled world we have today.

so welcome to the revolution, softcover. strap on a helmet, and let's get to work.

-bowerbird