Jim Manney posts on the newest twist in bringing publishing to the people: Blurb

Customers of a just-launched Web company named Blurb can download professionally-designed templates for various kinds of books, including cookbooks, photo books, portfolios and volumes dedicated to pets and babies. Blurb is targeting the gift and memento market, and a single copy of a book costs about $30. But there’s no reason why prices won’t come down and the market broadened, if not by Blurb then by competitors. Publishers, especially small publishers, need to take note. Professional design has been one of the proprietary services that publishers offer authors. Blurb’s templates — or another company’s — make quality design a downloadable commodity.