The Atlantic ranked the invention of the printing press as the most important event in modern history. 1Johannes Gutenberg’s first mechanical printing press changed the course of publishing in the West and ignited a printing revolution.

Some of the greatest names in literary history, such as Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway, were able to put their work in print with the freedom of the printing press. Publishing houses of their time wouldn’t produce their work, but the printing press gave a voice to writers of this era, resulting in some of the most treasured stories in history.

In 1998, the emergence of desktop publishing, digital printing and the Internet created another unprecedented opportunity for authors: self-publishing. Author Solutions was at the forefront of this pivotal change in the publishing industry and continues to be a global leader in self-publishing. Our imprints have helped more than 225,000 authors realize their dreams of publishing and have brought more than 310,000 new titles to market.

In time, the effect of self-publishing could be as profound and potentially far reaching for authors as Gutenberg’s first invention.

1http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/innovations-list/309536/#list