Many of us have waited a long time to see the potential of ebooks realized. I don't just mean those in the internet marketing or "make money online" genre, nor the craft book market - good as all of those might be (and they are, without doubt, an important part of ebook development). When I talk about ebook potential I'm really talking about mass market appeal. When not just a few niche publishers but the main stream giants start producing ebooks.

And when for Joe Public it's not something he or she has vaguely heard about but it's how they buy their selection from the New York Times best-seller list.

Well now the potential is a reality. Kindle has come along and it makes all the difference. Kindle from Amazon changes everything, forever.

That's a bold statement perhaps, but true nonetheless, and some very big and influential names in the world of publishing agree with me (I'd like to say I said it first but in all honesty, probably not).

It doesn't matter whether you think the actual device is any good or not. It has its good points and sure, it has areas that will probably be improved on when they, inevitably, release Kindle 2 (or whatever the next version is called).

That's actually not important. Just like the weaknesses in the first ipod weren't important. It's not the machine itself that's the defining factor it's the fact that it's Amazon that have produced it and, using their strength in the marketplace, have got major publishers on board.

It's also the fact that you don't need to be "plugged in" anywhere to use it. It's truly wireless in most of its functions. For example you can order - and receive - a book for your train journey while you're sat on the train.

When they get connectivity sorted out for the rest of the world, rather than just the USA, (there are rumours but no facts yet) it's going to go from big to massive.

So there's no going back now. Too many people have too much invested in Kindle. Even their only real rival at the moment, the Sony Reader, will probably reap some benefit, and there are several other manufacturers who have devices just released or soon to be released that will keep the whole thing rolling and keep the Kindle itself "honest". They're not going to have everything their own way.

So what about that potential? If all the "big guns" are on board how does that affect the independent.

Well actually the opportunity is huge. Because with ebooks there's no in-cost. No investment beyond the computer and software you already own. No bean counter is going to tell you that it's too expensive to produce because it'll only sell a hundred or a. From a production point of view it takes the major publishing houses out of the equation.

If you can take the time to write it, that's all you need to do. Format it properly, send it over to Amazon and they'll sell it for you. Maybe no-one will buy it, maybe you'll be the next JK Rowling. Sure the major players still have the ad budget - it's going to be tough to compete there - but not impossible. You just need the right info.