by Helen Gregg

A new online directory of e-books from small publishers and self-published authors launched yesterday in an effort to keep indie books visible as larger publishers’ titles become more ubiquitous in the e-book world, reported eBookNewser. The site, called EBookism, accepts submissions from small publishers for titles to be included in the directory, in exchange for an EBookism banner on the publishers’ websites.

From the press release: “With eBooks rapidly gaining popularity, the sheer volume of titles available — many of them free from sites such as Gutenberg and Manybooks — is making it harder for small publishers to get noticed. Add to that the tendency for eBook sales channels to become larger and fewer (Amazon, Apple, B&N…), and you have a situation designed to advantage big business, while making life ever harder for small publishers.”

There is currently no search option on EBookism – it’s all about browsing, according to the blog. The books are divided into fiction and nonfiction, and the customer scrolls through to find his next indie e-book. The site is simple, and currently sparse — as of today, offering only 18 titles from four publishers. At this stage, it seems more an exercise in principal rather than practicality, but if more publishers add their titles it could become an important exercise in strengthening indie publishers’ presence in the electronic marketplace.