Think back to the beginning of the industrial age. The biggest factor that contributed to the achievement of real wealth was mass production: the ability to use machinery and automated processes to deliver a large quantity of identical goods in an easy and affordable manner.The benefits of mass production included the ability to leverage time and resources to deliver goods at a sharply lower cost. However, as we grew accustomed to the one-size-fits-all ­concept—a well-priced package vacation is better than no ­vacation—we started to crave more individualization, a.k.a. the personal touch.Thanks to technology, individualization for the masses is now very much a reality. The publishing industry has been one of the biggest to undergo this change. Not long ago, if you wanted to be an author, you needed the services of a major publishing company and a large budget to cover a minimum pro