Submitted by Bethanne on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 3:18pm
Thank you, Lev Grossman, for that phrase from this article. I've been writing about publishing for a long time, now, and I've said many of these things before in print, in blogs, and in private. Maybe I'm a coelacanth, too.
I know we all love paper books. They are warm to us and seem to be a respite from technology. I think it's worth remembering that when they were first produced en masse, paper books must have seemed just as intimidatingly technological as e-readers and print-on-demand machines do today. But the worst part about paper books is that they have allowed the publishing industry to cling too long to what Grossman correctly calls an "antique" business model based on unrealistic print runs and returns.
What would you do if you could instantly change publishing? (I'd make sure author compensation worked well, but I'm a little biased...)
Brenda, a very good point.
Brenda, a very good point. Many of the authors I know have gotten really smart about understanding what takes their book from manuscript to publication -- hope that more will continue to do so.
It is the individual authors
It is the individual authors who open publishing companies that can direct the publishing industry. The more knowledge an author has about publishing and promoting books, success is easier to achieve. So what I would do is educate the authors.
Post new comment