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MARK THWAITE

Mark Thwaite is the managing editor of The Book Depository and the online literary journal ReadySteadyBook.com.

Death of the publisher?

30.07.07

There is an excellent ongoing discussion over on Mssv about The Death of Publishers. Thought-provoking points are being made from many contributors on all sides of this timely debate and I would urge those who haven't yet read the article to do so and then to contribute themselves. (I first became aware of the debate through Richard Charkin's blog.)

Mssv's Adrian Hon reckons that as soon as it becomes easy to "rip" (i.e. to download into digital form) books then they will be uploaded onto the web in increasingly large numbers. And then the publishing industry will be in the same dire situation as the music business. Which will be a scarey thought for many readers of The Bookseller.

But Adrian also understands that:

... there are opportunities out there, for publishers who can make it more attractive to buy books than it is to pirate them. This will require a price that fairly reflects the reduction in printing and distribution costs, and a very good online store with useful features such as recommendation engines ...

My feeling on this -- and I've commented saying so on the Mssv thread -- is that whilst things are changing fast out there, for the forseeable future publishers still have a real role to play in filtering, organising and delivering value-added information, building their own and their authors' brands, and using their skill and expertise in the business of the provision of knowledge and entertainment to keep themselves well ahead of the game. There is a bewilderingly large amount of content out there; any intelligent publisher will be using the web right now to find out what books I need and getting information about them straight to me.

But if publishers don't change fast, they will wither and die. And the often risible current online presence of many publishers -- there are notable exceptions of course -- doesn't bode at all well for them.

The internet offers to publishers huge opportunities as well as many threats to the traditional way that they go about their business. The web may be a new frontier, but it has been around for long enough for publishers at least to have decent websites. Many still don't even have this basic and essential element of business in the 21st century. They need to get online now and improve their web presence as a matter of urgency.

How can they improve? Let's be practical. For starters, a publisher website should have a great search engine, intelligent recommendations, and bang up-to-date catalogue information. News pages are great -- if they are kept updated. Book detail pages should all have book cover graphics; additional content (index, introductions, afterwords) should be online as a matter of course (especially for backlist items). Detailed information about all authors and links to fan sites etc. should come next. An interesting blog would be nice; forums are possible. Social networking sites and Web 2.0 technologies offer still further chances to build a publisher's brand and their readership. The list could go on and on and on.

The death of publishers isn't going to happen immediately, but a generally bad online presence throughout the industry is contributing to its increased likelihood.

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By eoin.purcell@gmail.com

At a recent strategic planning seminar the facilitator ominously reminded me that Survival isn't guaranteed for a publisher in my position. So the death of the publishers is a pretty real concept to me now. For what it is worth I think most publishers are conscious of it too. It is interesting to see the collaboration between Random House USA and librarything.com. Eoin

30 Jul 07 15:20

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By James

Interesting article. My interest was piqued enough to look for your RSS feed, but I can't seem to find one. Seems a little odd in this day and age! :)

30 Jul 07 15:50

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By mark@bookdepository.co.uk

Hi James, RSS feed for what? The Bookseller Blog itself is: http://www.thebookseller.com/rss.html But you are right it should be easier to find (the button is at the foot of the page). For my Book Depository blog, Editor's Corner, it is: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Weblog/?feed=rss2 The link is right at the top of the page, but will be even more prominent when we reskin The Book Depository site very soon. On ReadySteadyBook my full feed is: http://www.readysteadybook.com/Feed.aspx?combined That do you!? :-D Best Mark

30 Jul 07 16:06

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By Richard Havers

Hi Mark, I'm totally with you on the quality of publisher's web sites. For me it demonstrates that publishers don't understand marketing. It’s their Achilles heel and until they get to grips with marketing, and doing so effectively on the web, then they will not maximise on their potential. Simple thought - publishers are too close to their own coal face and assume that the public are far more knowledgeable than they can possibly be about their lists and their offering. As I've been harping on about whenever anyone will listen - take a look at what the airline business did in the late 90s. The travel agency/retail world had them cornered but they found a way to effectively use the web through innovative marketing.

30 Jul 07 21:30

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By edward mycue

what abt small publrs? laura beausoleil is one, philos press in lacey, washington,usa who's had only a dozen bks publd so far? a writer, poet and storyteller herself, and an artist w/work with kayak mag in the 1970's (geo hitchock, ed, santa cruz,ca)& panjandrum pr(dennis koran,ed,san francisco,ca). such don't have the thunderous resources to have blogs and all the rest but are still creative springs. will these kinds of independents die, wither away: i don't think such originals will ever go away. no, you must be referring to the sostyled "professionals" and those of the everselfreferrentially commercial presses. fuckem. william blake was/is of laura beausileil's ilk. and of kris hemensley's and bernard hemensley's and anthony rudolf's and a bunch of other heros of literature. edward mycue

31 Jul 07 05:48

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By mark@bookdepository.co.uk

Eoin, most publishers certainly are conscious of this, you're quite right. Like you, I know this for a fact. It is for that reason that I'm astonished by how belated and clumsy so much -- but certainly not all -- publisher online activity can be. I agree with Richard that online marketing is their Achilles' heel: they understand marketing, but they don't really wholly understand the online universe. Edward is right that small publishers are in a different position. Small publishers can be nimble and develop a unique brand. And remember, many online activities are free: a blog won't cost you anything but time.

31 Jul 07 07:26

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By Keirsten Clark - PaperBooks

I think you are entirely right that a publisher that doesn't show skill with its online presence is showing a weakness and an area it isn't grabbing opportunitites in - after all, we have to do everything we can to make the product/package as appealing as we can to the consumer/reviewer/bookseller. We should all be looking into new and different ways to market books and as the producers we should be at the head of this development not following behind dragging our heels in the mud!. Like finding the next big genre/craze/best selling manuscript, we need to hit the online/podcast/download market running before everyone else has already been there and done it and done it better.

31 Jul 07 14:14

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By mark@bookdepository.co.uk

Hi Keirsten, You are absolutely right. And publishing great online content is still publishing! So publishers should have -- do have -- the in-house skills to make their web presences great. They have content, an excellent product, often a lively and vocal and impassioned audience, and years of experience of packaging content into an an exciting format. Online should be easier for the publishing industry than for most other sectors.

31 Jul 07 14:26

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By Michael

Firstly can I agree with the main point: publishers will not be killed off by the web but they do have to engage with it in new ways. As someone who works in the Digital Publishing department of Pan Macmillan it is certainly not either our aim or even our distant expectation that digital publishing will overtake print publishing. People, myself included, just love and books, so while that is the case publishers are not in any danger of dying. So from my perspective digital publishing is both preparation for a likely uptake in demand for electronic content and also a way for publishers to position themselves in the digital space by doing interesting and unique things there- as Mark points out. However while I agree that doing this kind of thing is "a matter of urgency" publishers are not nimble, internet start ups, capable of changing at the speed of a click, and so these things do take time and I think its is the institutional nature of the change that many commentators fail to realise.

31 Jul 07 15:48

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By revjdouglas

In regards to the ebook article. Joe X buys his current textbook for $125.00 and has a mile long line of students ready to download it at 10 bucks a copy. People want a book to take to the toilet or the beach. Do you think its practical that a mother wants to read a story off a screen to her children at night? Anyone here want to take a e-book to the beach? E-books had their chance. Its not going to happen.

01 Aug 07 02:23

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By Manohar B.

Website:- http://www.dkagencies.com D K Agencies Pvt Ltd provides books, Marc records from india, pakistan, bhutan, sri lanka, nepal, bangladesh in major Indic languages including Tibetan

25 Feb 08 10:38

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By edward mycue

i think also now it may be abt the death of certain kinds of writers, too. thinking of an old friend and colleague, raymond carver--would he have even been able to develop as he did in this kind of situation? perhaps he could. maybe even better? who knows. GLIDE HESITATE PAUSE STOP …AND bicker, wide heart, tired all times, I hate that he died Some people are brands when packaging blooms into lifestyles Hester Prynne wore her scarlet letter for chastisement not sales later less fashionable then a brand is a middle-aged millstone they moved to Paradise, CA where Maryann’s mom had a home Ray’d married the 16year old Burk girl when he was 19 (b.1938) He graduated in 1963 from Humbolt State, Arcata, CA Maryann graduated in 1970 from San Jose State, CA Christina La Rae was born Dec 1957, Vance Lindsay born 1958 Ray had one brother James Franklin Carver born 1943 Ray was born in Clatskanie, OR, grew up in Yakima, WA Ray died a long time ago when he was about 50 and Maryann ( who he’d divorced; later married Tess) wrote a book in 2006 called What It used To Be Like: A Portrait Of My Marriage To Raymond Carver. (one in every four books is about someone?) Edward Mycue p.o.bx 640543 San Francisco CA 94164-0543 mycueed@yahoo.com www.writersartists.net

23 Aug 08 17:25

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By Alex S

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 14:59

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By Alex S

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 14:59

Unsuitable?

By Alex

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 15:01

Unsuitable?

By Alex

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 15:02

Unsuitable?

By Alex

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 15:02

Unsuitable?

By Alex

What is important to understand is that the potential transformation of (book) content from paper to screens is a far more subtle and yet powerful one than that of CDs to MP3s - in which instance the direct experience has not changed. The movement of ideas from paper to screens loses something (the idea of a 'novel' is strongly, even 'emotionally' linked with reading on paper. But reading on screens gains something as well, electronic content can be fluid, updated daily, incorperate multimedia, interactive etc. All of which is the unknown for writers and artists but rather exciting. Publishers can continue to publish their books in paper for as long as that market exists, and it shows little sign of slowing down, and will digitise valuable backlists in good time. They should worry, however, about how to use their historically resilient powers of creativity and foresight to ensure that publishers remain relevant. The internet has made us all publishers - publishers must now work out how to shine and prosper online. This should mean considering all and any of the myriad possibilities modern technology and society offer.

01 Sep 08 15:02

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By pandreson

The Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court today sentenced the former deputy director of a publishing house to death on charges of accepting bribes worth 3.27 million yuan. ------------------------------------------ pandreson Viral marketing

08 Sep 08 13:54

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