tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post945942729489095654..comments2024-01-05T05:46:30.140-08:00Comments on Angie's Desk: The Death of Publishing -- The SequelAngiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-12951923589461516082012-02-27T07:31:40.634-08:002012-02-27T07:31:40.634-08:00Travis -- sure, that's an important point. [n...Travis -- sure, that's an important point. [nod] I think, though, that most writers would prefer to go traditional if they could, which means that if the New York publishers had been pro-active with electronic publishing, rather than pretending it didn't exist for twenty years and then bad-mouthing it for a few more, then suddenly deciding e-rights are valuable and must be scammed or bullied out of their writers however possible, if they'd embraced the digital format rather than trying to kill it with ridiculously high prices that no one wants to pay...<br /><br />In other words, if they'd thrown their weight behind making e-books work before anyone else did, they'd be at the center of the ditigal revolution, printing money and giving each other bonuses.<br /><br />The whole point Ms. Brown was making, I think, is that the big publishers let fear and panic (and maybe ignorance) push them into responding in all the wrong ways to the new format. Where your point is important IMO is that once paperbacks were a strong component of every big publisher's product line, the big publishers were still on top of the heap, with just small presses scampering around their table like mice, picking at the crumbs that fell to the floor.<br /><br />The internet and social media means that there are millions of mice instead of hundreds, and some of those mice are walking off with the occasional prime rib or whole turkey, usually because the big publishers' panicky, flailing elbows are knocking dishes onto the floor. [/extended metaphor]<br /><br />I'll grant you that 20/20 hindsight makes everyone look smart, but if the big publishers had learned from the introduction of paperbacks and their response to them, they could've been several large steps ahead of the e-book game. Instead they repeated their mistakes and now they're scrambling to catch up.<br /><br />The NY publishers might well end up with a strong share of the e-book market in a few years, but they won't be the only game in town anymore. They lost ground, and I doubt they'll get it back, largely because they couldn't learn from their own history.<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-8111225859889255402012-02-27T06:00:30.576-08:002012-02-27T06:00:30.576-08:00Great points. But there is one huge difference in ...Great points. But there is one huge difference in then and now. Social media and the ability of others to promote their work widely without the help of the establishment.Travis Erwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09420879160702098979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-42115527742317008592012-02-24T03:35:30.569-08:002012-02-24T03:35:30.569-08:00Suzan -- clearly Angry Sheep doesn't count, li...Suzan -- clearly Angry Sheep doesn't count, like, at all. :P It must not be <i>real</i> publishing. [eyeroll]<br /><br />And if we're ever in the same town, I'll collect on that. :D<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-58167804733729844072012-02-22T19:42:47.729-08:002012-02-22T19:42:47.729-08:00Um, if publishing is dead, what has Angry Sheep be...Um, if publishing is dead, what has Angry Sheep been doing for the last year?<br /><br />BTW, Angie, I owe you dinner someday for that name. *grin*Suzan Hardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600258874634909988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-52044428431713407672012-02-21T09:10:58.002-08:002012-02-21T09:10:58.002-08:00Charles -- yep, it's a classic case of not lea...Charles -- yep, it's a classic case of not learning history and having to repeat it.<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-11187152870708942742012-02-21T08:03:19.028-08:002012-02-21T08:03:19.028-08:00Very good points. Not remembering the fears of th...Very good points. Not remembering the fears of the paperback revolution means people can easily think the same thing about the ebook changes we've been seeing.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.com