Have you ever written a book review?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

How to Publish Without Perishing

"Go back to an old-fashioned idea: that a book, printed in ink on durable paper, acid-free for longevity, is a thing of beauty. Make it as well as you can. People want to cherish it."

Hmm. That sounds oddly familiar.

The New York Times occasionally spills ink on something worthwhile. Accidentally, mind you, but when it does so we like to point it out.

THE gloom that has fallen over the book publishing industry is different from the mood in, say, home building. At least people know we’ll always need houses. . . .

Read on.

--tps

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Has technolgy killed the book?

Hopefully only unneeded, poorly written and ill-produced books.

The Wright Brothers were convinced, that because their airplane would allow nations to 'see over the hill,' that future wars would be unthinkable.

How did that work out?

Newfangled TV was going to 'kill' Hollywood and surely the VCR would drive movie theaters out of business.

Produce what the market wants and thrive. 'Quality' is a given. Think SEPARATION: What does this book offer that can be bought nowhere else?

Cut-and-paste rehash, whether it be history or home improvement, isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

In the beginning, SB's website lacked the professionalism it now embraces. Each book has its own page, often augmented by an author's website.

So why does SB need Amazon and B&N? These online services demand 40-50% discount right out of SB's pockets. For what? If SB maintains an efficient, reliable and speedy shipping department, these online middlemen can be eliminated allowing SB to deliver their books at a fair price to satisfied customers while retaining a viable profit margain.

Don't whine about progress, EXPLOIT it.

"He who demands the future, COMMANDS the future!"