Comments on: Where Is the Reader in All This? http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/ we make books Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:37:51 -0800 hourly 1 By: hugh http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1793 hugh Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:35:06 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1793 Well I think Adam Smith might disagree ;-) ... or, whether consumers (readers) are villainous is beside the point for the publishing business, the point is that they ARE fickle and that must be taken into account as we navigate the evolution of the book business. It's the problem publishers, like all providers in a market, must solve: how to we keep giving customers the stuff that will keep them coming back. I agree though that it's hard to guess how things will play out. Still, I think that as the web grows in importance as a distribution & sorting mechanism, publishers are going to have to get closer to their readers than in they were in a the pre-web business model. Well I think Adam Smith might disagree ;-) … or, whether consumers (readers) are villainous is beside the point for the publishing business, the point is that they ARE fickle and that must be taken into account as we navigate the evolution of the book business. It’s the problem publishers, like all providers in a market, must solve: how to we keep giving customers the stuff that will keep them coming back.

I agree though that it’s hard to guess how things will play out.

Still, I think that as the web grows in importance as a distribution & sorting mechanism, publishers are going to have to get closer to their readers than in they were in a the pre-web business model.

]]> By: bob http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1733 bob Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:54:27 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1733 While the customer is always the customer (reader), he/she are not always right. There is no obvious solution to moving publishing from its existing business model to one that works in the age of the Internet. Most of the "brilliant" innovators will fail. As will most of the existing suppliers in an industry undergoing the rate of change that publishing is going through. The winners will claim that they are more customer-focused, or more innovative than the losers, but it may be that they were just luckier. Customers (readers), and their lack of loyalty to the hard working existing publishers are the true villains. Damn them. While the customer is always the customer (reader), he/she are not always right. There is no obvious solution to moving publishing from its existing business model to one that works in the age of the Internet.

Most of the “brilliant” innovators will fail. As will most of the existing suppliers in an industry undergoing the rate of change that publishing is going through.

The winners will claim that they are more customer-focused, or more innovative than the losers, but it may be that they were just luckier.

Customers (readers), and their lack of loyalty to the hard working existing publishers are the true villains. Damn them.

]]> By: Kat meyer http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1658 Kat meyer Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:14:46 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1658 first of all - i'm falling down on my job as hostess = "Hugh, Richard - Richard, Hugh." now you are bff's. With that out of the way, may I concur that indie does not = "excels at reader realations." I'd say anyone who publishes out of passion (and not out of a desire to capture sales with "what will be most popular with most people at this very moment in time" ) has a huge leg up on the problem of pleasing the reader. It also helps that bootstraps companies don't have coffers filled with spaghetti to fling at walls and see what sticks. So, they generally put a little bit more time into the actual development and production of their bookish spaghetti. And often, they'll think about whether the spaghetti will really appeal to readers, or should they be offering up gnocchi. Okay, i've perhaps exhausted the metaphor - but my hope is that readers will step up to the plate and demand a more prominent place in the business model of book publishing. Somewhere much closer to the beginning of the cycle. Maybe publishers will get smart and invite them into the conversation where spaghetti is being flung at the walls -- might take some of the mystique out of publishing, but I for one am pretty sure a lot of book pub professionals would prefer to be working in an environment where they are already sure their efforts will find an audience, and their jobs will continue to exist. (p.s. I heart softskull!) ~ Kat first of all – i’m falling down on my job as hostess = “Hugh, Richard – Richard, Hugh.” now you are bff’s.
With that out of the way, may I concur that indie does not = “excels at reader realations.” I’d say anyone who publishes out of passion (and not out of a desire to capture sales with “what will be most popular with most people at this very moment in time” ) has a huge leg up on the problem of pleasing the reader.
It also helps that bootstraps companies don’t have coffers filled with spaghetti to fling at walls and see what sticks. So, they generally put a little bit more time into the actual development and production of their bookish spaghetti. And often, they’ll think about whether the spaghetti will really appeal to readers, or should they be offering up gnocchi.
Okay, i’ve perhaps exhausted the metaphor – but my hope is that readers will step up to the plate and demand a more prominent place in the business model of book publishing. Somewhere much closer to the beginning of the cycle. Maybe publishers will get smart and invite them into the conversation where spaghetti is being flung at the walls — might take some of the mystique out of publishing, but I for one am pretty sure a lot of book pub professionals would prefer to be working in an environment where they are already sure their efforts will find an audience, and their jobs will continue to exist.
(p.s. I heart softskull!)
~ Kat

]]> By: hugh http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1633 hugh Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:39:26 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1633 Hi Richard, I think we stood next to each other at TOC, but we never actually met. I'm "glad" to hear that I'm not totally off base. I'm an industry outsider, so to me so many things that seem obvious are, I'm told, impossible. Good to know that some people, in industry, have similar thoughts about things. Hi Richard,

I think we stood next to each other at TOC, but we never actually met.

I’m “glad” to hear that I’m not totally off base. I’m an industry outsider, so to me so many things that seem obvious are, I’m told, impossible. Good to know that some people, in industry, have similar thoughts about things.

]]> By: Richard Nash (Soft Skull) http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1632 Richard Nash (Soft Skull) Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:22:43 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1632 So I attended ToC, albeit not as a major publisher. I do consider myself VP of reader relations, it's in this capacity I'm writing here, just to say I exist, but sadly it is not a position in my company, because my company was bought out 18 months ago after our distributor went bankrupt. And even though the acquirer is independent, being independent doesn't prevent you form taking readers forgranted. And in fact it was not that company that paid for me, but rather Kassia gave me a spare ticket. Here's the thing though—no one wants to be VP of reader relations. Most people in publishing treat readers as if they have cooties. In fact, when books don't sell, it's the readers fault. And if readers think eBooks price points are wrong, the solution is to raise our prices, and "educate" the readers. I'm reminded of the poem of Brecht’s that followed the 1953 worker uprising in East Berlin: “If the government doesn’t trust the people, why doesn’t it dissolve them and elect a new people?” So I attended ToC, albeit not as a major publisher. I do consider myself VP of reader relations, it’s in this capacity I’m writing here, just to say I exist, but sadly it is not a position in my company, because my company was bought out 18 months ago after our distributor went bankrupt. And even though the acquirer is independent, being independent doesn’t prevent you form taking readers forgranted. And in fact it was not that company that paid for me, but rather Kassia gave me a spare ticket. Here’s the thing though—no one wants to be VP of reader relations. Most people in publishing treat readers as if they have cooties. In fact, when books don’t sell, it’s the readers fault. And if readers think eBooks price points are wrong, the solution is to raise our prices, and “educate” the readers. I’m reminded of the poem of Brecht’s that followed the 1953 worker uprising in East Berlin: “If the government doesn’t trust the people, why doesn’t it dissolve them and elect a new people?”

]]> By: John Kim http://blog.bookoven.com/2009/02/13/where-is-the-reader-in-all-this/comment-page-1/#comment-1629 John Kim Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:36:36 +0000 http://blog.bookoven.com/?p=1514#comment-1629 Publishers and newspapers are stuck in the past. If they die out because of their ignorance, than that's what happens, I won't feel sorry. Some other company will always come and fill that void. Publishers and newspapers are stuck in the past. If they die out because of their ignorance, than that’s what happens, I won’t feel sorry. Some other company will always come and fill that void.

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