Philip Roth says in this interview with Tina Brown that he is being optimistic when he says the novel won’t be around in 25 years. The problem? The book as an object…
New Publishing Business Model #9: Beast Books
Are traditional book cycles, with inception to production taking a year or more, too long for today’s instant gratification seeking consumers? Unless you’re Sarah Palin, it’s received wisdom that books actually take some time to write. According to a new publishing model debuting at Beast Books, child of The Daily Beast and new imprint of Perseus Book Group, that kind of production cycle is old news.
New Publishing Business Model #7: Textbook Rentals
Cengage Learning is turning the unique features of the higher education market into a completely different model for students and publishers: textbook rental. For 30-70% of list price, students are able to use a textbook for a set period of time before having to make the decision to give it back or buy it.
Self-Publishing: Harbinger of Doom or Puffy White Cloud of Hope?
I’ve recently done a spate of media interviews wherein the main topic was the “rise” of self-publishing. It’s an interesting media trend, founded largely by the appearance and development of innovative new web communities that are focusing on bringing together those interested in creating great books—who may or may not already consider themselves book professionals.
Online Marketing (for the Kids!): HarperCollins' Amanda Project
New Publishing Business Model #6: IndieBound
IndieBound.org was founded almost a year ago by members of the American Bookseller Association looking for a way to work together with other indie booksellers and other locally owned businesses.
New Publishing Business Model #5: HarperStudio
Kids These Days, Not So Much with the Piracy (Yar!)
New Publishing Business Model #4: Smashwords
In May of this year, Smashwords, an eBook publishing platform originally set up to serve as a channel for self-published authors, expanded to offer services designed for publishers.
Case Study: D&M Does Free Right
In March 2009, the Greystone Books title Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent was the subject of an online publicity campaign led by the marketing staff at D&M. It’s a really inspiring example of how digital strategy can be used in three really important ways: first, getting the book out there in the hands (or RAMs) of readers, second, measuring how you did and thrid, creating a baseline to compare how any kinds of books do with the same treatment.
