“Make progress among the willing.” The Good, Bad, and Ugly of #PIF24
It was an excellent reminder that the industry is so much bigger than Amazon and the Big 5, and if we prioritize making progress among the willing, we can disrupt the industry for the better — from within.
Is the Publishing Innovation Forum an event the industry really needs?
Unfortunately, DBW is long gone, and nothing’s really come along since to fill the gap. Is the Publishing Innovation Forum an event the industry needs right now? I think so.
The pros and cons of Authors Equity (maybe)
The truth is, we don’t know any specifics about Authors Equity’s model beyond a press release, a few vague interviews, and a range of hot takes. Their website has very little information, and they don’t currently even meet several of IBPA’s minimal Hybrid Publisher Criteria.
On library ebook licenses, patron demand, and power dynamics
Meanwhile, libraries have generally proven reluctant to use their power to shape the demand curve and shift digital budgets away from expensive Big 5 bestsellers, even when it means sacrificing diversity and depth in their own digital collections.
Not-so-random pandemic thoughts on Author Platforms
It’s an unfortunate truth about books that it’s never simply been about being a good writer, but as literal thousands of new books are published every month, marketability is arguably more important — and harder to define — than it’s ever been.
Five Things: November 30, 2023
“I’d pay good money to hear the whisper networks’ take on that.” Five things for November 30, 2023.
Five Things: August 17, 2023
“On KKR and publishing, book bans’ human cost, more World Cup, and becoming a Trekkie.” Five things for August 17, 2023.
Five Things: June 8, 2023
“Let it die.” Five things for June 8, 2023. That’s it! That’s the excerpt.
Five Things: March 30, 2023
“A new economic engine for culture.” Five things for March 30, 2023. That’s it! That’s the excerpt.
Maybe Publishers Should “Love” Libraries a Little Less?
It’s truly amazing how publishers who routinely claim, “We love libraries!” every summer at ALA Annual — the conference many of them hope will replace their own failed Book Expo America — find it so much easier to fight those same libraries in court, on multiple fronts, rather than figuring out how to come to the table and negotiate in good faith with such a critical partner.