The Wave Period May Be Lengthening
I may be wrong, but today, reading a closing report on the Digital Book World expo written by Sarah Weinman for Publisher's Lunch gave me a decidedly positive feeling about the biz. For years now, there have been so many cries of doom, destruction and the end of various institutions surrounding the publishing business that any sign the storms are lifting is good news indeed.
The sea change the industry began combatting wasn't just about the economic reality of less disposable income. It was also composed of equal parts of technological battery (as in assault), marketing confusion, transportation costs, and entertainment competition for reader's time. For years now, there has been no clear indication of what the next generation of publishers and book sellers will look like. Most of the attempts at meeting the challenges resulted in either sad failures, store closings or the ungainly limp of something neither fish nor fowl.
Ms. Weinman's report, however, contains the calming effects of what I see as cool, intelligent heads winning out over the naysayers and doom cultists. I actually feel the waves diminishing. Why, our boat's not even bashing into a chop anymore. I'm encouraged that a new day has already dawned for publishers, booksellers, authors and of course, readers. This little taste of a more stable industry will mean, I hope, both a broadening overall market, and better implementation of niche markets so that more, not fewer genres will survive. A little rest for the weary mariners trying to pitch their work couldn't come at a better time.
- Array
Litopia is the winner
