Troubling News In The World Of Publishing

Troubling News In The World of Publishing

This week hasn't been a good one for publishers, authors or readers on at least two fronts. I'm not going to be long winded on these issues but I ask that if you have time you read some of the links and consider the implications.

Thanks to Glenn Walker of WriterCircle on Yahoo Groups for providing links on the unfolding story of New Concepts Publishing (NCP).

http://ellenashe.blogspot.com/

http://karenknowsbest.com/?p=1050

http://simplyirresistibleauthors.com/blog/?p=88


And a simple internet search will point you to more. These issues have come up before with them but not to this level. One does wonder if we are watching the beginning final death throes of yet another publisher much like what happened with Quiet Storm.

On another front there is Amazon and their deal with BookSurge. Angela Hoy brought this front and center in her zine "WritersWeekly" for March 27, 2008. The link to a long piece is found at
http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/004597_03272008.html and there are additional links there to related pieces on the topic.

I can't say I am surprised Amazon is trying to do this as I thought from the time they made the purchase this would be their plan. Or, at least some form of it as their purchase didn't make business sense otherwise. What I am surprised about is not only that it took so long, but that that those in the publishing business are so surprised at this news.

The bigger question for me is what kind of backlash, if any, will Amazon face. Print on demand publishers and authors may scream bloody murder but will anyone else? MWA seemingly has ignored such screaming from nearly the same groups regarding the criteria for aspects of their conventions and the general public seemingly hasn't cared. This may happen here as well.

Things quite possibly are changing and not in the way some folks expected. As the economy worsens, one does wonder how publishing will change. Beyond the failures of small publishing houses and the like, will publishing itself undergo some sort of sea change?

Some have said for years now that publishing was open to anyone, books not encouraged by the big houses were marketable and would sell, one didn't have to wait to be noticed by the big houses, and that anyone could make money at publishing while telling those of us interested in long term writing careers that we were fools to believe the big houses were the pinnacle we all should be aiming for.

Really?

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008