December 2008 Archives

There will always be a place for paper-and-ink publishing. Perhaps the question asked at pub board meetings from this day forward will be this: is it paper-worthy? I don't mean is it good enough for paper, but rather is it best suited to paper? -- or will that book be well on its way to becoming obsolete by the time it hits the bookstore shelves? In such a case, a web-based version of the book (or some other easily updated e-version) would appear to be the better solution.

It's clear to even the most casual of book, magazine, and newspaper world observers that the publishing revolution is already well underway -- a revolution that is as significant as the invention of the printing press; and one that will is set to redefine the traditional relationships between -- and roles of -- author and publisher.

The book and magazine publishing contracts that have been failing authors in many ways may be on their way to becoming irrelevant if writers start to broker their own deals with the new content buyers, both online and off.

As that process continues to evolve, it will be key to come up with a new model of compensation that will allows writers to be compensated for all uses of their work.

After all, if you ain't got content, you ain't got nothin' baby, including revenue.

It's a very exciting time to be a writer -- but also a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Many of the old rules don't mean a thing -- and the new rules of publishing are still very new -- and in flux.

This much I can say: making connections, trusting your gut instinct about how the publishing field is evolving, and becoming a specialist in a couple of areas where the demand for insider knowledge is strong are your best career strategies. Or at least they are right now.

In a world of economic upheaval, writers are a lucky bunch. We're creative, resourceful, at masters of reinvention. If the new economics of publishing involve re-imagining the book as something more virtual than physical -- requiring fewer trees and less transport, for example -- writers are up to making that shift.

Sure, there's something about the smell of ink on paper that has worked itself into our collective DNA, but we can savor an old-school book, just as we would a fine wine: on our own time and on our own dime.