Posted on 09/24/2008 10:53:44 AM PDT by Publius804
It’s Only The End of Rose-Colored Glasses
September 17th, 2008
by Kassia Krozser
If you examine it on the whole, the publishing industry is an unsustainable mess. Think about it: bad economic theory, out-of-touch decision making, Peter paying Paul or the piper or someone, deregulated approach to the market. Hmm, sounds like another entity we know, doesn’t it?
It’s no wonder that we endure a never-ending succession of “it’s the end of the world as we know it” articles about the publishing industry. New York Magazine has given us the latest, a gloomy piece chock full of quotes from gloomy industry professionals. It’s only when you take a step back that you realize the article misses a whole bunch of important points.
Noted statistician Philip Roth estimated, fifteen years ago, “…there were at most 120,000 serious American readers—those who read every night—and that the number was dropping by half every decade.” If this were even remotely true, then the New York publishing industry would have collapsed ages ago. Lordy, how would they make the rent on those Manhattan offices?
What is really meant by this, and what is really meant by this article is that a certain segment of the publishing industry is in jeopardy: literary (with a capital L) fiction. More specifically, literary fiction from New York publishers.
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Thanks Publius804. The proliferation of d/led music and migration from CD burners to DVD burners and DVD players to Blu-Ray players appears to be transforming retail music. OTOH, I’m not too sure that declining hardcopy reading has resulted from Amazon’s ebook system. I’ve got at least a couple of books around here which were printed in the 19th century, and they can still be read. I don’t think the Kindle will be operable in 2108. ;’)
Well, my history textbook is coming off the press this week. We’ll see how it does. Should I tell you about it before it goes on sale at Amazon?
Make sure to FReepmail the info so I can figure out how best to GGG it. :’)
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