Money and Motivation: Will Content Survive the Age of Sharing and Collaboration?
The age of collaboration indicates some adjacent sources of value are emerging. Since adjacency is relative, how can publishers ensure that the central pieces remain?
A Renowned Literary Author Self-Publishes
Is this a watershed moment for independent publishing?
Books As Software — O’Reilly Makes It Happen
O’Reilly launches the “live book,” a way to extend the useful life of a book by turning hardware into software.
Who Controls Publisher Prices? Amazon Fires the First Shot, Then Forges a Bitter Truce
This weekend Amazon pulled all of MacMillan’s books, both electronic and paper, from their store due to a dispute over eBook pricing policies. Is this the first battle in the war for control of the publishing industry?
Information Subscriptions Continue to Evolve and Thrive — Why Are Publishers Slow to Adapt?
The subscription model is more prevalent than ever, but it’s also different in important ways. What can publishers learn and implement?
Lifelines and Funeral Rites in the Publishing World
A famous publishing course is officially laid to rest, while a renowned publishing mag gets a reprieve. Which decision makes the most sense?
Churn in the Book Space: Rational & Irrational Behavior Among Book Publishers
Two fiction publishers decide to delay release of their e-books, further marginalizing their books. Meanwhile, an STM book publisher gets it right.
What Happens When We Misplace the Credentialing Keys?
Self-publishing initiatives in consumer publishing a falling under harsh criticism. Why aren’t similar endeavors in the purportedly more disciplined area of scholarly publishing experiencing the same?
The e-Book Revolution — If At First You Don’t Succeed . . .
E-books are changing the world of publishing, but rather than creating something new, too much emphasis is being put on re-hashing failures of the past. The changing market doesn’t have to be a zero sum game, and the rise of new forms may not spell the death of the book as we know it.
Game Over, Man — Has the Disruption of Publishing Already Occurred?
We continue to talk about “disruptive innovation” as if it’s a looming threat. But what if it’s already happened? What if it’s too late?
Is 2010 the Year for the e-Book?
e-Books are becoming more competitive, with Sony striking distribution and retail deals. Authors and readers stand to benefit.
Is “Good Enough” Good Enough for You?
Over time, many markets become dominated by low quality, cheap, “good enough” products. How is this common evolutionary pathway playing out in the world of scholarly publishing?
Learning from Books — Lessons for STM Publishers
Mass-market book publishing is being disrupted more quickly than anyone expected. What lessons can we learn?
Do Publishing Associations Match Publishing Realities?
Trade organizations grew up around traditional information containers and roles. Now that things are changing, is it time to consider collaboration and consolidation in the association space?
Will Feudalism Fade from Knowledge Exchange?
Feudalism was a necessary step in social organization, but is it the end-state for academic organization? A number of related events this past weekend make me think not.