HARPER KILLS COLLINS... WHAT'S NEXT?

[Michael P. Naughton]

With the ongoing news of the major publishing houses cleaning house, most recently Harper Collins, and all the restructuring, what personal changes have you seen as either an author or publisher?
Would love to hear your personal stories from the trenches.

[B.R.Stateham]

We all agree the publishing industry is going to change. Whether we see the demise of the traditional book and go to electronic formats remains to be seen. But here's an idea. One of the dinosaurs which should be culled from the herd are book distributors. With most book stores massive chains, and even with independents huddling together to buy in quantity, why would a major publisher willingly deal through a third party? Everyone done the chain needs a cut of the profts--which in turn, jacks up the price of a book. If a publisher would not print out so many extra copies, and deal directly to major chains and independents, costs would go down. (And no, I don't buy the idea the book distributors provide warehouse service--that idea has got to go too).

[I. J. Parker]

The chains and big box stores buy a small number of authors in quantity and nothing by the rest. Your choices as a reader will be defined by what's on the tables in CostCo and Sam's Club.

[John McFetridge]

This is what's going to save publishing right here.

[Jon Loomis]

I don't know--I'm waiting for the movie to come out...

[I. J. Parker]

What? Kindle or the Zombiesque Austen? As for the latter: why worry about the young readers? Here's what they want, and they're getting it.

[Anne Frasier]

I keep wondering what this means as far as future releases. What are we going to find on the shelves in a year or two? Even more of the same (not sure that's possible), or will publishers begin experimenting with books that aren't copies of copies of copies? I'm guessing we will see even more safe, generic books.

[John McFetridge]

I think there's a big difference between what gets published and what gets on the shelves.

Big, multinational publishers will likely be as conservative in their choices as they always have been and small pressses will likely be as eclectic in theirs.

Will the big publishers continue to dominate what gets the best shelf space?

[I. J. Parker]

They pay for it. Just like grocery products. It costs to get display!

[John McFetridge]

The question is, will the people who check them out of the library pay for them?

Every review I've ever receiced has compared my books favourably to Elmore Leonard and a few to Hiassen. I haven't sold any copies beyond my family and friends, but get taken out of the library plenty.

I guess only PC, multi-culti, liberal feelgooders are willing to spend their money on books.

Getting the cynical bastards to start spending their money, that's the problem ;)

[B.R.Stateham]

I think it is rather obvious big publishers' conservatism has cost them dearly. The problem with being too conservative is that there is no motivation to change--to innovate. For a conservative, the status quo is always the safer bet.

[John Dishon]

I agree. The problem here is, the "safe bet" was really never safe.

[Anne Frasier]

so true.