Calm down. I'm not about to burn your libraries.

[mollyringle]

Okay, some clarification is needed, I feel. Here it is, adapted from a comment on my ebook-poll post...

Those of you who only want to read print books are welcome to get mine in paperback, when it's available. :) I plan to do the same! The paperbacks cost about twice as much as the ebooks at my press, but there's still something wonderful about a physical book. I have to admit, the reason I chose to submit to this publisher was because they had the paperback format alongside the ebook.

I should have made it more clear that I *don't* agree with their assessment of ebooks and "not print" being the future. It's good that they're seeking out the people who believe that, and targeting them as customers, and of course it's less cost and hassle for them. Still, I hope ebooks and print can coexist, and I want consumers to give the new form a chance.

I definitely don't want print books to disappear, though. Hell, I'm considering becoming a librarian someday, and another far-off dream for Steve and me is to own a used bookstore, so we absolutely want to continue the existence of ink and paper.

Also, piracy in ebook-land is just as much an issue as it is for mp3s. But I don't expect to get rich from writing, so I'm hoping the trade-off benefit is the same as it is for the music industry: namely, more fans in more places worldwide, even if the royalties don't climb as high as they legally ought to.

At least for authors, there's always money to be had in selling the film rights.

But while I'm defending the print industry, I also have some criticisms of it. Pass this along to those you know in the field, if you think they can change things. My biggest beef is their marketing focus on a handful of hugely famous authors, to the near-total neglect of newer and lesser-known ones. A related annoyance is the tradition of printing the first run in hardback--which is expensive and which practically no one wants, unless I'm talking to the wrong people--and only later releasing the book in the more convenient and affordable paperback. It ought to be the other way around. First print in paper, then, if the book is a big hit, print some special hardback editions for those who want them for their collection.

I should note that I've majored in social sciences, and have no business degree experience to back this up.

Comments

[kali-kali.livejournal.com]

Personally, I don't understand why publishers focus so much on marketing hugely famous authors - these authors already have the brand recognition. People know them, and don't need the advertising to convince them to buy the book, they'll be doing that already. I know bookstores/bookstore websites here promoted Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to high heavens, but I think it was a complete waste of money - people who were going to buy the book would already be doing so, people who weren't interested weren't going to, because at this point, if you live in the English-speaking world, you'd need to be living under a rock to not know who Harry Potter is, so advertising really doesn't have much of a benefit.

Then again, I find most advertising pointless, since it typically comes from huge companies that already have brand recognition. People already know about the product, why do they need to be told about it more? Wouldn't that airspace be better served to advertise things that are less well-known? Of course, I'm not a marketing/advertising professional, so who knows, how they're doing things today must do something if companies keep doing it, but I find it pretty pointless. I definitely think that advertising should be something used to promote lesser-known authors, products, movies, you name it, because they need to get their names out there, not the big ones that are already known.

I guess that's my long-winded way of saying I agree with you ;)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I have wondered all those things too! To reiterate what I said in a comment above, would it kill the publishers to print up some posters for new and unknown authors, and ship them with the books to some Barnes & Nobles here and there?

Advertising does confound me...especially the HP type. Who didn't know about that release, honestly? :)

[astroman-rich.livejournal.com]

Advertising in general makes no sense to me. For example, several years ago, our local concert venue and sports stadiums sold the naming rights to the phone company and the biggest local health insurance company.

Mind you, this was when you had *one* choice for who you wanted phone service from, and effectively *no* choice for health insurance, since that company was the one and only option for most employees around here if you wanted to be on your employer's plan.

Yet they each spent millions to plaster their names above the entrances, and justified the associated large increase in rates to customers as a a necessary advertising expense.

*boggle*

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, instances like that are especially baffling to me. Even advertisements for Coke, Pepsi, Doritos, and other omnipresent products seem pointless. People who want those things already go out and seek them, and have known about them for generations. Why waste the dollars? I assume it must work somehow...but why? How? *boggle again*