In view of
the impact of online bookselling and self-publishing, technology commentator
Guy Kawasaki thinks traditional trade publishers are in danger of going the way
of the dodo. That’s the flightless bird eaten out of existence because it
couldn’t adapt fast enough.
But, he
says in a guest column for Publishing Perspectives, publishers who are able to
“add value will profit and survive, and companies who don’t [will] wither and
die.” He offers 10 strategies publishers can undertake to bring value to the process
of developing, discovering, and distributing quality content.
Among those
strategies are ditching the fight for digital rights management, a losing
battle in Kawasaki’s view, and making it possible for print-book purchasers to
receive a free copy of the electronic version every time they buy. The
electronic version, of course, should be readable on any platform.
Kawasaki
also thinks publishers need to support authors more, specifically by offering
grants to help authors pay bills while they write, setting up a web marketplace
for author services, and providing more assistance with marketing, especially
in the social media realm. These strategies, he says, will not only boost the
quality of books but also give publishers a better chance at unearthing
standout authors.
The 10
strategies apply mostly to trade titles, not textbooks. However, given the
recent hue and cry over open educational resources, the manner in which
instructional materials are sourced and published is likely to shift. Cost
concerns may force educational content to be published in smaller chunks that
are not only cheaper and adaptable, but also produced by more freelance authors
outside of academia.
