INDEX // mb Ideas on Publishing Books in Canada (and other attempts to write good)

Jonathan Karp — Publishers Losing Their Advantage

Jonathan Karp, editor-in-chief of Twelve, wishes for the days before Judith Regan in a piece at washingtonpost.com. Executives have to deliver growth year over year. To do that, Karp says, they can either..

  1. Add more titles
  2. Sell more copies of existing authors and titles
  3. Increase output per author
  4. Diversify the offering
  5. Cut costs

The best bit is on traditional houses losing their advantage…

Once digital distribution and print-on-demand technology enter the mainstream. When that happens, publishers will lose their greatest competitive advantage: the ability to distribute books widely and effectively. Those who publish generic books for expedient purposes will face new competitors. Like the music companies, some of those publishers may shrink or die.


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