The Auto Bailout Has Me Feeling Darwinian About The Future of Publishing
It is almost Christmas and among other things that means I get to watch TV and TV commercials and TV news. It is strange seeing commercials intended for a mass audience. There are plenty of ridiculous products out there but this year I was thrown off to see so many ads for the Chev Silverado and the F-150. I realize ad spots are bought months in advance but the timing seems bad. Especially since, right after game day, CNBC aired an hour long PR-piece on saving General Motors. The constant ads, even with the MPG message, make GM seem flat footed and out of touch.
Watching the guy on CNBC recount GM’s long history, I recalled Carly Fiorina’s words about another 100+ year old company — Kodak — from Bookexpo06. She pointed out the company crashed and burned in five short years. The brand has survived but the company is now nearly irrelevant. GM’s profits have decelerated in nearly the same amount of time.
What is the lesson for book publishing? I see higher-ed publishers as the GMs of the future. Things are fine now but in a blink of an eye they could be bankrupt. GM blames the “perfect storm” of rising gas prices and a faltering economy. Publishers could just as easily blame the internet, piracy and the iPod. It is not so much the perfect storm as ANY storm could topple the big book giants.
What is the solution? There isn’t any. Publishers, like Kodak in ‘98 and GM in ‘02, know what is coming. In their own eyes they are doing what is necessary. Only time will tell if it is enough. Calls for adopting the Toyota way in publishing — especially in production — are only useful if they come from executives. Is it just me or has recent announcements from pub execs sounded a lot like Bob Lutz toasting the SUV circa 2004? Help I am trapped in spiralling publishng depression and I can’t get out. Uow. Wait. I am OK.
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