Results from the last survey: “What’s your favorite FRL feature?”
Book reviews: 3 9.7%
Blog reviews: 6 19.4%
Indepth reporting on issues ending in “gate”: 22 (71%)
This week I’m asking “How long before publishers stop publishing in paper?” I think it will happen, eventually, even though this is a week when I requested fifteen books by interlibrary loan, purchased six new books, and pondered and procrastinated about gleaning the pile.
Maybe the survey question is wish fulfillment. In theory with book purchases it’s “one comes in, one goes out.” Too often it’s “one comes in, now I will find a loophole to justify not getting rid of a book.” Someday we will move again, and then I’ll weed the shelves. Honest.
Posted on this day, other years:
- Leadership by the Numbers - 2016
- Retreat Notes - 2008
- Open Source Radio: Help Keep It Going - 2007
- My librarian trading card - 2006
- Census Feed - 2004
Bookmark to:
When Will The Books Disappear?
FRL asks
I was talking about this question today with a friend–I just published my first book (a memoir called A Real Boy: A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention and Recovery with Berkley/Penguin) and I can see how the traditional publishing process is and will be impacted by all sorts of issues springing from computer technology (like new definitions of literacy, for one). Still, my friend, a short-story writer, says there is nothing like the feel and portability of a book—and she is very internet-attuned. I just wonder if people said the same thing about Cyrus McCormick’s revolutionary reaper, or moveable type for that matter.
I think people will be wedded to paper-based books… until something better comes along, “better” being relative, of course. Information flows along the path of least resistance…
A news release by Bowker dated May 24, 2005, states: “Bowker, the leading provider of bibliographic information in North America, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing compiled from its Books In Print® database. Based on preliminary figures, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output in 2004 increased by 14% to 195,000 new titles and editions, reaching another all-time high.
“The catalyst for growth in 2004 was adult fiction, which reversed a three-year plateau and increased a staggering 43.1%, to 25,184 new titles and editions, the highest total ever recorded for that category. Adult fiction now accounts for 14% of all titles published in the U.S., the highest proportion since 1961. New poetry and drama titles increased 40.5%.”
On your poll, I fall – happily – into the “not in my lifetime” category.
In reading the question, I focused on the use of the word “publish” as the verb. I think it very likely that in the very near future, books will no longer be “published” in a paper format, but rather digitally. Let me note early that I love paper books, but also admit that I tend to read mainly e-books anymore.
If publishers continue publishing more and more books every year, I think digital publication and print-on-demand will become critical elements of a business plan. As much as I love looking through remaindered books for bargin gems, that can’t be an effective profit strategy. Digital publication with a print-on-demand option provides better inventory control as well as other benefits I will leave for others to ponder.
For example, yesterday I received a copy of David Warlick’s latest book, Classroom Blogging that was digitally published and shipped to me as a print-on-demand copy from LuLu.
So…I voted 10, and looked for 5 years for digital “publishing” with a print option.