Publishing Industry « 800 CEO Read

January 19, 2009

In the Books 2008 – available now!

Filed under: Big Ideas,Jack Covert Selects,Publishing Industry,The Company — 800-CEO-READ @ 10:30 am

It’s here! Our comprehensive look back at the year in business books, a publication we call
In the Books: Most Notable Business Books 2008.

Here is what you’ll find inside:
Introduction
The Information Age
Jack’s Year in Review
Todd’s Year in Review
An Insider’s Perspective
The 100 Best Business Books of All Time
Introduction
A Chronology of Business Books
100 Best Connections
100 Books. Three distinct perspectives.
The 100 Best Checklist
Society, Current Events, The World
When Ecology and Economy Meet
Financial Markets
Business Books for the Next President
Your Changing Customer
The Shifting Landscape of Moving Ideas
Manga Takes On American Business
From the Blogs: Do You e-Read?
The Human Factor
For Women Only?
Explorations Into the Human Psyche
Books That Shape Careers
From the Blogs: Rethinking Work
800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards
Business Nuts & Bolts
Memos are Making a Comeback
ChangeThis: Let’s Get Persian
Real-World Lessons in Leadership
A Look Back at 2008
Jack Covert Selects
The Best-Designed Covers of 2008
800-CEO-READ 2008 Bestsellers
Stories
Odd Intersections
Industry Narratives & Business Biographies
To purchase a copy for $24.95, click http://800ceoread.com/products/?ISBN=8crannual08” target=_new>here.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the annual this year: Robert Morris, Penelope Trunk, Hollis Heimbouch, Robbie Hartman, and many of our talented writers on staff here at 800-CEO-READ. And a special thanks to Joy Panos Stauber, our awesome designer and friend.

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December 30, 2008

On the future of books

Filed under: Big Ideas,Publishing Industry,Small Business,The Company — 800-CEO-READ @ 11:50 am

Hugh McGuire at The Huffington Post has written a fascinating essay on the state of book publishing and his hopes for its future. He asks, “What would happen if, tomorrow, every publisher, and every book store, went out of business? What would you do?” Rather than answering those questions for himself, he gives readers an overview of the rise of big box book retailers and their impact on the little guys–the independents that have been a cornerstone of many communities for decades.
Here is an extended excerpt from the article:

Soon these big book stores were everywhere: Barnes & Noble and Borders in the US, Chapters and Indigo in Canada (now merged, but with separate branding to create the fiction of competition), Waterstones in the UK, and others elsewhere. They invested massive amounts in real estate, getting huge commercial spaces in prime locations in major cities, and bigger spaces in the suburbs. They stocked their stores with a dizzying array of books.
Boon or Bust?
But things started to go a little sour early on. The first indication that the new book behemoths might be bad for the long-term health of the book ecosystem came quickly, when the little guys started going out of business. Economies of scale and and pricing clout meant that the big stores could charge less than their smaller competitors; and because of their size, their selection was always bigger. Following their in-store caffeine partners, Starbucks, they liked to choose their locations near existing successful independents. The little guys couldn’t compete, and went out of business, or got bought up, and absorbed into the book selling borg.
So now, there are precious few independent books stores left even in big cities.
The indie stores weren’t the only ones complaining. Because of the volume that goes through these stores, they could squeeze the publishers, on cost of books and return policies. They could charge for prime shelf-space. Small publishers found it harder to get the attention of the readers. But even the big publishers complained about the policies of these stores – and a little later, the other behemoth on the scene, Amazon.
Then there’s that odd feeling of being in a book store staffed by people who don’t know much about books. Any inquiry about a more obscure title more often than not ended up in front of a terminal. It seemed as if book stores, if their hiring policies were any indication, no longer cared much about books.
More: as time went on, it turned out that book sales weren’t really the most profitable kind of business these stores could do. Solution: reduce the shelf-space for books, increase the shelf-space for candles and trinkets. In Canada Chapters/Indigo has reduced book shelf-space from 75% to 60% (with Canadian fiction losing, and publishers cutting their lists in consequence). If the trend continues, books will be the minority in bookstores, and we might consider renaming them smelly candle stores that carry books.
The book business has stopped caring much about books.

This is a topic that has always been close to our hearts here at 800-CEO-READ and our sister company, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, which has served the Milwaukee community since 1927. We find ourselves in a constant state of conflict; we want to see our small businesses thrive and continue doing the good they do in our communities, but we see the industry failing and recognize the need to adapt to societal realities, the new Information Age that is clearly here to stay. We have to decide what we care most about–is it the continued importance and presence of books in peoples’ lives? Is it the employment of smart and passionate people in our local businesses? Can it be both? Why or why not? If there’s a crossroads, when will we meet it?
McGuire offers analysis of the motivations behind these bookselling behemoths and ends with a charge to “the rest of us, readers and writers and lovers of books, entrepreneurs and technologists, those of us really interested in the voracious appetite of the powerful and relatively affluent group”: we are “going to have to come up with new and different ways to get books written, published and in the hands of readers.”
Check out the article. It’s great food for thought.
www.huffingtonpost.com/hugh-mcguire/what-if-the-book-business_b_153692.html

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September 27, 2008

Taking the Show on The Road

Filed under: Publishing Industry — Todd Sattersten @ 3:28 pm

800-CEO-READ is celebrating its 25th year this year and we have sold business books in almost every conceivable manner during that time. So, we thought it was time to share some of what we know with others.

Jack and I spoke on Thursday in St. Paul, Minnesota to the Midwest Booksellers Association and next week we are in Detroit giving a similar talk to the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association. The final trip for the fall is in a few weeks when we fly out to LA and talk to the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association.

The topic is how bookstores can sell more business books. This publishing sub-category has a number of unique aspects when compared to other parts of book publishing. We want to point those out clearly and give booksellers some ideas on how to make that uniqueness work for them.

If you are going to be at any of these upcoming events, we hope you’ll come sit in on our session. If you can’t see us live, we have an article on tap for next week, based on the speech we are giving, that we will post here.

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September 24, 2008

Taking the Show on The Road

Filed under: Publishing Industry — Todd Sattersten @ 10:45 pm

Tomorrow, Jack and I are speaking in St. Paul, Minnesota to the Midwest Booksellers Association and next week we are in Detroit giving a similar talk to the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association. The final trip for the fall is in a few weeks when we fly out to LA and talk to the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association.

The topic is how bookstores can sell more business books. The category has a number of unique aspects when compared to other parts of book publishing. We want to point those out clearly and give booksellers some ideas on how to make that uniqueness work for them.

If you are going to be at any of these events, we hope you’ll come sit in on our session. If you can’t see us live, we have an article on tap for next week, based on the speech we are giving, that we will post here.

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June 9, 2008

A reply to Seth from a publisher: "No. We don't own the trees."

Filed under: Publishing Industry — Kate @ 4:00 pm

Seth recently critiqued newspapers and book publishers’ focus on paper as the vehicle to spread information.

If you think your job is to keep the printers busy, then you see the world differently. You focus on per issue sales, you worry about people sharing a paper (!), you don’t count online readers as valuable (even though they’re more valuable). You focus on one edition, not a thousand different versions. You focus on having one front page, not dozens based on who is reading.

Reading into the post, he asks why are publishers and newspapers caught up on using paper when there are plenty of other methods (e-books) that are more environmental and consumer-friendly. Of course, transferring to a new distribution system is never as simple as it looks. I ran into a reply to Seth’s post from Jesse over at Chelsea Green, a publisher known for their green practices; the reply included four valid reasons for why publishers haven’t fully embraced the digital revolution.

No protection. The publishing industry is not blind. We’ve watched the music and movie industries grapple with piracy. A 3MB book file is much easier to distribute than a 2GB movie file–which is getting easier. Do we throw ourselves into the piracy frenzy? (The answer is yes, of course. But not just yet, as there is no widely accepted avenue for purchasing ebooks. A consumer’s only option right now for building a digital collection would be–for all intents and purposes–piracy.)
No format. The ebook format wars are still in the ‘limited skirmish’ phase. Open war has not yet begun, let alone been settled. My money is on DRM-free PDFs due to the existing PDF ecosystem and consumers’ distaste for never REALLY owning the items they buy. But where’s the protection in that? Do we bet our jobs on the honesty of readers? I argue yes, absolutely. But you can see why this thought gives publishers reason for pause.

….
Continued over at Chelsea Green’s blog.
We’ve brought up the debate several times on this blog. We’re still holding out bets for when the digital revolution will happen. Personally, none of the e-book readers are user-friendly enough to fill the job yet. I’m still holding out for Apple to invest in an ebook reader. Then perhaps, this conversation will take another turn.

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June 3, 2008

PR Fairy Tales – Inc. magazine article

Filed under: Big Ideas,Marketing,Publishing Industry — 800-CEO-READ @ 1:53 pm

In the current issue of Inc. Magazine you’ll find a short article on companies using children’s books (or similar formats) to pitch their messages.
PR Fairy Tales: Pitches Disguised as Children’s Books

Entrepreneurs have a habit of describing their companies in David-and-Goliath terms. Now, some are taking cues from Eloise and James and the Giant Peach. A mini trend in the world of public relations has companies replacing their run-of-the-mill press releases with promotional materials that look and feel like children’s books.

We occasionally see corporations buying large quantities of children’s books for their employees, and recently Roy wrote about the Conservation International and Random House re-release of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax for Earth Day.
In which children’s books do you find inspiration? Would you consider pitching your employees or clients with this format?

“When it unveiled the Windows Home Server, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) released Mommy, Why Is There a Server in the House?“

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May 14, 2008

A Book Publisher's Manifesto

Filed under: Information Technology,Innovation,Internet,Publishing Industry — dylan @ 11:23 am

For all of you interested in what the future of publishing will look like, Sara Lloyd has begun posting her essay on the topic over at the digitalist (the digital team at Pan Macmillan‘s blog). Because of it’s length, she’s posting it in six parts. Today’s installment was part two.
From the introduction posted yesterday:

Crucially, we will need to work out how we can add value as publishers within a circular, networked environment.
One of the key perception shifts that publishers need to make, then, is about the book as ‘product’. Whilst the book continues to be viewed as a definable object within covers, as a singular ‘unit’, publishers will continue to limit their role in its production and distribution, and this is a sure fire way for publishers to write themselves out of the future of content creation and dissemination.

This is a conversation we have quite often here. While we were handing out books at an author event recently, a gentleman walking by turned to us and said, “no one reads books anymore”–and, keep in mind, this man was there to see the author of the book speak. It’s that sentiment that causes so much panic in our industry about the possible demise of the printed book, and I think that that panic sometimes clouds our vision of the future and what great possibilities it holds. So far, Sara Lloyd’s essay has provided a very thoughtful and sober view of the situation. I’m looking forward to the next four posts.
And, speaking of the future of publishing, you can now browse inside HarperCollins books on your iPhone.

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May 2, 2008

BookExpo America

Filed under: Publishing Industry — Kate @ 1:00 pm

Each year, in late May or early June, thousands of authors, booksellers and publishers convene for the annual BookExpo America. This year BEA is in Los Angeles. It’s quite a sight.
The tradeshow floor opens on Friday morning. And the races begin! Inviting in the herd of BEA goers waiting impatiently outside the door ready to snatch the best galleys (the publishing word for a bound manuscript) and loot.
This month’s Fast Company depicted the history of BEA:

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March 21, 2008

"The Modern Era's Second Worst Promulgator of Intelligence Reduction"

Filed under: Publishing Industry,The Company — Todd Sattersten @ 10:00 am

The following is my letter to the editors of Fast Company Magazine on Elizabeth Spiers recent column in their publication. You can read Spiers column here. Kate wrote about it earlier in the week, and I couldn’t let it pass either.

***

I write to provide a needed counterpoint to Elizabeth Spiers April 2008 Not So Fast column titled “Library of The Living Dead.”

I will start where she ends, agreeing in fact with Spiers’ ultimate conclusion: Business books are self-help, by their very definition. The implication that business books fall strictly into the “I’m OK, You’re OK” segment of self-help is where Spiers and I diverge. A book publisher recently shared research with me that showed the number one reason people buy business books is to find a solution to a problem. Sitting at the educational crossroads between “I know nothing about this,” and “Let’s hire a consultant,” business books contain a high value proposition for the twenty dollars and two hours spent. Not, as Spiers says, to abdicate responsibility for the choices they make. Instead, it takes a great deal of personal awareness to look for answers from those who offer experiential lessons in books.

The packaging of those lessons receives the majority of criticism in Ms. Spiers column and I am always dismayed by the problems pundits have with this aspect of the industry. Human civilization is built upon stories and when an author chooses a fable as the delivery device, the writer is making the lessons more accessible to a wider audience.

The “12-step-ification” is a crutch that bloggers, business magazines, and book publishers certainly use alike, in the same way celebrity authors are used to garner attention and sell product. This is simply product marketing through concreteness and social proof.

The bestseller list as a guide to the “best” in the category is just another form of social proof. My optimism for the category would bring me to highlight Gallup’s research-based StrengthsFinder 2.0 or Jim Collins’ insightful and wonderful written Good to Great as evidence that some books that make the bestseller list really deserve the title.

In the case of John Kotter, we have the benefit of choosing either his current top-selling fable, or his 1996 book “Leading Change,” which has sold over a million copies. Both books tackle the same content, but offer options for the reader to choose his method of consumption.

Ms. Spiers overall indictment of the entire business book category is an easy mark and one that could be applied to any genre of media. Her elitism about what constitutes good reading compounds the problem further. While I can appreciate her hyperbole as a method to communicate some criticism about the genre, a more subtle treatment of the subject would, I believe, be more effective.

Beyond that, Fast Company is a magazine that has always supported business ideas. A simplistic column like Spiers’ goes against the very DNA of your publication. The mantra “WORK IS PERSONAL” matches well with Thoreau’s or Emerson’s definition of self-help. The publication of this column leaves me wondering just how that mission has been served.

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March 20, 2008

Kindle supply and demand

Filed under: Publishing Industry — 800-CEO-READ @ 11:22 am

There’s a message from Jeff Bezos on Amazon’s home page describing the company’s success with the Kindle. According to Bezos, Amazon sold out of the device within the first 5.5 hours after its announcement, and have been struggling to keep up with manufacturing. Some customers have waited up to 6 weeks to receive their order.
I have to say I’m slightly surprised to learn this; the only people I know of to have bought the Kindle are those of us at 800-CEO-READ (we have one). Jon posted his impressions of the device here: http://800ceoread.com/blog/archives/007546.html.
Have you purchased or tried the Kindle? What do you think?

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