Doug Grad Literary Agency, Inc.

Publishing Industry News


The publishing industry is in a state of transition, brought on by changing technology, new competition to books for readers' time, and the downturn in the economy.  For those interested on reading what is going on inside the publishing industry, when I come across a useful bit of information I will post a web link to the article or blog entry that may be insightful and informative.


A very interesting blog entry on Craig Mod delves into the meaning of the new iPad and the future of books and electronic books.  I think the dialogue in the comments section is in some ways more interesting than the entry!
http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/


The New York Times tries to deconstruct the actual costs of producing books--both paper and electronic.  They more or less get it right.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/business/media/01ebooks.html?emc=eta1


The New York Times reports that publishers are flexing their muscles with Google, which wants to bring ebooks direct to consumers.  It seems like publishers are getting the upper hand in controlling pricing for ebooks, which will keep books from being devalued.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/books/09google.html


Wired magazine puts in its two cents in regarding the Amazon/Macmillan feud.  I say good for you Macmillan--don't let electronic books get undersold as cheap disposable things--a lot of work goes into creating that content that entertains and informs readers!
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/macmillans-amazon-beatdown-proves-content-is-king/


The Los Angeles Times sees the coming of the Apple tablet as the potential Armageddon for traditional publishing, which may or may not be a good thing.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-akst24-2010jan24,0,3445923.story


The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the death of the slush pile and the necessity of agents for books, TV and film.  Phew!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703414504575001271351446274.html


Interesting Publishers Weekly article about the crime and mystery genre, and the attitudes of some popular writers within the genre about their work and the ongoing genre fiction vs. literary fiction debate.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6708102.html


Crain's New York reports on a mysterious meeting between top literary agents and Amazon.com executives out in Seattle.  Seems to me that the future of books is at stake right here...
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20091109/FREE/911099984


A long but fascinating article on the current state of the mystery/suspense/crime fiction/thriller scene in book publishing from the Huffington Post from thriller writer Jason Pinter.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/the-state-of-the-crime-no_b_342918.html


When I read this New York Times Business Section article, it was a "holy shit" moment--the Napsterization of electronic books is here and it's going to be a huge problem that could ruin the entire economics of publishing, as lousy as they are.  A friend of mine in the music business warned me about this a couple of years ago and I didn't believe him.  But now...I fear he's right.  See the last paragraph for an especially pungent insight.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/business/04digi.html?_r=1&ref=books


The New York Times talks about the new video/book hybrid awkwardly dubbed the "vook."  With comments from publishers Judith Curr at Atria (I worked for her at Ballantine) and Brian Tart at Dutton (I worked with him at Penguin).  Is it the future, or a desperate commercial oddity?  Who knows?  But I agree with Walter Mosley's take at the end of the article.
http:////www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/books/01book.html?_r=1&hpw


A brief video interview with HarperStudio's Bob Miller, who points out that the decreasing revenues in the business will lead to further editorial staffing cuts.  I've seen this coming for years, and I believe that ultimately the editors will become independent contractors, saving publishing companies money on salary, health care benefits, and workspace.  Editors will be paid on a project-by-project basis.  It hasn't come to this yet, but give it five to ten years...
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publishing/the_editors_future_more_work_for_fewer_people_136719.asp


Business Week takes a look at book publishers that are embracing electronic books, including chapter sales and book rentals(!), hoping to avoid the fate of the newspaper, magazine, and music businesses.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2009/tc20090922_846948.htm


Former Random House editorial director Dan Menaker gives a 100% accurate look at the publishing business today.  I would have enjoyed working for him--he gets it.  Now you can see why I left the editorial side!
http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Reviews-Essays/Redactor-Agonistes/ba-p/1367


Are electronic books going to mean the end of hardcovers?  Could be, according to this article in the Financial Times.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0df31226-958d-11de-90e0-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1


This New York Observer piece stresses the importance of authors meeting their deadlines in this economy, as publishers are looking to cut their expenses by jettinsoning late books.
http://www.observer.com/2009/books/note-authors-make-your-deadlines


Sony drops the prices on its ebooks to $9.99 to compete with Amazon/Kindle.  Publisher worry that this will become the benchmark price for ebooks and will ask publishers to cut their wholesale prices soon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/technology/personaltech/05sony.html?_r=1

 
A thriller writer blogs about his actual sales of books for Kindle downloads.  An interesting look into what Kindle does (or doesn't) mean for authors.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-numbers.html

 
A new rival to the Kindle 2 and the Sony e-Reader called the COOL-ER.  I saw this at Book Expo--unlike the Kindle, it fits in the breast pocket of a men's sport jacket.  Much lighter, too, and about $100 less.  And better colors than white...
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/web_tech/cooler_ebook_reader_the_future_of_book_publishing_118538.asp


Farrar, Straus & Giroux VP Elisabeth Sifton writes in The Nation an eloquent history of the book publishing industry's troubles.  With 22 years at four major corporate publishers, I can vouch that this article is 100% accurate.  It's enough to make you cry...
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090608/sifton

 
The New York Times talks about piracy of digital books--an issue that vexed the music industry and may come to haunt the publishing industry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/technology/internet/12digital.html?_r=2&ref=business

 
A thoughtful piece on the value and job of literary agents in the world of publishing from the Guardian (as in the UK newspaper).  Gives good insight into how an agent does his or her job.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/apr/08/literary-agents-use

 
An interesting article about print-on-demand technology and the appeal of POD to self-publishing via a vanity press.  The sad fact is that not all books that get written (or have representation from an agent) get sold.  This is one option.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/06/print.on.demand.publishing/index.html?eref=rss_tech 

 
Evan Schnittman, the head of Global Business Development for Oxford University Press, has an interesting and insightful entry entitled "Why EBooks Must Fail" in his blog Black Plastic Glasses.  I think he's missing the boat because when the price of e-readers begins to fall, thats when I believe the price of the ebooks must increase, following the Gillette model of "give away the razor and make your money off the blades."
http://www.blackplasticglasses.com/?p=5

 
The Wall Street Journal talks about the success of Amazon's Kindle e-reader, and the future of the electronic book.  Fascinating insight into the manufacture of e-readers, and Amazon's miscalculation in the Kindle's popularity.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123413840248261571.html

 
Time magazine explains the bold new digital future of the novel--and it's exciting, self-published, very messy, and may bear no relation to today's fiction.  Publishing isn't dying, it's changing.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1873122-1,00.html

 
The Wall Street Journal gives a fairly accurate description of why publishers have a blockbuster mentality, even in these tough times.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123093737793850127.html

 
This New York Observer story is about the cutbacks in expense accounts for editors at the major New York publishing houses, and the subsequent ban on lunches with agents--which, for better or worse--is the life blood of acquisitions.
http://www.observer.com/2008/media/publishing-bigshots-told-open-canned-tuna-eat-desk

 
This is a Publishers Weekly story about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt stopping all acquisitions until further notice.  Drastic and scary, but perhaps not all that related to their book business, although it certainly impacts authors and agents.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6617241.html?desc=topstory

 
This Huffington Post article is about Random House digitizing 8,000 more of its backlist titles--the only part of their business that grew last year.  Mark my words--this is the future of publishing, and the thing that will save the industry.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/24/random-house-going-digita_n_145952.html

 
The New York Observer published their "end of the publishing industry" article, the same basic article that crops up every five to ten years.  I wrote the comment that gives an "a-f" list of where the article goes off the rails.
http://www.observer.com/2008/media/baby-it-s-going-be-cold-outside-book-publishing

 
This New York magazine article is their version of the "death of the publishing biz" article.
http://nymag.com/news/media/50279/

 
This fascinating Newsweek magazine article talks about the Amazon Kindle, the death of the book, and the future of electronic publishing.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983/page/1