The Future of Publishing

At this year's Digital Book World Conference in New York, a panel filled with publishing CEOs talked about what they learned in 2011 and how that affects what they plan on doing differently in 2012. Scarletta listened to what they had to say, and then we thought about how that affects us, as a small publisher.
Dominique Raccah, CEO and publisher at Sourcebooks, spoke of 2011 as the "Renaissance of the book," because more people than ever are once again thinking of books.
Ellen Archer, president of Hyperion, added that "the book is now elastic and dynamic." She went on to tell a story of mixed media, and how the television show Castle (about a writer who helps solve crimes) helped prompt the idea of an unlikely partnership. It's hardly news that books are created about popular TV shows, but the producers of Castle wanted the book to be "penned" by the fictional character in the show. Hyperion worked with them to release the first half of the book online, chapter by chapter, the summer before the show was renewed for a second season with the plan to release the book in print once the TV series was renewed. It was a hit, making the NYT bestseller list.
John Donatich, director of Yale University Press, also mentioned the digital book age as an era for previously unseen manuscripts to be made widely available.
Which left John R. Ingram, chairman of the Ingram Content Group, asking "Where do you get the money?" and expressing the need for balancing relevance and profitability.

Highlights From the Digital Book World Conference

According to PGW Constellation, changes in book marketing was the main point driven home at this year's Digital Book World Conference (January 23-25, 2012). Multiple panelists stated that the traditional lines between the marketing, publicity and sales departments are quickly falling away, especially when it comes to the use of social media.

"Marketing, sales and publicity serve the same function and should be more closely aligned"—Ellen Archer, Hyperion

The biggest draw of social media is the interactive component. Authors can stay in touch with readers, contests can be held and Open Road is finding that creating new video content is the most efficient marketing investment a publisher can make.