Foot: Publish or Perish

Technology is everywhere and I feel publishers need to get on the boat. It seems that publishers are stuck in the old way. They need to advance with technology, not hold technology back. I agree with Grandinetti, “The real competition here is not, in our view, between the hardcover book and the e-book … we are all competing for people’s valuable time.” I feel that some publishers want to make people buy the book in hardcover rather than on e-books simply because they, the publishers, want a bigger bite of the pie.

If publishers are so afraid of losing their jobs and their percent of the book then I agree with Carolyn Reidy. She says, “In the digital world, it is possible for authors to publish without publishers. It is therefore incumbent on us to prove our worth to authors every day.” Publishers should take note that the world is moving in different directions and if they want to be a part of the book industry, they need to learn along with the rest of us. Technology is today…publishers need to learn to sell technology.

My mom met a publisher a couple weeks ago and he was complaining to her how ebooks are taking away clients and there won't be any need for him anymore. As my mother so eloquently put it, "He needed to sit his ass down and get with the times." I laughed at her for saying this, but it was true. If publishers don't want to lose their jobs, then they should really work towards making their jobs more technologically adaptable. 

On another note- I just found out my new phone has Amazon Kindle on it, and I can read books ON MY PHONE! ITS AWESOME!