I recently ran across this article about a speech Neil Gaiman gave at the London Book Fair about the future of publishing. I think Gaiman is absolutely correct when he talks about how the worst thing the book industry can do is to refuse "to understand that the world is changing."
Gaiman wants the industry to get experimental, get creative, and even to screw up--all to learn what will work. I love this. Isn't this what learning is all about? Trial and error until something rings true? That, at least, is the lesson I've taken away from all the books I've read so far in my life.
What do you think of Gaiman's ideas? Solid and logical, or irresponsible and brash?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/16/neil-gaiman-urges-publishers-make-mistakes
This is certainly an interesting article! I think there are definitely some merits to what Gaiman has to say. I think he’s kind of reiterating one of the major take-aways I had from the course this semester: that there is always resistance to change (whether it be in the 17th century or the 21st century) but eventually, change does happen by some brave individuals stepping out on a limb and throwing some seeds out to the wind (to reference the dandelion metaphor in the article). I think it will be difficult for publishing companies to do this, as they are companies full of individuals who need to be paid and run by individuals who generally like to be paid as well. Starting new things will require some serious investment of thought, time, money, and personnel, and while I think that changes will come, I do not see them happening very soon (as in the next few years). I think the way books are for now is relatively stable, and the big-name publishing companies do not need to worry too much: they still have more authors sending their manuscripts than they care to read, let alone publish, and there are still a goodly number of book-readers out there to consume these products. I think the ones they may initiate the innovations in publishing that Gaiman is hinting towards will be the smaller companies, the ones that may have less to lose and will be more willing to experiment. Unfortunately, I also foresee them coming up with some great innovations that will immediately be snatched up by the publishing giants…but such is life in the business world, I guess. At any rate, it will be interesting to see what happens in publishing, both in the near future and many years down the road, and it will be very entertaining to be able to reflect back on our class in Print Culture and all those predictions we made.
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