The Future: When the Editors Hire the Publishers

kjk · 12-23-2009, 02:05 PM

http://www.theawl.com/2009/11/the-fu...the-publishers

Quote:

My friend's point was: here is an editor, who built and owns his publication, who is now going to be the editor-owner, who will employ the publisher. For those of you who have worked at any sort of publication, the implications of this are staggering.

And next..the writer employing both publisher and editor?

calvin-c · 12-23-2009, 02:30 PM

This doesn't sound to me like a publisher, it sounds like a PR/advertising job. Of course a job title can be whatever you want to call it-but that doesn't change the nature of the job. You can't turn a painter into a carpenter by changing his title. (A little more closely related, can you change a painter into an decorator by changing the title? If enough people agree on the change, then you've changed the meaning of the word-otherwise it's just an oddball title for the same old job.)

As this goes, I hope this doesn't represent the future. What I note about this is that the editor/writer was successful *before* hiring the publisher. Few new writers could afford this. So, if the publisher helps the writer become successful, but only successful writers can afford publishers, how will new writers get started?

IMO, that's the basic raison d'etre for the existence of publishers. Well-known, successful, writers can afford to hire editors, PR flacks, printers, etc. The publishers are needed to help new writers become well-known.

DawnFalcon · 12-23-2009, 03:13 PM

They'll have to think outside the box. Plenty of industries you can't rely on channels to get your marketing done...

Kali Yuga · 12-23-2009, 03:18 PM

+1. Sounds more like an unusual job title than a revolution in the publishing world: "TPM Media LLC is hiring a Publisher who will be the primary manager of our audience growth, mobile media, business development and partnership strategies." (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/jobs.php)

Sounds more like a business development job, where the original owner is probably going to still pretty much run the show.

Plus, I'm not really seeing how this resolves the author's alleged "root of all evil," e.g. allowing editorial and finance to co-mingle. Seems like a totally separate issue, since TPM could have whatever structure it feels is appropriate or efficient in this matter, with or without a publisher.

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12-23-2009, 02:30 PM	#2
calvin-c Guru Posts: 787 Karma: 1575310 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Moon+ Pro	This doesn't sound to me like a publisher, it sounds like a PR/advertising job. Of course a job title can be whatever you want to call it-but that doesn't change the nature of the job. You can't turn a painter into a carpenter by changing his title. (A little more closely related, can you change a painter into an decorator by changing the title? If enough people agree on the change, then you've changed the meaning of the word-otherwise it's just an oddball title for the same old job.) As this goes, I hope this doesn't represent the future. What I note about this is that the editor/writer was successful before hiring the publisher. Few new writers could afford this. So, if the publisher helps the writer become successful, but only successful writers can afford publishers, how will new writers get started? IMO, that's the basic raison d'etre for the existence of publishers. Well-known, successful, writers can afford to hire editors, PR flacks, printers, etc. The publishers are needed to help new writers become well-known.

12-23-2009, 03:13 PM	#3
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	They'll have to think outside the box. Plenty of industries you can't rely on channels to get your marketing done...

12-23-2009, 03:18 PM	#4
Kali Yuga Professional Contrarian Posts: 2,045 Karma: 3289631 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie	+1. Sounds more like an unusual job title than a revolution in the publishing world: "TPM Media LLC is hiring a Publisher who will be the primary manager of our audience growth, mobile media, business development and partnership strategies." (http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/jobs.php) Sounds more like a business development job, where the original owner is probably going to still pretty much run the show. Plus, I'm not really seeing how this resolves the author's alleged "root of all evil," e.g. allowing editorial and finance to co-mingle. Seems like a totally separate issue, since TPM could have whatever structure it feels is appropriate or efficient in this matter, with or without a publisher.

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