Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
...But from a reader perspective, ask yourself a couple of questions. Think about the books you like to read, and the authors who wrote those books. I'd bet most of them were from major trade houses. If those outfits went Poof!, and disappeared tomorrow, where would what you like to read come from? [/b]
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Actually, I have no idea who publishes my books. They all have imprints I am unfamiliar with, but that may not mean that they are indie publishers. They could be "fronts" for the big boys.
But I am unwilling to assume that they are not indies. I am unwilling to believe that I would find little that would interest me if the big publishers were to disappear. Not only are there current small publishers, but there would likely be new small companies which would start up.
As a customer/consumer, I don't believe that I have a vested interest in what the big publishers put out for the first time today. I do believe that I have an interest in their back catalogues. If the big ones were to disappear, I assume that the corporate parents would sell off the assets including the rights to publish the back catalogues. (I assume you know how I feel about copyright, so no need to get into that here.)
The fact that Joe New Yorker loses his job doesn't bother me, because his salary is a lot higher than mine and he's never cared about me. The fact that Harry New York Real Estate Mogul would have to find a new tenant doesn't bother me, because he's never cared about me either. I just don't see what my downside is if the big publishers break up into tiny pieces as their assets are sold off.