What is the greatest threat to the publishing industry?

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by ahi

The fact that you and however many other random people are not able to recognize the myriad tell-tale signs of a self-published or author-mill published book, does not mean that it isn't objectively trivial to do so.

The fact that there are bad books published by reputable publishers does not mean that indie books are just as good.

The fact that some books published by large publishers receive careless treatment does not mean that a publisher does not add value the majority of the time.

The fact that many publishers are morally bankrupt does not mean that the literary world would thrive without any publishers.

You can disagree... but chances are overwhelming that your view is rooted in ignorance of a field that is considerably more complex (and deals with a variety of professions that are themselves more complex) than you even realize.

Please forgive the tone... but it is tiring to continue to face the steady stream of nonsense masquerading as sage, if sardonic, observation.

- Ahi

Actually, I was referring to the proof reading.

I can tell when a word is missing, or when a paragraph is printed again out of sequence several pages after it appears normally.

Those things seem to happen a lot these days. As much as we complain about them in electronic formats, it isn't a problem only found there.

My memory may be phoggy, but I don't recall this as being so common in past decades.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Other: Specifically, Progress.

The publishing industry is simply incapable, in its 20th century form, to adapt to the realities of a 21st century digital market. Its very structure prevents it from undergoing such a radical change... it would be akin to pulling your testicles out through your mouth. Knowing this, and not wanting to relinquish their dwindling (but still substantial) power and profit base, they are trying to mold the e-book industry into something unsustainable, and it will eventually cost them.

The future publishing industry will have only a superficial resemblance to the existing industry... the birds that will evolve from the dinosaurs, while the dinosaurs themselves largely go extinct.

[JSWolf]

I would have voted for multiple things if we could have. And an entry for The Publishers would have gotten my vote. But for now, I've voted high prices.

Can we get a moderator to start the poll over again and make it multiple choice removing option 1 and adding in The Publishers as option 1? And we also need an option for Tower of eBable.

[JSWolf]

I disagree that people don't read. They do read. They read enough to keep the publishing industry alive and have done for many many years.

[Daithi]

I wanted to second Jon's point about "people don't read". Of course they do.

Yes, not everybody reads for pleasure or enrichment. The market of "readers" is certainly smaller than let's say the market of "TV watchers". However, there is still a huge market of readers. I'm totaling guessing and don't know this to be true, but I wouldn't be surprised if more books were produced in the last 10 years than in the entire 19th century.

Just imagine an industry, like let's say the scuba industry, saying something such as, "The problem with our industry is that people just don't dive."

[Barcey]

Inertia. Continuing to do the same old thing.

[basschick]

not unlike the movie industry. 10 years and more ago, my son and i used to go to movies at least twice a month because there were movies we wanted to see. now there are very few movies that aren't either made to a formula or else created to try and bridge too many markets. as a result, there are maybe 4 movies per year that i really want to see.

trying to force writers or directors to create best sellers or blockbusters is a sure way to make the books and movies more generic and less interesting.

Originally Posted by khalleron

My take: Publishers chasing after the latest blockbuster are quite likely to produce crap. Highly polished crap, maybe, but still crap. Catering to the broadest possible public taste is not the way to produce good books.