Books, Books, Books
The book industry is in an interesting time right now.
I was reading Kem Myers blog a few minutes ago and it sparked all sorts of thoughts in my head.
Tony, Tim, Anne, and countless others are writing books right now.
I am in talks with a few publishers about a slew of ideas.
I know Jon is getting close.
I know about 2 dozen who are publishing their own books via online publishing companies.
Seth Godin believes in the power of ebooks.
I kind of liken it to what the music industry has gone through in the past few years.
Everybody has a Mac.
Everybody has garage band.
Anyone can record an EP.
Which has led to some really sucky music and some brilliant finds online.
You can see the shmoosing happening online via blogs and twitter.
It is almost like what has happened the past few years in photography.
With the advent of cheaper SLR’s…
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, everybody is a photographer.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of the book industry in the next few years.
I am assuming that there will be some amazing books rising out of the self publishing circuit.
Similar to a band rising out of myspace.
I am also assuming that great writing will always win out as well.
A great blog to read on the subject is written by Michael Hyatt.
He is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing.
What are your thoughts?
How do you see the book publishing industry changing in the coming years?
If you could write a book…
What would it be about and why should I trust you to read it?
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
Like you said, we’ll get a plethora of new authors and books. A lot will be crap, a few will be good. The Shack is an example of this, right? Or at least that is what Jarrett told us at 722.
I think a lot of people just want to publish a book for pride reasons. I like Jeff Henderson’s take on that.
just look at the amount of good blogs vs. bad blogs – thats probably a pretty good snapshot of what we’ll see as people start to self publish.
With no checks or balances in place – there could be a lot of bad stuff. But you’ll always get some diamonds in the rough.
Hmmmm… I’d write a book about the Yankees. Or adopting. Or Hip Hop. Or God.
Or all of the above mixed in to one. And you should trust me to read it because it’d be fun with lots of pictures and short “twitter” chapters…
I definitely agree. Especially with the music part! Everyone thins they’re the next best thing!
I think you should do a post and let us all decide YOUR book topic. It would be a true testament to your blog readers.
Not everyone needs to write a book, if you think you’re a writer – get a blog. If your blog gets 4,000 readers a day and about 100 comments a day…then get a book deal
We have sold books on Amazon now in some form or another for more than 5 years now. The last 2 years or so it has been full time selling on Amazon in used and new books.
Every year, every month, the market price for books goes down and down where we are selling an average book at about $3.00, some at $.01.
It all depends on how mass produced the book was, but since everyone can publish now, as far as the book sales side of it goes, it is just a glut of book on the market.
We probably throw away (or cull if you like that better), 1,000 to 3,000 books a week, or more like 2,000-3,000 POUNDS of books that aren’t worth taking up the space.
Don’t know what it means, but that is it from a book seller point of view.
I agree with Akash cause he is my small group leader.
I think more accessibility to the tools it takes to do what you love and share it is never a bad thing. So what if I don’t like the music, wouldn’t buy the picture, or don’t buy a word of the book..it’s art to the masses without the pretense of a label, connections, or even a publisher. And I’ll always believe that sharing art, even if it’s amateur or questionable, is better than a bunch of squelched artists without a place to fling some paint. Thought spurs on thought…I say, keep it coming.
I have to agree with Amber. I look at it as art to the masses.
If I were to write a book, it’d be something similar to Erma Bombeck’s writings. I have six kids and a lot of noise in my house. We’d probably make a better sitcom.
This will probably be especially true for non-fiction (the slew of books), but man, I shy away from anything self-published.
Little e-books might be ok, but usually a book needs some help to get to its final stage. I’m not a fan of bad writing. But you’re probably right that Kindle and Sony ereader will make more ebooks available.
I read lots of blogs daily on the publishing industry, you are right that it’s in an interesting time.
interesting post…
not too knowledgeable about the industry (which is to say not at all
), but i have felt a stirring inside for a while now about writing about the concept of ezer kenegdo – the God-designed, full equality of men and women. specifically, how that looks in marriage and ministry (ie-humans, not God, have limited the role of women in the Church).
i stand solidly on the theology, but not learned enough (particularly re: marriage) to write it just yet.
I’d write a book about what it’s like to be a new ESOL teacher because I went on Amazon to find one and none exist. Therefore, I have a new job for next year, no idea how to do it well or what to expect, and no experiences to learn from. I’m stoked about it though, because working with international students reminds me that God’s heart is for the nations…Psalm 67.
You might not want to read it if you’re not in the business of teaching non-English speaking high schoolers how to speak, read, and learn in English, but if a book like mine would have popped up when I searched Amazon for “teaching ESOL” I would have totally bought it.
It’d be as vital as books like this -
http://www.amazon.com/First-Days-School-Effective-Teacher/dp/0962936065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209003960&sr=8-1
(but thankfully my parents didn’t name me Harry Wong. holy goodness.)
All I know is that I work for Thomas Nelson and my friends and mentors were let go yesterday. Although I am thankful to still have a job, this is all too emotional for me right now … I’m exhausted. Please pray for the people and their families who were laid off. (trying not to cry)
are you schmoosing by putting the guy’s link that runs Thomas Nelson on your post? HA!
I agree with you though, lot’s of opportunity, but the true writer’s works will shine through the piles of books.
i guess this is also like the time when everyone who bought a taylor acoustic guitar, a cut capo, some diesel jeans, a shirt from the buckle, dyed their hair blond, and grew a subtle goatee…thought they were a worship leader. it just doesn’t happen that way.
Los, I think you’re right. Perhaps it would help to have a service that will pull the diamonds out of all the heaps of coal. Maybe I could provide that service? Who will help me with this new business venture?
If I wrote a book, it would be about how I think racism is less about color and more about culture. Culturism, not racism. I wrote a blog about that here: http://jessephillips.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/culturism-not-racism/
You should read it because it could potentially drastically improve our understanding of race relations and help bring some healing and solutions.
BUSH…funny
Why does everyone think they have somthing to write about? In the church/christian scene it seems to have gone rampant. Oh, I started a church plant, I should write a book about it. When I go to do the layout I will have cute little boxes that highlight my profound sentences. If you do this write about why rather than how. When you have a following of people running behind you like little birds with their mouths wide open, then write a book.
It’s all a little daunting for the creative types, isn’t it? When anyone can throw some acoustic strum with a clever lyric up on purevolume and spam the world until they’re popular.
Or write a book containing random conversations and experiences with a cursory touch of God-contemplation (see “EverybodyWantsToGoToHeavenButNobodyWantsToDie” by Mr. Crowder).
Or blog their adventures in photoshopped-sepia-tinted-artsy pics they took with their Nikon D40 showcasing their best myspace-face or their pretty friends’ pensive, slightly-out-of-focus emo face.
The sad part is that the “they” and “them” and “their” I refer to is actually “me”.
With SO MUCH information and inspiration being hurled about in these creative mediums, it’s way too easy to conform to the lack of conformity- to find yourself doing the same thing everyone else is.
I think it’s become this way simply by means of these circuits of communication we have. If Daley were in socal, applying his awesome edits to wedding shots and portraits, etc… and miss Stonestreet was in WV doing her thing as well… and we had not the internets, would people even compare the two? As contemporaries? As similar artists? It wouldn’t matter, really.
Depending upon your geographic location, you would go to one or the other as your preferred artist in their medium. Much like we now tout the virtue of Sleeping at Last to those who’ve only ever heard Rick Astley, or suggest some Brennan Manning or Don Miller to those still stuck on Joshua Harris.
There is no more corner to put a market into. Monopolies and conglomerates are going the way of the dodo.
And the result of all this creative, self-marketed freedom is what? Coupled with the mentality of our generation- already raised with the Mr. Rogers cloud of being ‘special’ or ‘a beautiful and unique snowflake’ and receiving trophies and cheers just for participating… we feel entitled to voice ourselves. And the world needs to listen, too.
The sense of entitlement, especially to create, is turning into an idol in and of itself- rather than a freedom. I guess the reason I say it’s ‘daunting’ is because with SO much potential in practically EVERY area of life, it seems so very hopeless to strive for greatness in ANY of them.
No compatible singles in your church? There’s billions on eHarmony.
Stale worship songs? A billion new worship bands on myspace.
Don’t ‘get anything’ from your pastor’s teaching? Church podcasts from Riverview (australia FTW).
And like Rebecca Moon said- No book on a subject? Write, edit, and publish it yourself, or find someone who already has.
It’s all easy and immediate and overwhelming and simultaneously full of potential for growth and success… and being lost in the sea of it all.
The asymmetry from the sequential nature of scrabble might prevent the equilibrium from always having an expected value of zero. ,