As many of you know, the industry went through another major upheaval last week, so I decided to spend some time talking to Bob Miller, president and publisher an innovative new brand call HarperStudio HarperCollins. For more information about their publishing model or read his blog: The story of 26 href = "http://harperstudio.typepad.com/blog/aboutus.html."> http://harperstudio.typepad.com/blog/aboutus.html.
1) Taking into account what happened on "Black Wednesday" in the publication, these layoffs was a surprise to you?
The layoffs we saw last week were catalyzed by the current economic slowdown, but unfortunately I've been making for several years. Commercial publishers have been paying more and advances most exorbitant new material that we hope will become best-sellers that in turn train their previous overpayments. It's a vicious circle, and they are forced to reduce costs to compensate for it.
2) To outsiders or beginners a publisher who had often point to advances in many of these high authors find, but is that really the problem or is it more complicated than that? Is this really an industry based on the antiquated idea of starting?
Shipping – Or return – is the other "giant sucking sound" at the end the loss of the P & L commercial publications, plus unearned advances. At this time have an industry wide average of forty percent yield percent in new hardcover books, which is unacceptable basis on which to run any business.
3) What do you think is necessary to set the industry or are solvable? Do you think that a new publishing model is justified? And there could be without the publication of returns?
I think the business is correctable, and I'm interested in experimenting with new approaches. I want to see if we can find authors willing to pay reasonable advances in exchange for an equal share of the profits. I would like to see if we can find booksellers willing to risk owning stock in exchange for a greater margin of publishers. I would like to see if we can reduce marketing costs by moving our line of marketing. And I would like see if we can reach readers more efficiently to download e-book and audio book formats, perhaps in combination with traditional issues.
4) Why do you think HarperStudio model make sense?
The four experiments that have listed in answer to question # 3 above are what we pursuing with HarperStudio. It is too early to see the results, however, although I am encouraged by the forty-odd authors who have chosen to publish our new company so far.
5) Do you think more homes will start adopting this model?
I think that other homes are already trying various aspects of the model, and we will see more experimentation in this regard in the very near future. However, addition of these experiments, the houses large will have to continue paying large advances for large distribution / marketing of the securities when the securities are established brands. The names of mark still constitute a large percentage of the revenues of the largest publishing houses.
6) During the turmoil in the industry what you think survival prospects are for the big houses?
I think we'll continue to see consolidation in our industry as companies merge into an attempt to find higher margins by reducing costs.
7) Do you think publishers are sometimes out of touch with what the public want to buy? The Gargoyle as an example. This book is emblematic of the great mistakes that some publishers, going all out for books that do not attract for the masses and the creation of themselves and the author for failure.
The Gargoyle is a problem for his publisher for the high level of risk in advance, the distribution and marketing of an author is not set. So-called "make fiction" is one of the riskiest bets a publisher can take. However, the rewards for the construction of a new brand-name high, which explains why the editors who make these bets. The gargoyle had not been worth it, but similar bet Little Brown, The Historian did. It is much easier to criticize these choices for them, and although I'm not publish commercial fiction, I admire people who do well ..
Despite all this bad news, companies like Hachette are still thriving. Why is that? It is their different model or the book by Stephenie Meyer save them from the consequences that happened this week?
Hachette is thriving thanks to an unusually high percentage of options intelligent writing. Is being achieved not only make big bets on new fiction to pay, which are building their brand name novelists, and also that often succeed with new fiction and Dewey, or personalities like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. If I wore a hat, I take it off to them.
9) In the midst of all this, there is a bright spot on the horizon for publication?
I see a lot of reasons for hope. I think people will turn to books for entertainment and inspiration in the years ahead. We must use all available tools, from free samples blogs into social networking for the print on demand, etc. .., to connect people with the best authors in the most efficient and powerful we can find.
(Originally published in the Author Marketing Experts, Inc. blog and reprinted with permission of the author, Penny Sansevieri).
About the Author:
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a book marketing and media relations expert whose company has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Visit
AME
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Interview With Bob Miller of HarperStudio
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