Book Publishing Industry
The Transformation of the Book Publishing Industry
The book publishing industry is in the cusps of a revolution. But some say that it is also undergoing a process of undesirable change. With self publishing becoming a fad that’s too rampant to ignore and with the rise of eBook readers and eBooks for that matter, the screening process has become shorter and easier to get around. This means that there are more books out there that have rehashed plots, topics and old knowledge. This also means that there are thousands of books being published with a minimum of criteria – that they have words and that they have a catchy title.
Knowing about the evolution of the book publishing industry is about knowing its most salient point – sales. Even a terribly written literary garbage that gets snapped up by the reading public is bound to make every writer laughing all the way to the bank. The media is increasingly becoming irrelevant. Whether it’s hard back, paper back or in electronic format, a book sold is a book sold. So what do people like? Amazingly, people usually like themselves. Self improvement, relationships and the ill luck and the subsequent triumph of a character that is personally identifiable with the reader are all good sellers.
Unfortunately, if there’s one thing that the book publishing industry cannot print, it has to be money itself. That’s why they’re extremely picky about what they are going to publish. But with ebooks and ereaders around, that may soon change the ballgame. With ebooks, the risk is considerably lesser since they are easily duplicated and transmitted with the minimum of cost. Time will only tell, whether this is good or not.
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Yes, often. And it’s the ghost writers making the little bits of money… I sure hope people aren’t really plagiarizing. Nah. I have “ghosted” myself, and got next to nothing. A bad deal made on my part, really.
The books of substance aren’t understood by the slick publishers of this day and age… rarely do you find one with a conscience or much in the way of mind–they are after $$$ only, and quick ones at that.
So they stick with the stars, the “different” cookbooks, the New Agers, etc… little books with little new to say, because all the TV junkies are buying them.
The old authors are still there to buy, and they are often still writing, so be sure to check them out before letting your heart break! Look under “Literature,” or whatever floats your boat…
http://www.bookjobs.com/page.php?prmID=12
you may find this link about degrees and publishing jobs interesting.
As a sales clerk without any advanced education – there is very little of any transfer of skills between stocking shelves and assessing manuscripts. Most store clerks, even in book stores, do not read all that much.
As a store manager without any advanced education – the only transfer of skills would be in management (personnel, business) and some idea of marketing as it applies to the end market (the store).
Clerks and managers can have editorial skills, either from advanced education classes for their degree (not necessarily a degree in english) or an inherent talent for the craft (knowledge of a craft is not the same as talent in a craft).
Working in a bookstore, while it doesn’t carry much weight as far as proof you have editorial skills, it is still a job credit that shows you are employable and familiar with books (even if it was only knowing where to stock them).
Basically selling books through customer contact or telesales contact. You would work from a database and build up your customer information and sell them books. In this economic crisis I do not think there will be a lot of money to be made by selling books to the public because of the cut backs, you may have a better chance selling them to big stores but usually the big stores will put it out to tender, finding who is the best and the cheapest. This type of job is no different from selling double glazing or kitchen units or driveways?
Be yourself.
The way to get to do proof reading is to offer to do it for free….once you prove you are good, then companies will employ you to do it with pay.
Is Anybody Else Annoyed With the Book Publishing Industry?
Okay, maybe I just came here to vent, but everytime I walk into a bookstore, it seems like my only choices of a read are books with titles like ‘my shitty childhood,’ ‘woe is me, I had such a hard beginning,’ and other such tales. Either that or so called self-penned celebrity bios’, (and let’s face it, anyone who pays attention to the small print will realise that Katie Price never contributed one word to her so called novels, isn’t this worse than plaigarism?? At best, it makes her a liar. And why are the publishing houses shelling out millions in royalties to so called celebrities when for the most part, their books end in bargain bins for 50p?) Who actually buys this rubbish? Where have all the real books gone? You know, the ones where writers had something profound to say, or books that allowed for some adventure. I read books to escape real life for a little while, not be confronted by it. Anyone else feel me?
Anybody in the book publishing industry?
I have an interview tomorrow for an internship at a very prestigious publishing house, any tips you could pass along my way? Questions that might come up? Thank you
How does book selling (in a retail shop) link exactly with the book publishing industry?
For instance, if you were applying for an editorial assistant job (where you proof read, assess unsolicited manuscripts, as well as admin tasks) what skills have you learnt from working in a book store (that does not include doing the tasks above) and how do you apply them to this area of work?
A question about getting into the book publishing industry…?
Is it worth doing an online course (say, for proof reading or copy editing)? I desperately want to work in the book publishing industry but i’m finding it very difficult as a graduate and can’t afford 6 grand for an MA! Any ideas? Thank you
What does a marketing job in the book publishing industry consist of?