Who published that book you’re reading?
What company published your favorite book? Better yet, what company published the book you are currently reading? Chances are, you probably don’t know the answer to either question (I certainly don’t), and if you do, I tip my hat to you!
I came across an article written on The Huffington Post that talks about this very subject. Few people know who publishes the books they read – so don’t feel too bad if you fall into this category. Does it really matter who publishes that book you’re reading?
In the grand scheme of things, I’d say that no, it does not matter. Unless you have a personal bone to pick with a specific publisher and refuse to buy any book from their catalog, you’re not going to pay much attention. The more obvious influences on your choice of reading material is author and genre. For example, I’ve read quite a few books by science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson, so if I see he has a new book on the market, I’m more likely to pick it up the next time I’m at Borders. I don’t even know off the top of my head who publishes Robinson’s books.
This is an interesting idea because there’s such a large debate going on over the legitimacy of self-publishers. Some say those authors that publish their own works are only doing so because the failed to get a traditional contract (although not many people are saying this nowadays).
But let’s say you’re in a bookstore and you see two books on the shelf that looks interesting. One was self-published and the other was published through one of the large houses. Would you know the difference unless you looked? Given the technology of self-publishers and the entire Print-On-Demand, I highly doubt it.
The bigger debate should be why are the large bookselling chains not carrying more self-published titles on their shelves? The answer to that question is much more complicated and can be traced back a long time. Bookstores usually insist on being able to return unsold books for a full refund price to the publisher. This is the reason why most beginning authors don’t see a very large print-run the first time around.
The self-publishing model (POD, etc), doesn’t allow for returns. Therefore, the large bookstores are wary of stocking such books on their shelves. This business model that the publishing and bookselling industries have been using is old and obviously out of date – especially considering that both industries are struggling financially right now.
This is good news for all of you considering publishing your own books. If you can get them onto the market, most readers won’t know (and probably won’t care) who published the book. As long as you give them their monies worth, then they will be happy.
On a larger scale, however, it might be cause for the publishing industry to change its business model. I’m sure this is easier said than done, given the enormity of the industry and the amount of money involved in shifting the way they do business. But the point is, it can be done.
So the next time you pick up a book, look to see who published it – you just might be surprised!
Read the Huffington Post article here:
A Publisher by Any Other Name
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