There’s a problem with “best seller lists” that people in the industry talk about amongst themselves, but I’m not sure whether the general public is aware of it. Vast numbers of book sales don’t get counted by the compilers of those lists, mainly because the books are published by those …
What’s ahead for print media
Q: Is there a future for print media? A: There is, but it’s not what most people in the print media business think it is. The biggest obstacle for print media is that by the time news is printed with ink on dead trees, it’s no longer news.
Enjoy Independence Day
I’m taking the day off, and if you’re in the U.S., I hope you are, too. In honor of the holiday, here’s a fun infographic from The History Channel:
Penguin Random House merger approved
The Big Six is now the Big Five, which somehow just doesn’t have the same ring to it. The deal sailed through the regulatory approval process in all the countries that had a say in it. The New York Times gives this picture of publishing’s new behemoth: The new company …
Comma rules, condensed
Misplaced commas are the most common punctuation error I see. We all need help with commas at one time or another. Even experienced writers place them where they’re not needed and omit them where they are.
Small Presses: The Alternative to the Big Six
Companies that are not part of the Big Six labyrinth are a vital part of the publishing business. The Big Six may dominate the bestseller lists and the giant book stacks at Barnes & Noble, but small presses, also known as independent publishers, foster creative innovation by serving niche markets.
Fiction Q&A: How long is a chapter?
Q: Is there a rule of thumb for how long chapters in novels should be? Also, how should I place chapter breaks? I try to put them in when I’m writing, but then I wind up moving things around and having to renumber them. It’s kind of a pain. A: …
Q&A: What is an imprint?
Q: Yesterday you mentioned imprints at the Big Six publishers. What is an imprint? A: It’s a brand within a brand. Just like Proctor & Gamble makes Tide detergent for clothes and Cascade detergent for dishes, large publishers—especially the vast publishing conglomerates that make up the Big Six—form different brands …
Who the Big Six are and why it matters
Publishing pros often speak of the “Big Six,” that is, the top companies currently dominating the business. Each of them encompasses many subsidiaries, and each subsidiary may have a large number of imprints. Altogether, the Big Six encompass dozens, if not hundreds, of imprints. Getting published by any imprint at …
Four kinds of publishing jobs
Over on LinkedIn, Lou Adler posted an article about getting the right people in the right kind of job. Based on his history of creating job descriptions for employers, he developed a model that states “there are only four different jobs in the whole world.” What he means by this …