Richard Charkin, Sapna Nair Purohit

How has the publishing business model changed over time? The model has changed hugely in the past decade or so in different ways in different sectors. What hasn’t changed is the centrality of authors. If anything, they are more important now than ever as the amount of information has exploded and the concomitant need for signposts, the main one being the authenticity of the material. What has been the impact of e-commerce platforms and e-book stores? Internet retailing of books is a wonderful development. One of the impacts on publishers is the need for them to improve the accuracy of ‘metadata’ (the information about the book, its availability, different formats, etc). However, it is only rarely that a book can be ‘made’ solely on the Internet. This requires potential readers to discover the book through reviews, bookshop recommendations, media exposure and word of mouth. This means publishers have to work harder than ever and at more expense to find promotional activities for authors. Will brick-and-mortar book stores survive? They can survive and are doing so successfully throughout the world. Book selling has never been easy. It is more than a business and that is what can make the difference. The well-trained, enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales assistant is more powerful than any algorithm. Of course, if a bookshop is boring or incompetent then... How will newer formats such as phone publishing and audio books shape the market? The market will ‘shape’ the formats. We as publishers can experiment, take risks, be creative, and use technology and hunch to find new ways of serving our authors by finding their readers. ~ Vol. 25, No. 15, for the fortnight July 18-31, 2016. Released on July 18, 2016.