Today in the Huffington Post, author Jason Pinter published a piece called the “12 Game Changers in Publishing.” While I appreciated Pinter’s attempt to celebrate those innovative people in publishing that the Huffington Post “100 Game Changers” neglected to list, I didn’t find his list all that comprehensive or, well, game-changing.
Other than two of the people in that list (you can decide which two I am speaking about), I didn’t find the people on that list as doing anything all that innovative or new. In fact, some of the people on this list are doing exactly what editors/publishers/booksellers/writers have done for years. Some are having the same conversations that have been had before. Some are just the new “It” girl/guy.
I don’t mean to call Pinter out here, he even apologizes for neglecting to list people due to “cough, old age, cough, dementia,” but I do wonder why he thinks these folks are doing something so game-changing that they should be considered in the list. I read the descriptions and even I still can’t figure it out. Where are the technology folks? Where are the stalwarts who refuse to do something just because the industry demands…and succeed? Where are the writers who self-published and sold so many copies that traditional publishers decided to buy the rights to a book they would’ve declined to publish before? Where are the marketers/publicists/social media experts who have redefined a way to find readers?
In reading all the praise on the Twitterverse and Blogosphere, perhaps I am alone in thinking that this list isn’t really representative of the innovation and change that has come in the industry. And, perhaps by reading Publishing Perspectives every day, where we try to highlight those people in the global publishing industry who are inspiring and changing the book world, I have a different perspective.
What do you think?