What Business Models Will Work Best for Academic Publishing in the Future?

In Discussion by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka Yes, it’s a huge question. But the general consensus is the university and academic publishing models are broken. Under pressure from funding bodies to make enough money to be self-sustaining, many university presses have turned away from their core mission of publishing monographs and original research to publishing trade-oriented titles (with mixed results). Those that have stuck …

How Neal Stephenson’s The Mongoliad is Revolutionizing Immersive Online Storytelling

In English Language by Guest Contributor

By Michael Bhaskar People constantly talk about social reading as the next business model for publishing. Well, it’s here, it’s The Mongoliad. In the febrile, occasionally paranoid, always news hungry world of digital publishing, it seems strange that something so important should have slipped by so unnoticed, yet The Mongoliad seems to have been largely overlooked by the publishing Establishment. …

Are Writers Powerless to Make a Living in the Digital Age?

In Guest Contributors by Mike Springer

• Jaron Lanier is the author of You Are Not a Gadget and “father of virtual reality” considers whether writers and “content” creators can make a living in the Digital Age. • Lanier argues against mashups and content fragmentation, saying, “economic incentives will be in favor of supporting individuals instead of . . . a collective vision.” Interview by Mike …

What Books and Radio Share: Great Content, Poor Economics

In What's the Buzz by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka “In polls, public radio is rated as the most trusted source of news in the nation. The audience for most of its programs dwarfs the number of subscribers to the The New York Times or The New Yorker, or the number of people who read even the biggest best sellers,” writes Bill McKibbon in the latest issue of the …

From Frankfurt: OR Books Preaches Elegant, Direct Model

In What's the Buzz by Chad W. Post

By Chad W. Post Speaking at both Tools of Change and the International Digital Rights Symposium, John Oakes of the newly launched OR Books elucidated his business model. Compared to traditional publishing structures, its simplicity is quite revolutionary. Launching last fall, OR Books has a few specific strategies: it offers its authors relatively low advances (and high royalties), edits the …

Can Poetry Turn a Profit Online?

In Digital by Guest Contributor

By Mark Garcia-Prats Even for a poetry lover, PoetrySpeaks.com (PS) can be overwhelming. The site features poetry blogs, weekly highlighted poets, and — perhaps of most importance — a fully-searchable archive of poems (available to purchase in both text and audio format). There’s also a poetry book store and a forum to post and view video of poetry performances. The …

Art Book Entrepreneur Tests “Team Publishing” Model

In English Language by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka TUCSON: How does one man launch a niche publishing company in a credit-and-cash strapped economy, while incurring limited expenses in overhead and even less in personnel? For Greg Albers, founder of Hol Art Books—a new niche press focused on books about visual arts, ranging from art history to original fiction—the answer is “collaboration.” “Our business model is …