Critical Mass’s Mark Athitakis interviews Andrew Altschul of The Rumpus.
This is what’s so frustrating when you talk to people in the mainstream publishing industry. They’re so sure no one loves books anymore–because the corporate accountants are telling them they can’t hit a 15% profit margin. And so they’re bending over backwards to find the magic bullet: Is it e-books? Can the iPad save us? What if we get Sarah Palin to write a vampire novel? But people still love books. Period. And they want to talk about them. They want to be a part of that conversation. And it’s a much more important, healthier conversation for us to be having as a society than talking about stock options or Grand Theft Auto or America’s Next Top Model all the time.
What happens when you throw the baby of meaningful and affordable content out with the bathwater in a changing technological market. Someone alert the newspaper publishing industry about this, too. While you’re at it, check the Amazon.com landing page. How long has it been since it featured an actual book?
I still buy, read, and occasionally horde books – I would probably pass on the purchase of Palin/vampire but I bet it would make the NYT best seller list.
I still find good stuff at Amazon – after getting past the Kindle hype.
Ain’t nothing like sitting in a chair, listening to the rain hit the roof, and reading a good book. I love the feel of the paper in my hands…which is why I’m kinda sorta hesitant to get a Kindle (or iPad), not sure if I can adapt.
I don’t think they’re necessarily talking about paper vs. electronic here, as much as quality of content. Books, as in ideas and not what increases the publishing house bottom line.
I like actual books. I don’t have to turn them off during takeoff and landing.