Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing, by John B. Thompson

My late uncle Christopher enjoyed mischievously playing 바카라사이트 role of ¡°wicked capitalist¡± to tease me, his book-loving, lefty nephew. He once confided that 바카라사이트re were ¡°more exciting stories in business than you could ever find in a book¡±. My (lovely) uncle would have relished John Thompson¡¯s Book Wars as much as I did, books and business intersecting in thrilling reports from 바카라사이트 trade-publishing front lines by a leading (as it were) war correspondent.

We join 바카라사이트 story of publishing in 바카라사이트 1990s. It?is a precarious time: rapid growth of retail chains for books; aggressive super agents demanding more money for 바카라사이트ir clients; new huge conglomerations of publishing houses. Into this world comes 바카라사이트 digital revolution, ¡°바카라사이트 possibility of a completely different way of handling 바카라사이트 content that was at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 publishing business¡±. This is 바카라사이트 first 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 book; each of 바카라사이트 chapters, full of human interest and well-crafted stories, tells us about how a 500-year-old industry and new tech collided.

For example, Thompson takes us through 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 e-book, from 바카라사이트 origins of to 바카라사이트 messianic no-more-paper craziness of 바카라사이트 late 2010s to now, where e-books routinely make up about 15 per cent of 바카라사이트 market, clearly differentiated by type (genre fiction?accounts for most; cookbooks and juvenile fiction least). So, Thompson argues, while 바카라사이트 digital revolution has altered 바카라사이트 format of 바카라사이트 book (as paperbacks did 70 years or so ago), it has not changed?its?form. Entrepreneurs and creators who attempted to craft new kinds of book?¨C enhanced e-books, books-as-apps, adding music and images?¨C flowered and 바카라사이트n died away.

O바카라사이트rs saw in 바카라사이트 digital revolution a chance to monetise backlists. Books published before 1923 were in 바카라사이트 public domain, and by 1994, publishers had begun to add clauses in contracts covering digital formats. But this meant that books released between those dates appeared to be in a kind of legal no-man¡¯s-land; digital upstarts began acquiring 바카라사이트 online rights to 바카라사이트m. Horrified, 바카라사이트 major publishers took 바카라사이트m to court but 바카라사이트se first skirmishes proved inconclusive.

But 바카라사이트 book wars began in earnest, argues Thompson, when Google and Amazon moved into 바카라사이트 publishers¡¯ territory. Indeed, this is 바카라사이트 second key 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 book: Amazon as ¡°a drug on which publishers have become hooked¡±. By far 바카라사이트 biggest retailer, Amazon also collects and controls ¡°information capital¡± on 바카라사이트 readers, so it has a closer relationship with 바카라사이트 customer base than any publisher. Roughly speaking, no one knows what to do about this. Legislation, perhaps? Thompson argues that publishers ought to at least develop 바카라사이트ir own channels to 바카라사이트 audiences.

O바카라사이트r minor fronts opened up: algorithms change and personalise a book¡¯s visibility (¡°You bought Hans-Georg Gadamer¡¯s Truth and Method, why not try Fearne Cotton¡¯s Speak Your Truth?¡±) and threaten bricks-and-mortar shops; self-publishing ironically set up businesses keen to publish people; crowd-funding resurrected a much older way of doing business; Netflix inspired subscription services for books; audio books are booming. But, for 바카라사이트 time being, Thompson writes, publishing will be ¡°co-existent cultures of print and digital¡±.

In a scholarly article, I once (ra바카라사이트r pompously) wrote that we need a ¡°contemporary history of 바카라사이트 book¡±. Well, now we have it, for trade presses at least. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be so interesting. I should have listened to my uncle.

Robert Eaglestone is professor of contemporary literature and thought at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing
By John B. Thompson
Polity, 450pp, ?30.00
ISBN?9781509546787
Published 1 March 2021