And Google's new proposal makes sure that the consuming public does well, if not authors. But then have you weighed a recent copy of Business Week alongside an issue from a decade earlier? For grins, I compared and found today the issue is about 76 pp. vs. 180 pp. ten years ago. Missing a lot of ads is the first observation. Missing judicious reporters might be another sign.
But, writing is a lonely pursuit anyway. I think you mostly write for yourself, and then if you are lucky, someone else might read it as well. If you are really lucky, a dialogue might start. Note how many rejoinders are in this blog, for example. Tom Peters, with the most popular business book of all time -- six million copies in two years -- got 36 letters, only eight of which asked deeper questions. His cryptic comment -- "I did better than one in a million!"
Get Naked and Drunk sounds actually more like a Jimmy Buffet theme. Sounds good to me
2 comments:
hey, i picked up adair's NDW as well. pretty damn good, goes alongside my burroway craft guide as well.
re: the slimming down of all things print - this would be okay if we're only getting the most interesting content, but do you think quality has diluted in general? as long as people keep writing in-depth pieces for magazine and print, i think there will always be a (largeish) minority out there who will take the time to sit down and read something physical. i would hate to think writing as a whole is on the decline...
This is one of those "don't get me started" things....
When we proposed doing a Strategic History of HP book to the Harvard Biz Press several years ago (the year after HP passed IBM to become the largest computer company on the globe by revenue), their stance was "gee, not sure HP is worth covering" and "if you do, it has to be in 224 pages total, including index and Table of Contents, etc." since that is all that can be sold these days. If it doesn't "read" on a cross-country airline flight, it can't be published, was their view.
We wrote the book anyway; it is longish admittedly at 656 pp., but so are Jared Diamond's books and Tom Friedman's books, and a lot of others. So, yes, people will read them, but in general publishers won't print them
Post a Comment