"The Value of a Book" - CEO Panel Discussion from BookExpo America on Book TV Available Online

Today, there was a great panel discussion on CSPAN2's BookTV that's available in its entirety online at the BookTV site.  Brought together to discuss "the Value of a Book," some of the biggest in the publishing industry gathered together to talk about the future of books and book publishing.  Including author compensation.

There were talks about the Cloud.  There were talks about making books more enticing, and mention was made of the vellum used in the new Steve Martin novel that's coming out in the fall entitled An Object of Beauty.  We're to expect a very physically beautiful book here, according to the panel.  But will that help sell the contents? 

Scott Turow made a point that I've been thinking for years now: why did the ebook get introduced as a simultaneous product with the newly released hardback?  Readers expect paperbacks to follow months after the hardback, why not follow a similar path for the ebook?  Good question, I think.

Panel Members - Cream of the Crop

Brick and mortar bookstores were represented here, as well as agents, authors, publishers, etc.:

1. Jonathan Galassi - President, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2. Bob Miller - Group publisher, Workman Publishing and founder of Hyperion
3. Esther Newberg -  Executive Vice President, International Creative Management (literary agency)
4. Skip Prichard - President and CEO, Ingram Content Group Inc. ( book wholesaler)
5. David Shanks - CEO, Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
6. Oren Teicher - CEO, American Booksellers Association
7. Scott Turow - author, attorney, president of Author's Guild

Was a Consensus Reached?  No.

No definitive answers were found.  It was nice to hear what appeared to be genuine concern for paying writers what they're worth for the work that they do. 

Go listen.  It's fascinating and important, whether you're a reader or writer.

The Perspective of an Acquisitions Editor

The only acquisitions editor that's talking to writers out there on the web, at least that I can find, is Terry Whalin at The Writing Life. Since an acquisition editor is the key player in buying my book, I definitely want to hear what he has to say. And Mr. Whalin explains a lot ....

From this week's entries:

An itemization of the "big six" in publishing, along with their imprints (i.e., subsidiaries).

His perspective on agents, and how to find a good one.

A tremendous recommendation for the landmark book, On Writing Well by William Zinsser.

A discussion of the use of longer magazine articles as a springboard for a book proposal - with recommendations to look for these articles in O Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, and the New Yorker. The evolution of Janice Latus's article "All the Wrong Men," from magazine article in O to book proposal to Simon & Schuster's win of a resulting bidding war is referenced.

A lengthy discussion on how few books succeed - and how few proposals make it to book form, prior to that - that somehow leaves you less than depressed. In fact, if you're confident in your work and your vision, it's really rather encouraging.

And, yes, he's written a book, as well. It's called Book Proposals That Sell.

If you're writing for the love of writing, I don't suppose that this stuff means much to you. But my dream is more than that -- I want to see my work bound and shelved in a Barnes & Noble, as trite as that might be. And, that means I have to understand the publishing business, like it or not. Mr. Whalin's efforts to help me in that endeavor are very much appreciated. So much so, I thought I'd share them with you ....