Publishing News: July 15, 2010

It has been far too long since I have updated this blog, and for that I feel like I deserve some kind of publishing-related punishment. Death by paper cuts, perhaps.

I've decided, therefore, to keep my posts short and sweet, and focus on news items related to our wonderful, beleaguered profession.

Japanese Novelist Skips the Middleman, Publishes on the iPad (WSJ.com)

"Novelist Ryu Murakami plans to release his latest novel exclusively for digital bookworms throughApple Inc.’s iPad ahead of the print version. Mr. Murakami, the acclaimed author of over 15 novels including “Coin Locker Babies” and “In the Miso Soup”, replaced the publishers with a software company to help develop the e-book titled “A Singing Whale,” or “Utau Kujira” in Japanese. The digital package will include video content and set to music composed by Academy Award winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, according to the Japanese business daily Nikkei."

Publishers are obviously still needed if quality is going to be maintained, but they've got to adapt their offerings to address this new 3-dimensional platform or risk being marginalized.

How to Survive as a Small Publisher . . . Get a second mortgage?

The Guardian goes behind the press to look at the success of Dedalus Books. They scored their initial funding from a house mortgage, yet they've "grown into an award-winning force to be reckoned with," says the Guardian.

Hmmm . . . using a home mortgage to launch a publishing house. Success or no, this is not a start-up methodology that I'll be adopting any time soon.