08 May 2009

Media Vacuums Will Be Filled, Blogs Will Win

Great point here from Adam Tinworth, about why traditional publishers are suffering so badly at the hands of the bloggers:


the new breed of publisher - the ones doing it for pure passion, at virtually no cost - will and up wounding us where we're weakest. Because we've neglected parts of our audience, pandered to our own prejudices and missed opportunities.

*That* is why blogs have succeeded, and will continue to succeed until the gentlemen's club formerly known as publishing has an epiphany and sorts itself out.

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3 comments:

Crosbie Fitch said...

*That* is why blogs have succeeded, and will continue to succeed until the gentlemen's club formerly known as publishing has an epiphany and turns off the lights on its way out.

The new breed of publisher (blog selector) is not the old breed post epiphany. It's sad to say, but the old guard are set in their ways and will end their days resolute in the bastions of their club bars (no doubt sneaking in the odd cigar).

Glyn Moody said...

Speaking as someone who *was* a publisher until 1990, and who vainly tried to convince Reed Business Publishing of the coming digital tsunami, I don't think it's impossible for some of them to get it; whether they get it in time is another matter....

Crosbie Fitch said...

Yes, there is hope for those insightful publishers who were able to see the writing on the wall as early as 1990. ;-)

A good shibboleth is copyright.

Those who won't even allow it to be questioned, are those who believe the Titanic is unsinkable.

Those who at least entertain a doubt as to the continued viability of (c), that an iceberg might have compromised the hull, well, the lifeboats have nearly all gone, and half the ship is already underwater, so there isn't much time left.

The free software movement disembarked pretty sharpish. Perhaps these are the few stokers who saw how large the hull breach actually was.