Could someone who knows more than me please share why this matters at all from a competition standpoint? If quality content is written, it can be self published online for essentially free. Sure, it might be harder to get a sizable advance, but why does that matter so long as there is a cheap, non-censored method of getting writings out into the ether?
> Karp recalled wasting seven figures on a book by a “spiritual leader” whose followers “didn’t follow him to the bookstore.”<p>Could that have been anyone other than the Dalai Lama?
A few interesting pieces of information on the publishing industry, as shared in this trial and article:<p>On profits:<p>> PRH’s Dohle said that the top 4 per cent of his books produce 60 per cent of his profit. The best books, he says, are the ones “that you don’t pay a lot for and become runaway bestsellers.” He excuses the fact that so few of his big bets pay by comparing himself to a venture capitalist. The book industry, he says, is “the Silicon Valley of media.”<p>On marketing:<p>> The big houses are skeptical about book marketing. One publisher said, “I don’t think marketing money can create a success,” it can only amplify or extend a success. That may be true but the big houses, we also heard, are not really trying. They spend little on marketing: roughly 2 per cent of expected revenue per book. (…) Some agents ask publishers to guarantee how much they will spend on marketing a book before they’ll sign. Most won’t.<p>On advances:<p>> about 70 per cent of all the money paid on advances by the Big Five goes to $250,000-plus books. Judge Pan asked if $250,000-plus books comprise 70 per cent of Big Five book sales. The answer was no, not even close.
Just to mention, this is all known by people in the publishing industry... just not known outside it as heavily.<p>IE, nobody knows what books will be huge and which won't.
A bit unrelated but who are the best publishers for technical books?<p>For me personally it seems pragprog.com usually has consistent quality, apress I’ve read good books but they seem a lot more hit or miss. I think Oreilly is also considered to be pretty good?