Eoin Purcell's Blog

Eoin Purcell

1/ Publishing 2.0
Scott Karp really does think and it shows. His posts are clear, concise, well written and interesting. If he is driven more perhaps from the revenue perspective his commentary only benefits from this.

2/ if:book
The Institute of the Future of the Book’s blog. The Ronseal of Book blogs [It does what it says on the tin], this site is really a hub for changes and possibilities on text and its future. Well thought out, at the forefront of change and tools for change this blog is for theory and application what Scott Karp is for the economics and revenues.

3/ Buzzmachine
Jeff Jarvis is the real deal. In a phrase he likes to use himself, he “gets it!” Never afraid to try (witness his own video reports) always encouraging and enthusiastic his blog is one of the most important in point possible directions for the news media (especially the changes necessary for print media).

4/ Open Access News
I don’t think you can discuss the changes in media and print without considering Open Access and its potential. If you care about these topics then you need to read Open Access News written by Peter Suber.

5/ Booktwo
Though not new, Booktwo is new to me. That aside it is an essential link to the changing technology and media environment. Somehow James manages to get his hands on great links and info before anyone else. And he works at one of my favourite publishers Snowbooks.

6/ Medialoper
Medialoper is one of a pair of blogs (booksquare being the other) that I love and read daily. It is not simply the links and nods to others in the area of change that Medialoper provides freely, Medialoper as a blog takes a much more considered perspective and avoids the breathlessness that can at times enter the discussion about the future. I like that.

7/ Plagiarism today
Jonathan Bailey has built an impressive body of material regarding copyright/plagiarism and the abuse of content on the web. In so many ways his site allows the reader and the less well informed to not only keep up to date with developments in protecting content from scrapping etc. but also the theory and debate that underpin modern copyright.

8/ Personanondata
If you want to know more about the possible tie-ups between the powers in publishing, the potential for data in the digital future or the likely trajectory of digital text in the education market, Michael Cairns’ blog is the spot for it. Relatively new on the scene it is one of the best in terms of analysing and discussing change both real and possible. His knowledge of the US market is hugely useful in making sense of company announcements and strategic decisions.

9/ PaidContent
Who doesn’t like PaidContent, a blog that has industry access, runs meet ups and generally functions like an institution much older than it actually is. Not only is PaidContent a blog about the changing nature and economics of Content it is itself a paragon example of that change.

10/ Invisible Inkling
Ryan Sholin started this blog as a student of journalism and has developed it since. His posts are insightful and useful for those wondering what the people entering careers in the media are thinking.

Lists are fun
See 11-20 Here
Eoin

Eoin Purcell

Times They Are A Changin’
Following some thinking, a great deal of planning, not to mention a small amount of stress and second guessing, I have decided to move on from Nonsuch Ireland. I have very much enjoyed my time there and the work has been exciting and challenging not to mention fun!

With team changes, departures and new arrivals I have worked directly with six* talented and capable individuals in the Irish office, all of whom have an enormous amount to offer publishing or any trade they choose to pursue. What is more, as a team, they have really built Nonsuch Ireland into an impressive and growing history publisher. There is still considerable growth ahead for Nonsuch and I wish everyone at Nonsuch the very best of luck. I know they will do great.

So where to?
Well its actually a pretty big shift for me. I am moving to the Real Capital of Ireland, Cork [wikipedia] AKA “The People Republic of Cork”. I will be joining Mercier Press in April as Commissioning Editor.

Mercier was established in 1944 so I am moving from one of Ireland’s youngest Publishers to one of her oldest and most established publishers.

It will mean a shift in a lot of factors, from lifestyle and personal to professional and perspective. Overall it is just about the most amazing move for me as you will see if you look over the company’s rich and varied list (here). I am excited by the prospect and the opportunity not just to work for such a great company but to grow with the job and to drive such a diverse list.

But first some downtime
I have been smart this time though and set aside some time for decompression. It will allow me to build my energy, catch up with my reading, find a new place to live and perhaps even get that trip to Westport to this place if I have my way.

Felling Pretty Good
Eoin

*[Not forgetting the four excellent support staff from Irish Corporate Outsourcing who have worked with Nonsuch providing external services since 2004 or the people at our sister companies in the UK and elsewhere.]

Eoin Purcell

Are we all missing the point?
Galleycat points to an exceptionally interesting post from Editor Jason Pinter[Page has gone awol]. Starbucks have been successfully selling vast quantities of their book choice: Ishmael Beah’s A LONG WAY GONE.

Jason makes what I think is the key point towards the end:

Of course Barnes & Noble sells thousands of books in their stores, while right now Starbucks is only selling one. At the same time, though, it’s very curious to see that Beah seems to be outpacing an author with a bestselling Oprah pedigree, primarily due to the efforts of one store. And that store being considerably more famous for their double venti half calf mocha lattechinos than their success pushing literature.

Obviously there’s a major difference between offering one book for sale and offering thousands. Not everyone who walks into a B&N has to buy THE DOUBLE BIND. You have a huge amount of options. At Starbucks, if you’re going to buy a book, you’re going to buy A LONG WAY GONE. So the answer is, of course, that Starbucks is not as influential on a larger scale than B&N. But it does make you think..

It does make you think. Here are a few things I wondered:

1) What the hell are publishers getting wrong that they need to sell books from coffee-shops?
2) What are booksellers doing wrong if they can lose that kind of trade to coffee-shops (especially if they already have coffee-shops internally)?
3) Who are all these book buyers in Starbucks?
4) Is the Starbucks Book of the month slot for sale?
5) Why are we wondering and worrying about digital when don’t seem to know anything about who buys books right now?

Overall it just makes you wonder if anyone in the industry knows anything? Except for maybe Starbucks!

Waking to the smell of coffee?
Eoin

Eoin Purcell

Oh and who readers are
I have linked to JA Konrath and his blog before but his discussion from last week on who book buyers are and his use of the Early Adopter concept is pretty smart stuff in my view. He promises more and I look forward to it but for now you should go read the first part.

I feel very good today
Eoin

Eoin Purcell

New Experiences
I did something I have never done before on Tuesday, I took a sales meeting with a major wholesaler. Needless to say I was terrified, I was surprised and I was woefully under-prepared for the meeting but it did give me an amazing experience and one that I know I can improve upon.

A couple of things stand out as guides that I guess I should really have known in advance but which I know for certain now.

1) Wholesalers have a very fine sense of the market (they need to) as such they really only care about the books that they know will sell. A meeting with them then is one where you should really know their market and not try and sell them something that they cannot sell to their retailers.
2) Fancy sales material is next to useless. What matters is if the product meets their needs. Is it the right Price? Does it have wide enough appeal? Will it look good on shelves? If you can fit these key points on a single sheet (and you should be able to) then that will do the trick.
3) Don’t waste time. Buyers are busy, they are busy doing a lot more than you think. Get in, get the books over and done with and get out.

I know these are probably terribly obvious to most people who have ever spent a day selling but to me they were new and I thought they might be useful.

The crowning value of the trip though was that it has instilled in me a new found respect for all things data and sales system based. I know why people who sell things want the system to work and to have data in the right place at the right time: It stops you looking like an idiot in front of people who you are asking to give you money!

Fortunately my inexperience did not do us too badly. All but one of our forthcoming titles got some orders and one or two did pretty well by my book. So I cannot have been too bad!

Feeling less foolish by the hour
Eoin

This LATime spiece brings out my capitalist side. It is actually a sterling feature and well written offering a good analysis of the ills of independent book stores. But, and it is a big but, it is defeatist, un-knowingly nostalgic for better times and forgiving of Independent Bookstores’ failings.

The closing paragraphs offer little hope and even less comfort to the trade. What os even worse they offer scant promise to innovators or new entrants:

He’s full of plans for improving the Booksmith’s website, tying the store more firmly to the Haight-Ashbury community, doing more events — making it both inescapable and irresistible for those who live in the neighborhood.

Frank, who owns the Booksmith building, is helping out the new team by offering a below-market rent. He couldn’t think offhand of a store anywhere in the country that has successfully reinvented itself and moved to a secure financial footing, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

“Someone needs to take bookstores to another level,” Frank said. “Because this level sure isn’t working.”

Either you are in business to make money or you are in business for the wrong reason.
That is a simple rule and one to follow closely in publishing and book selling. Making money allows you to do the things we dream of doing, losing money secures only pain and suffering. It is time for independents to stop complaining, they are starting to remind me of Farmers*. There are huge changes ongoing in publishing but no company has a right to survive, no retailer a right to profit. The sooner the sense of entitlement gets forgotten the sooner independents will begin to work their way into profit and relevance once more.

Enjoying the snow: it’s not nearly as nice as for these guys though
Eoin

*I love farmers for their food and effort and I will happily pay premium for quality but I hate the way Farmers campaign and complain on an almost constant basis about their industry and how they deserve extra support for their businesses!

Eoin Purcell

Brave or Stupid? You Decide
I am always impressed when someone with quite a lot to lose does something a little out there. I think it is fair to say that Penguin has something to lose. Their latest offering, A Million Penguins, is a delight. It is effectively a creative writing wiki. Their intro says it all:

A Million Penguins is an experiment in creative writing and community. Anyone can join in. Anyone can write. Anyone can edit. Let’s see if the crowds are not only wise, but creative. Or will too many cooks spoil the broth?

If you want to take part, please take a moment to read the technical and ethical guidelines shown on the left. We will ask you to register to participate (create an account here), and to look at the terms and conditions before you join in. But the most important thing we ask is that if you are not happy to have your contributions edited, altered or removed by other contributors, think carefully before signing up.

You can follow the progress of the wikinovel here or at the wikinovel blog where a Penguin editor will be writing regular reading reports on the work in progress.

Can a million penguins sitting at a million keyboards together write a novel? Let’s find out.

But is it really NOVEL?
Well it is not really as just a quick look at ONE or TWO sites [Not forgetting of course the massively successful non-fiction wikibook Wikipedia which even judges have been know to use]. But it is a major publisher taking advantage of technology and harnessing readers/writers/users to forge a new type of product. I wonder will it catch on with the imprimatur of such a distinguished publisher?

If it does another question will arise, just as it has for other successful sites, where is the revenue firstly and closely following that who owns the revenue? There is some half hearted discussion surrounding YouTube possibly paying users. How will this site make money for Penguin? There do no seem to be any ads, they might sell some more books but is the end result to produce a print title that so many people are deeply invested in that it becomes a best seller? I just do not know and that is why I admire the move, it is not innovative but it is exciting and brave for a company with much at stake.

Good luck Penguin
Eoin