Chapter Review

COMMON THREADS

One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is the commercial nature of mass media. Books have been products of a publishing industry in the United States since at least the early nineteenth century, but with the advent of digital technologies, the structure of the publishing industry is either evolving or dying. Is this a good or bad thing for the future of books?

Since the popularization of Gutenberg’s printing press, there has always been some kind of gatekeeper in the publishing industry. Initially, it was religious institutions (which, for example, determined what would constitute the books of the Bible), then intellectuals, educators, and—with the development of publishing houses in the early nineteenth century—a fully formed commercial publishing industry.

Now, with the digital turn in publishing, anyone can be an author. Clay Shirky, a digital theorist at New York University, argues that this completely undercuts the work of publishers. “Publishing is going away,” Shirky says. “Because the word ‘publishing’ means a cadre of professionals who are taking on the incredible difficulty and complexity and expense of making something public. That’s not a job anymore. That’s a button. There’s a button that says ‘publish,’ and when you press it, it’s done.”26 Indeed, self-publishing is already a huge part of what the industry has become. As the New York Times noted, “Nearly 350,000 new print titles were published in 2011, and 150,000 to 200,000 of them were produced by self-publishing companies.”27 (Table 10.1 indicates that about 177,000 books were published in 2011, so nearly that many more books were self-published in the same year.)

An increase in the number of books in circulation is great for democracy, for the inclusion of more voices. But is there still value to the acquisition, editing, and marketing of books that publishers do? Are these traditional gatekeepers worth keeping around? Is it a legitimate concern that the quality of book content will suffer without publishers to find, develop, and promote the work of the best authors?

KEY TERMS

The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.

papyrus, 345

parchment, 345

codex, 345

manuscript culture, 345

illuminated manuscripts, 346

block printing, 346

printing press, 346

vellum, 346

paperback books, 347

dime novels, 347

pulp fiction, 347

linotype, 348

offset lithography, 348

trade books, 349

professional books, 350

textbooks, 350

mass market paperbacks, 351

instant book, 354

reference books, 354

university press, 355

e-book, 357

book challenge, 361

acquisitions editors, 362

subsidiary rights, 363

developmental editor, 363

copy editors, 363

design managers, 363

e-publishing, 367

REVIEW QUESTIONS

The History of Books, from Papyrus to Paperbacks

  1. Question

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    What distinguishes the manuscript culture of the Middle Ages from the oral and print eras in communication?
  2. Question

    dgNASBZjdxFY8XgBL8exBF7FRjU6q9S2klNxKk7d4e/JzKl7OpN6w6OKt8Iu8BncOrbboWRGxfU6pyOVZZLppuRpzY2JxaicrcZ4qyHTlLuTDNvTxy75dMZ05lFWXGcUmZZ6gw/Kh6RPzRHJ
    Why was the printing press such an important and revolutionary invention?
  3. Question

    QlXfOc3nSeZP99BSaEWrVIUzhTgKo5Dp753uAQHq7KJs9zQh7NJf+09uOJ6IsiaFKas1Qyawhb5AJEfMEG92Bzb4SCBaLo6aOWcD7i/XO9GKIgyU2JvrthlSvEEPCLVReaZfTYzsdhBrlBWz1j/UZXL8XW/aVD1kvub8JK3nPs8O+nZx
    Why were books particularly important to women readers during the early periods of American history?

Modern Publishing and the Book Industry

  1. Question

    QAdVN4xyCVkPi+XvPCVcpzszDJonfbr7rHH2+Sa2+O8vJrqjlcTKipPP6PByG65hIL1MrcL8xd4jRlh0AdYiG8/DyrE=
    Why did publishing houses develop?
  2. Question

    KP1qIpIWQN2l6+LS5PS7ubGvBr7znkLBr5QJfVjn5JDPpnqmpX9oG4aSuXDFPvkNp8qY+7lj/2uLSA3gtRJ7DSV/BLCuvDCfJcc/fIf3f6ay/psNM7dIMKDARPO1xV9ABIPCCsa6+VlhpBFONzMg/Y45IYc=
    Why is the trade book segment one of the most lucrative parts of the book industry?
  3. Question

    F92+JDm7Y3AAE8y13nEqFDs+BT6YsjtrntKoC08+vvmxev+zUmniiYyXcS0qOo66Rl91SLfM+2kRNU4fGEzxcsdCXgqAL43KSspDieMjMc37NH9uXe15De/JvJ0=
    What are the major issues that affect textbook publishing?
  4. Question

    SvKVlX7hGtJjANI8nilruBJaaI6TV/+afRW+xryw1guja6xfV0TqPWyLCYTVOAnHGeMpmYNNMC3Erb0A9vFM97UED2qtGnN4nGJpvDk3pREnyMQQe1X8LQ==
    What has undermined the sales of printed encyclopedias?
  5. Question

    26/701Vsmh17lToPFlh1ucOuw8TB7SqRcgzOqeCg1MHrYjigTGyYG2C/ov3tvxE1tzmu5Gz2iVEbxT/PsWdCABpKYuJaOhciLulVWLQNeM7hOO0Ww36hn+b+JsunEkAk
    What is the relationship between the book and movie industries?
  6. Question

    vkI9EJdckIilzfER1v5Dy6XGSph/SrrM1WVh47WdGYHfmFzaRerXjTlFL1s8a3ZbE7287+q+yt6Oz1H8WY0RnvS+t3AYBhtUOlvdju6sirhugI5fYQmD0S7SIOvLyh5I8Imu8DkTcjXxwKToRoCkTlDIYRuePNVubcIQBkhRhlrZBEbFxHgjDXta4WbBNpO68zt4STljSCbTd3XKWR3wOA==
    Why did the Kindle succeed in the e-book market where other devices had failed?

Trends and Issues in Book Publishing

  1. Question

    sJK9CQYkpsZ+69A3F93GS2+lwy2nuyOcZ1QHWsFm/D1Uo45lMABtijSlss+5Q/MU61qbc+W8+bZx6vU6kHcCZL/xmLhLeBmMmmt3xJneg1+FCQiRvAWZ6R/g/5x5F0oqSbN8yJG9aQJycimhOKUz1bRaADk57wXFlDNnaoEHpmYfy0ekf3fNEg==
    In what ways have e-books reimagined what a book can be?
  2. Question

    ETZQtVwFD7AOIY+xMrX7k0RNrWtv0Yf+RJWO5rmS+Mvaohaj7ZS6ZyGDZ/zT0BDO0iRJIk/D34WQ5sT3VuGaQtZzc41SpLpkilwKOfIpiAuYgEXI7xeYHHYHNY6ZPEbKPvySr4WcTcjNdN+JHw6VZM6qCb+HmgWGhwjMHo8GtB42rRJP
    What are the major issues in the debate over digitizing millions of books for Web search engines?
  3. Question

    7VZuy1yceGKBQx7R25A4+dPmxlfvoN9GY55JJWNh0JiFzu12Z1gggK4sXidcsDAvPjDtLospXM4bNxowf9Kuvnm/5JaJkp/62/Sc0ADYVXmNQ9Oi9b0ARuEUepdn4T5FuyZrbcV9Zji3BmoM5sgRRw==
    What is the difference between a book that is challenged and one that is banned?

The Organization and Ownership of the Book Industry

  1. Question

    7URBz0bC8nwaLrY3wf7JYxuGZz7T3u568pwFD6xmjYFm7a1nvcoO5NgHeIYXa3JHbEVdmNzdmcdrNKIf05fFAjFuv9JjyTRsW7+Wq00WJDBOVdxwbmOsjrlhipUY24Kf6YUxWyYqfvtSlJGTe7mgFg+z9zGnlx7vbxTXulHfJG/TTNklhKkC6/SeRMxG88sHvRZfWflSK+A=
    What are the current ownership patterns in the book industry? How do they affect the kinds of books that are published?
  2. Question

    R9cEXcQpMR81LPZl7fEz7w8+C7HP+I89Q0qadm9k8/a/6q8DzPTd0eveGfPqm/8fjWwAseXVJDA0bTraFj9hBrXV8yI/w1OsZYrM2Ctn0KgpL9ra4F0MXrltJCcf3PzcB1tdqg==
    What are the general divisions within a typical publishing house?
  3. Question

    z32Iqg9Idu2lju4AUZO5lPmsLclu5ZfLoeqMZZ0Cux1ahSd/+V6eAI9M0nBSXSLkYZ127abn3AXxzemlTxffMwnBPKJ/nvFeoreS0NIw1L+cEo68Zx3uWUO6yOQstUtRhw+LDWqwBOUMFozD9SURYm/+g8QzOAOWtPCN8g==
    What was the impact of the growth of book superstores on the rest of the bookstore industry?
  4. Question

    zy62Z4s8TWT86DllOrPILhxZgjIh/iP3R2L7uERdZcoOLga/EstGGxbGbVfHwOkn41Mg/DLlgEsrGjM1aLyZfsE/m92YADrMU7hus9nBm6iFFZ4kBU5KIPTYginxIWPglcSkss97+zlC8AkZu5GAIHQZgnntnGuJmHcJfH0gwmUlRnzTmwlVktmDbMzSAfI596i88Klf6CwVP4lBVg4gQMvFfCnfK+lK
    How have online bookstores and e-books affected bookstores and the publishing industry?
  5. Question

    q7u2OXJxykpKUaCohEzIIIngtecxdYBwjZdX4J4GSc9p8jSf87hFIcr86SQwM7+Trc8xPHFqaPQUEDXtMOT3D0vhfm+zc7oEw1QfRm4pq4qKRcwQ8cKjfMmOM4l/WkuMPSB0kgLoP2ZSGGmpaWXswOd2gjDGn8br+TwQSrwbcNc8m0yG8S4kR7Ey140qUPPR0zzUWKn7nUI=
    What are the concerns over Amazon’s powerful role in determining book pricing and having its own publishing divisions?
  6. Question

    6Hb7PmqjHwMm5oCxgeDPGmAf6z9jZJuzlcXrFF+Q3JuIWt4d1tFVXUb81eXidDcVUqOJ2wkEhAEK//mnH9tfSey/YdUnl5Xsj60ODZrArefiN7m1yv+SeSdL6FZT4gx1UaQuygQWjqMkcw+e2R4UTrzMLQP94oe7cabPdXWPeUY=
    What is Andrew Carnegie’s legacy in regard to libraries in the United States and elsewhere?

Books and the Future of Democracy

  1. Question

    0rO4reWennC8TbE2yy0bdgzy/YLSjrQLXt6H1F+9DpKIrwQhYD8mjhVPvlyVpbO1FMYyVym2X0V7jSkt+m8HU2L62JZ4cXjaErdCErNVeRSgBBhtWUp25+uSsUwkXl0OYbnL5CEbrS4S1uj7V5yHmA==
    Why is an increasing interest in reading a signal for improved democratic life?

QUESTIONING THE MEDIA

  1. Question

    sp3KvkKoVKL1GumjtREn7B1j+AmV7CMKOxpw2Xlke2SbtcDXL3NVKRv3TNLPDz9jjcDhOr5kJgZZMSLkuaiANEfHxpntox21v9kO8a6MGDO12g+rVhNaXLfwia9QcPu1kJW0IFmBZvq1wjNIKlTZH3UsoMhjXJyVKQSWm27GKIB9Bw50utIejoP1P/0ybrG7gb3REoYn5dhHdePb/qnbBSHhAWtUSSSyRstj3/ZOZW8=
    As books shift to digital formats, what advantages of the bound-book format are we sacrificing?
  2. Question

    RNyWLfTAFYh/wD69LyQDRZqH9gtT9rUwIw8awIsX9WrvcEQdDsaSTFXPlagRM17rrESoybZuaATGYI6I1HbLEbkK98WOY+JFm3eNoazGb7iVGyNGSPzGfIGChcmaud8/KLcUhpoyPzI2LMh2UY4gq13Aw6gyzC70LDtm1PoiDKgKoE+5mz3eCwojVNv9kOQLawyW6mWYrdHfI1kSz7nqUlq8Ck5sqOLkcU01emOO0GhnpAiqjeELnzD0LhMRwGK+Wy2J48TzVjMPYxRW8LmjhPpaVwlPA9CxeY1H2RMLU9b/jZGx6FsxKanKh+Xg884LwIc1e7XM2TE=
    Given the digital turn in the book industry, if you were to self-publish a book, what strategies would you use in marketing and distribution to help an audience find it?
  3. Question

    xJdco+nl/e5Tfpqh76Rmiep96f9dLEn2hoP1xFoJ/SJx1u6IlcPVY7GuGrMGxytA8ct/yIZ+jsU7rWE3X7njXnqfiYarwnTFhseEehY412bGka2fqoCLhUKHBcdlFfAyi9XePb9Ds0+j0Y+UyO9whB+T7E0paUeDiX3b15D6/PopsjqNBRwY96y56HFzFE9ycRDnCeLIMed27AQ+bn3/C4v8OcYFFWXErqYwsdL2yd3I1lPM9Y+MAk2WqHX64pvvvNgSnNjmSUldhbdcUIZTY62RAeGfDNLeIeiBUCG1li960Gd6
    Imagine that you are on a committee that oversees book choices for a high school library in your town. What policies do you think should guide the committee’s selection of controversial books?
  4. Question

    HTAl87W6CHw5yDiORMYaJba2vGiu9u4mS3oaID3J2qi1lN7PoIWP5pCCksXTjki7FRZeBkvyVTf3ncmFLmu3wcHTD3OGx6rVmE/EB2Tt9/dGyoF2Gd+pEF78F0sgQl7u/5ziSPVYSDgO+GLbE204ojEe/Lugd3g87ja6gg49pvyXrzqimSWUfXMUD+W9EsYXvmshG5/Np0EvF/4gJzDmVywsT4M3+kTHdyT3CnLRBOu3Iw0uaAeCjj4Vc2d+0/RURJFRFBhSh+LeuxlJtZ7U/8eN/ZR3dVhvatQ+ag==
    Why do you think the availability of television and cable hasn’t substantially decreased the number of new book titles available each year? What do books offer that television doesn’t?
  5. Question

    NkrkQARx4op+Xuk/u4IH6XUmmLChUQcAMr/ZbmOdVG0rqkae+mG7udFdJJQWeWyr5LI8TbQbF97ztIW9RKrf1LgceP7T2OKtoN2MayGoFC5Ey2A7mF/jscO8qeRZ/sqmmBVgB4FE6DBrTb4n+2h6td6RvlXpXBMxAGAEwdopHtIw2pFrbuG4bNZ5MJHsESqJLVuS/oeN7Bu48m2EfHerHyb+p8l31LS0KQDQPZs0LdCckzikY3MEU/PQ+Xh0nT1gGTzCxjSooTidmO/Pwlnk0eXL9KD8110Pydxsn+3Zqqw=
    What is the cultural significance of a bound volume, particularly a religious holy book, such as the Bible or Qur’an? If holy books are in digital form, does the format change their meaning?

LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE