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.”23 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.”24 (Table 10.1 indicates that about 192,633 books were published in 2013, 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.

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REVIEW QUESTIONS

The History of Books, from Papyrus to Paperbacks

  1. Question 10.1

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

  2. Question 10.2

    Why was the printing press such an important and revolutionary invention?
    Why was the printing press such an important and revolutionary invention?

  3. Question 10.3

    Why were books particularly important to women readers during the early periods of American history?
    Why were books particularly important to women readers during the early periods of American history?

Modern Publishing and the Book Industry

  1. Question 10.4

    Why did publishing houses develop?
    Why did publishing houses develop?

  2. Question 10.5

    Why is the trade book segment one of the most lucrative parts of the book industry?
    Why is the trade book segment one of the most lucrative parts of the book industry?

  3. Question 10.6

    What are the major issues that affect textbook publishing?
    What are the major issues that affect textbook publishing?

  4. Question 10.7

    What has undermined the sales of printed encyclopedias?
    What has undermined the sales of printed encyclopedias?

  5. Question 10.8

    What is the relationship between the book and movie industries?
    What is the relationship between the book and movie industries?

  6. Question 10.9

    Why did the Kindle succeed in the e-book market where other devices had failed?
    Why did the Kindle succeed in the e-book market where other devices had failed?

Trends and Issues in Book Publishing

  1. Question 10.10

    In what ways have e-books reimagined what a book can be?
    In what ways have e-books reimagined what a book can be?

  2. Question 10.11

    What are the major issues in the debate over digitizing millions of books for Web search engines?
    What are the major issues in the debate over digitizing millions of books for Web search engines?

  3. Question 10.12

    What is the difference between a book that is challenged and one that is banned?
    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 10.13

    What are the current ownership patterns in the book industry? How do they affect the kinds of books that are published?
    What are the current ownership patterns in the book industry? How do they affect the kinds of books that are published?

  2. Question 10.14

    What are the general divisions within a typical publishing house?
    What are the general divisions within a typical publishing house?

  3. Question 10.15

    What was the impact of the growth of book superstores on the rest of the bookstore industry?
    What was the impact of the growth of book superstores on the rest of the bookstore industry?

  4. Question 10.16

    How have online bookstores and e-books affected bookstores and the publishing industry?
    How have online bookstores and e-books affected bookstores and the publishing industry?

  5. Question 10.17

    What are the concerns over Amazon’s powerful role in determining book pricing and having its own publishing division?
    What are the concerns over Amazon’s powerful role in determining book pricing and having its own publishing division?

  6. Question 10.18

    What is Andrew Carnegie’s legacy in regard to libraries in the United States and elsewhere?
    What is Andrew Carnegie’s legacy in regard to libraries in the United States and elsewhere?

Books and the Future of Democracy

  1. Question 10.19

    Why is an increasing interest in reading a signal for improved democratic life?
    Why is an increasing interest in reading a signal for improved democratic life?

QUESTIONING THE MEDIA

  1. Question 10.20

    As books shift to digital formats, what advantages of the bound-book format are we sacrificing?
    As books shift to digital formats, what advantages of the bound-book format are we sacrificing?

  2. Question 10.21

    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?
    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 10.22

    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?
    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 10.23

    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?
    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 10.24

    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?
    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