tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post1268570576419908319..comments2024-02-17T09:53:06.168+00:00Comments on Notes from the Slushpile: Are We in a Golden Age of Books and Not Noticing It?Candy Gourlayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-15905579576803689852013-02-14T16:47:07.306+00:002013-02-14T16:47:07.306+00:00Accepting change isn't just about welcoming in...Accepting change isn't just about welcoming in new ideas, it's also (unfortunately) about letting go of ideas that have become outdated. Whether these outdated things include printed books, libraries and physical bookshops remains to be seen. I hope we can keep all of these things in some form as we move into the future.Nick Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02571077124165351007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-4005267956893648522013-02-11T17:26:16.104+00:002013-02-11T17:26:16.104+00:00Hear, hear! :)Hear, hear! :)Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-78283130654064610762013-02-11T15:55:25.389+00:002013-02-11T15:55:25.389+00:00I think the independent bookshops are going to com...I think the independent bookshops are going to come to their own with the falling away of the big franchises. This is the time to be really experimental - there is less and less to lose and so much to gain.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-7129320788629181682013-02-11T15:53:05.938+00:002013-02-11T15:53:05.938+00:00I have this vision of us all on one of those boats...I have this vision of us all on one of those boats riding Hokusai's Great Wave painting.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-13184714376657497892013-02-11T15:52:13.767+00:002013-02-11T15:52:13.767+00:00Hear, hear!Hear, hear!Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-33582922329914295632013-02-11T15:51:42.616+00:002013-02-11T15:51:42.616+00:00There is indeed a lot of jetsam out there and many...There is indeed a lot of jetsam out there and many authors might not be as good at writing as they are at self promotion. But people are reading more and ways of being discovered are constantly becoming more sophisticated. Hope has always been key in this business.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-8080962865463626912013-02-11T15:49:43.137+00:002013-02-11T15:49:43.137+00:00I have to admit it's difficult to keep the fai...I have to admit it's difficult to keep the faith when many traditional parts of the industry are under threat of extinction. There are other ways to achieve things but they might not have been invented yet!Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-91255140664404200972013-02-11T12:06:52.481+00:002013-02-11T12:06:52.481+00:00That's interesting Bridget - about the museum ...That's interesting Bridget - about the museum and gallery shops and books as collectables.Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-68915630004562652752013-02-11T12:05:43.275+00:002013-02-11T12:05:43.275+00:00I absolutely agree Heather. Create it, polish it, ...I absolutely agree Heather. Create it, polish it, and then look for the best available route into a child's hands. Maureen Lynashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16855138050232488108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-70049317239050725852013-02-11T11:00:53.282+00:002013-02-11T11:00:53.282+00:00Time helps sift but what's exciting I think ar...Time helps sift but what's exciting I think are the new ways and venues for reaching kids and parents. <br />It's not just about blogs and online bookselling. I think the best bookshops are tuning into how much much more interest there is in direct contact with authors and illustrators. They're promoting us and themselves via school visits, pop-up book events, festivals and fairs. <br />And museum and gallery shops are flourishing; receiving waves of school kids with pocket money during the week and interested parents at weekends - and a great place to appreciate how books are evolving - concepts and stories contained within beautiful, collectable objects as a counterbalance to reading on screen.Bridget Marzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08113818186666446243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-49279882012524592382013-02-11T10:55:49.106+00:002013-02-11T10:55:49.106+00:00Great post, Candy, very positive and a refreshing ...Great post, Candy, very positive and a refreshing change from all the doom and gloom. Yeah, the transition is painful and many businesses are suffering, and it's tough for authors and illustrators to make a living. I think it's more important than ever that we all support each other and stick together to ride out the wave of change and hopefully we can all enjoy what's to come.A. Colleen Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626402785266163594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-2599035443945455502013-02-11T10:21:56.024+00:002013-02-11T10:21:56.024+00:00No point in worrying then - Just do it :)No point in worrying then - Just do it :)Heather Kilgourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07553036216216310308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-43528154222107718142013-02-11T08:34:59.906+00:002013-02-11T08:34:59.906+00:00Change means choice, which is a double-edged sword...Change means choice, which is a double-edged sword. It'll be painful for a while, but change always is.<br /><br />The problem at the moment is that amongst all the new voices are a few great ideas and some spectacular writing talent, but they are swimming in an ocean of flotsam and jetsam.<br /><br />The consumer has to work out how to sort the good from the bad, but the market is evolving fast. Established publishers don't get it right all the time, after all - there's plenty of rubbish in print, and word of mouth has always been the best route to bestseller.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701894736280253278.post-65648152917180102832013-02-11T08:13:59.463+00:002013-02-11T08:13:59.463+00:00The more forward-looking publishers have been sayi...The more forward-looking publishers have been saying this for years. I was at a meeting of independent publishers in Faber three and a half years ago where that was precisely the point and it was already an old message - but there are a lot of others who either don't want to hear it or can't dissociate the general golden age from their own immediate fiscal difficulties (quite understandably - and many silent film stars felt the same about the change to talkies). As always, a golden age is a benefit for consumers but often a very difficult time for suppliers. <br /><br />I have got sick of arguing with publishers about how it's a wonderful time for writers. Everyone sees the gold going somewhere else! A golden age for books is not necessarily going to be golden for anyone involved in the industry - it's already proved pretty ungolden for bookshops and libraries. <br /><br />But I agree - the interest in books is massive, their consumption is increasing. It's just that the delivery mechanism is in turmoil at the moment. It will sort out eventually!Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.com