The Big Ideas Shaping Book Publishing

In previous years, our December issue focused on providing as many tips and tactics as possible. And while actionable advice is certainly useful for our readers, it's also the essence of what we do all year long. So this issue we wanted to change things up.

What we don't often get to explore in these pages are more speculative topics: How can we look at the business of producing and selling books in different ways? What emerging ideas of today will shape book publishing in the decades to come?

Our Big Ideas Issue is the perfect vehicle to tap some of the most thoughtful and iconoclastic minds in the industry. These industry thinkers did not disappoint. Following are fresh ideas that envision a future of flexible, reusable, and cross-platform books and "book content," explore new ways for publisher's to "grow the revenue pie," and, fittingly, extol the values of diverging from convention.

As a publication, our goal not is to trend hop, but rather capture and report on the ideas at the heart of a new trend and advance the conversations around these new ideas. We want to compel our readers and ourselves to continually alter the lens through which we see the book industry. As John Morse, president and publisher at Merriam-Webster, notes in his essay, it's not enough to follow trends and do what's been proven successful. Publishers also need to strike out from the tried and true and be willing to take risks. We are excited about the future of publishing, and we hope these essays invigorate you with new and illuminating perspectives on that future.

What's your Big Idea? Email us and we'll publish the best ideas on BookBusinessMag.com. Send ideas to dwilson@napco.com

Big Ideas Essays