London Book Fair Report: The Great Debate
While this kind of debate isn't intended to provide any form of resolution, it did serve to be thought provoking and illuminate how size can yield advantages and disadvantages. Following is a brief sketch of the arguments and few candid thoughts on what might be the takeaway.
Big is Better: Mike Shatzkin & Ken Brooks
Perhaps the most entertaining of the participants, Mike Shatzkin argued on the side of size, saying that always hardly exists in our world, but as he defines size it is most definitely "better." To that point, Shatzkin does not define better in qualitative terms of the craft of publishing (editing, illustrations, binding, etc.) but as better suited to survive and control one's own destiny, and better positioned to make life difficult for rivals. Being able to expand and have the resources to do so is a "huge" competitive advantage, says Shatzkin.
Denis Wilson was previously content director for Target Marketing, Publishing Executive, and Book Business, as well as the FUSE Media and BRAND United summits. In this role, he analyzed and reported on the fundamental changes affecting the media and marketing industries and aimed to serve content-driven businesses with practical and strategic insight. As a writer, Denis’ work has been published by Fast Company, Rolling Stone, Fortune, and The New York Times.
