Book Business spent last Sunday hunkered down at Workman Publishing in New York attending… camp. Specifically, Book^2 Camp ("book squared"), an annual pre-TOC "unconference" dedicated to discussing, well, just about anything related to book publishing, but with an eye toward sussing out the future of the industry.
A big task, for sure, but the campers were up to the task, compiling an agenda on the fly, gathering into intimate, round-table discussions—in conference rooms, offices, break rooms and really any otherwise unoccupied space at Workman—about profitbility, discoverability, readers, editors, the Internet, etc. and asking a lot of "what if" questions:
What if publishing started today?
If there was no money in publishing books, what would book publishing look like?
What if digital predated print?
In general, the conversations were focused on possibilities and opportunities, with a pinch of pragmatism thrown in to hold it all togther.
In the interest of trying new things, we're going to present our report using Storify, a platform for turning social media into narratives. It's not new to many of you, but we've never used it before. So here goes nothing. Tell us what you think.
Book Business goes to Book^2 Camp
Book Business magazine was lucky enough to be invited to the Book^2 Camp "unconference" on Sunday, Feb. 10. The informal gathering of publishing's best and brightest
Storified by Book Business· Wed, Feb 20 2013 10:30:43
Just got in to NYC on the @Amtrak and eagerly anticipating attending @book2camp's #book2Book Business
The day started with "Camp Counselors" (l to r) Ami Greko, Kat Meyer and Chris Kubica laying out the ground rules: The agenda will be decided by the attendees…
Opening ceremonies at #book2 http://pic.twitter.com/jkJhyTlrBook Business
Campers with session ideas wrote them on a piece of paper and the agenda grid was gradually filled out. The only "rule" was that attendees should feel free and unimpeded to jump between sessions (eg: don't make a big deal if someone skips out) as everyone is there to learn.
The agenda takes shape #book2 http://pic.twitter.com/QyWQR2mYBook Business
The first session @bookbusiness attended was Andrea Fleck Nisbet's "The Bottom Line: Remaining Profitable": which turned into a lively discussion on how publishers can continue to make money in an evolving digital marketplace, the evolving role of branding and B-to-C sales, agile processes and enacting culture change.
at #book2 @adfnisbet23 leading a session on "The Bottom Line: remaining profitable"Book Business
Discussion here of the Times' paywall as a model for successful digital revenue model at The Bottom Line #book2 sessionBook Business
@WorkmanPub pres. Robert Miller: "I wish we weren't making people choose between print and digital" #book2Book Business
Getting into the dilemma of book publishing and brand at the #book2 "Bottom Line" session. Does publishing need to be more B-to-C?Book Business
Readers are interested in authors primarily, not publishers, says editor at @BookRiot #book2Book Business
"Where publishers fail is doing things half-assed. We don't iterate. How do you as a publisher manage that?" asks @adfnisbet23 at #book2Book Business
"This is a cultural change , and that's hard to put in a memo": @RuthCurry of publishers' issues with agile processes #book2Book Business
.@WorkmanPub is excited about @inkling's features for it's books. #book2 "Bottom Line" sessionBook Business
We love metadata. Just learned about "microdata." #book2 "Bottom Line" sessionBook Business
Great discussion on DRM/discoverability/profitability #book2Book Business
Next, Brett Sandusky led a session called "Reinventing the Ecosystem" which asked the basic question: If publishing were starting today, and not beholden to any legacy practices, what would it look like?
"Reinventing the Ecosystem" @bsandusky: how would you build this industry if you were starting from scratch? #book2Book Business
"more books, smaller audiences, acquiring more content" says session member at #book2's @bsandusky-led "reinventing the ecosystem"Book Business
.@ljndawson: bring book content into the search box. tag everything in a book so that great book content comes up in search engines #book2Book Business
Why books, why not just a website? Is the "container" necessary going forward? #book2 "reinventing the ecosystem"Book Business
We can still have the container, but also make them modular #book2 "reinventing the ecosystem"Book Business
if we'd invented digital before print, print might have evolved as an artisinal craft market anyway #book2 "reinventing the ecosystem"Book Business
#book2 Readers don't have a problem finding books, publishers have a hard time finding readers.Book Business
What skills should the publishing house of the near future have? Software development, says session attendee #book2Book Business
Quote of #book2 thusfar: "you're talking about unicorns and I can only give you dump trucks" on pubs' ignorance of tech issues/software dev.Book Business
"You can't have 40 non-accountable people deciding to publish a book" "But that's what publishing has become." #book2Book Business
Book publishers should get better at communicating why they chose to publish a book to the audience for whom they're publishing it #book2Book Business
On excitement/trepidation of book acquisition" is it exciting because it's inefficient? Isn't that why gambling is exciting? #book2Book Business
#book2: What's 1 thing you'd get rid of in publishing industry: @jwikert: lack of direct channel. the B-to-B model.Book Business
#book2: What's 1 thing you'd get rid of in publishing industry: returns!Book Business
#book2: What's 1 thing you'd get rid of has turned into what does the industry need. Best Practices says @philipsturnerBook Business
Make decisions in the ultimate interest of the book says @WorkmanPub pres Robert Miller #book2Book Business
The final session we attended was titled "What should we be talking about that we aren't, and are we talking about that we should talk about?
#book2 "What should and shouldn't we be talking about" turns to underserved readers (men & boys) and competition with apps for attention.Book Business
#book2 "Make fewer things" resonates, following discussion of editors spend less time editing, panel: "what should we talk about"Book Business
#book2 Let things go that are failing. Reintroduce old things. Publish fewer things. (Maybe quality control should be our new obsession?)Sharon Pelletier
Alas, I need to leave the #book2 poster in my room (no cheap way to get it back to NC) :...( http://pic.twitter.com/emgZRGg3Chris Kubica
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%0D%0A%20%20In%20general,%20the%20conversations%20were%20focused%20on%20possibilities%20and%20opportunities,%20with%20a%20pinch%20of%20pragmatism%20thrown%20in%20to%20hold%20it%20all%20togther.%0D%0AIn%20the%20interest%20of%20trying%20new%20things,%20we're%20going%20to%20present%20our%20report%20using%20Storify<%2Fa>,%20a%20platform%20for%20turning%20social%20media%20into%20narratives.%20It's%20not%20new%20to%20many%20of%20you,%20but%20we've%20never%20used%20it%20before.%20So%20here%20goes%20nothing.%20Tell%20us%20what%20you%20think%2F%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookbusinessmag.com%2Fpost%2Fshow-notes-book-2-camp-unconference%2F" target="_blank" class="email" data-post-id="19059" type="icon_link"> Email Email