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:
In general, the conversations were focused on possibilities and opportunities, with a pinch of pragmatism thrown in to hold it all togther.
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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