Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Price of Progress

Publishers Weekly (PW) had a couple of items yesterday reminding us that, in addition to new e-reading devices, the evolving publishing landscape creates casualties.

First, PW reported Peter Smith Publishers, "one of the last remaining reprint houses," will close down at the end of April.

The company's president, Mary Ann Lash, gave the following reasons for why PSP was closing:
The primary reason, she said, is Google's plan to make books available electronically. The economy has also taken a toll, especially on PSP's main customers, libraries.
In addition, PW directed readers to a New York Times article on Monday titled "Death of the Bookplate?" Author Alex Beam, writing for the Yale Alumni Magazine, mourns the passing of the bookplate:
“This books belongs to . . . no one.” Welcome to the future, a less intimate and a less ornamented place.
Go here to read the Yale article.

3 comments:

Ruby Johnson said...

Good article. I think more and more readers are using Kindle, and Sony. I use the laptop for books, but truly like the feel of a book in my hands. I know authors who are going to ebooks because traditional publishers are limiting purchases

Lew Jaffe said...

The bookplate article was quite interesting.
Lew Jaffe
Http;//bookplatejunkie.blogspot.com

Maya Reynolds said...

Thanks to you both for stopping by.