Independent Publishing Houses & New Media

After reading this article I got to thinking about the ways in which digital media, especially the Internet, has and will most likely continue to change and shape the publishing industry. There are a few independent publishers around the world that I keep a keen eye on, McSweeney’s , Heartworm and Fugue State Press being some, and upon reflection I wonder if I would even be aware of them in the first place, had it not been for the Internet. Obviously, these publishers all utilise and, at times, rely upon the web for exposure and the promotion and distribution of their products, but it is also the nature of the Internet, in all of its hyper linking glory, that allowed me to wander upon them in the first place.

There really is something wonderful about the way these small, specialist publishing organs can survive, and even thrive, as a result of the freedom and affordability the Internet offers. That publishers can retain the clarity of their vision, their artistic integrity, and represent books and authors they believe in, without being as limited by sales and revenue, for me embodies that utopian vision of the Internet and its potential for artistic collaboration and freedom.

It does, however, beg the question of the effects this diversification of the industry could have, especially upon larger publishing corporations. While I highly doubt that small niche publishers could purloin the sales or readerships of the larger houses, there is a potential trickle down effect that I see as being less than desirable. The article went on to state that:    

‘the literary blogosphere has been under attack lately by critics working in print, who complain about the decline of print book reviews given the rise of amateur reviewers online […] Los Angeles Times critic Richard Schickel lambasted amateur bloggers as Schickel wrote.’

Where the Internet does enhance the ease at which these publishing houses can form and thrive, it does present issues of quality control. On the issue of self-publishing, an article published by the Montreal Gazette remarks that:

‘Before the Internet, when a writer could not find a publisher to print and sell a manuscript, he could take matters into his own hands, head to the print shop, and hawk the book himself. Rejected auteurs today have it easier, with a handful of websites that let them write, edit and print books bound like the pros.’

There is the possibility that the Internet could contribute to the complete disintegration of the publishing industry, burying it underneath a mountain of quantity – not quality, but I doubt this will ever happen. Of course, there is the very real possibly that manuscripts that would never have seen the light of day 15 years ago may, now, reach an audience, but it seems if anything, the inverse will occur. Amongst the immense product, quality will reign, perhaps stronger than ever.