Martha Beck and Seth Godin discuss the future of publishing
(Pam Slim here once again to give you a sneak peek into a discussion between Martha and Seth Godin. Both are doing a lot of thinking about the future of the publishing industry, as well as the emerging role of author as coach and leader. Enjoy, and please share your reactions in the comments below!)
Martha:
Drawing and painting were used to convey images before photography, so representational art was considered most valuable. When photography was invented, realistic images could be replicated easily and accurately, so the value of drawing/painting as representation collapsed. Impressionism and other non-representational genres emerged as “valuable” art.
For centuries, the only way you could hear a musical piece written by a certain musician was to write down the music note for note and get another musician to play it exactly as the first one had. When recording equipment was invented, replication was easy and accurate. Immediately, jazz and other improvisational forms became highly valuable.
You see where I’m going with this, right? Since Gutenberg, the printed book was the cheapest, quickest way to transfer a large block of written work. With Internet technology making replication quick and cheap, publishers everywhere are seeing themselves become unnecessary.
Question: What is the literary equivalent of impressionism or jazz?
Because that’s what’s going to become valuable in what has always been the book world. I have a few ideas of my own, but I’m dying to hear your take on this.
Seth:
Painting and music moved in two different directions because of technology.
Painters discovered that in order to succeed, they needed to become more human, more emotional and less like cameras. Pushing to the cutting edge and being personal were the two ways painters thrived over the last hundred years. When you see a painting, you probably know who made it.
Musicians discovered that in order to succeeded, they needed to create music that would spread, recordings that would be shared and talked about and bought in bulk. They didn’t write on commission for the king, they wrote for the radio. Ideas that spread, win.
Writers are discovering that a book that tells people how to do something is obsolete. Knowledge no longer needs to live in an arcane format like a book. And facts are free, because they spread easily.
So, writing that is worth paying for is either encased in a souvenir-like rarity, like a limited edition, or a reading or a conference…or it’s delivered quickly and personally so that the convenience and exclusivity is worth a premium or it’s personal and direct… almost bespoke.
The last is the biggest opportunity. Our tribes need leaders. We need people who will assemble and introduce and connect and lead. People who will help us get to where we want to go. Writing (at least a certain kind of writing) is now more like coaching or governing or teaching. And there’s a real shortage of that and we’ll happily pay to be part of this tribe if someone will only step up and lead us.
—
Seth Godin blogs at www.sethgodin.typepad.com. His new book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? hits shelves today.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:15 am
[...] Martha Beck: One of the most well-known coaches, Martha is a leading thinker on how individuals can make a difference. We talk about jazz and writing… [...]
January 26th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I’m in a deadend job, I really need to take some advice and get some small business going! =) I need to find a niche small company of some sort.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:25 am
[...] Martha Beck: One of the most well-known coaches, Martha is a leading thinker on how individuals can make a difference. We talk about jazz and writing… [...]
January 27th, 2010 at 11:41 am
I can’t think of two more interesting people to discuss this. Thanks!
January 27th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
So, is Seth saying that we need leaders who will connect us with resources (which seems like a zero-sum, because once we learn the pathways we don’t need the leaders any more), or is he saying that we need leaders who will connect us with the artist’s experience by helping us recreate it? If pathways are unique, and if personal identification is key to appreciation of art, is preserving the pathway to that mashup crucial knowledge to retain and replicate?
January 28th, 2010 at 9:04 am
the i need to pub. himself it the key for geting free and reall
January 28th, 2010 at 9:31 am
[...] Martha Beck: One of the most well-known coaches, Martha is a leading thinker on how individuals can make a difference. We talk about jazz and writing… [...]
January 28th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
[...] Martha Beck: One of the most well-known coaches, Martha is a leading thinker on how individuals can make a difference. We talk about jazz and writing… [...]
January 29th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Seth Godin – You are truly a hero. Thanks for keeping the energy up – when I “chat” with you via blogs, interviews, etc, I really feel like I am a part of an underground revolution and just spoke with the leader. You rejuvenate those of us who need to be rejuvenated so that we can, in turn, spread the contagion…the idea virus…
Much Love and Cheers to your endless effort and energy!
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:03 pm
A perfect conversation to stumble upon. I’m finishing a book, and wondering about its future in the world of publishing. Though I do think publishing may become obsolete, I hope editors do not. Unlike painting, writing is a process that is helped by a second party (in fact, many parties). The finished product is part of a conversation held between several people who care deeply about the story or impact of the words. Writing, like any art form, is hard work, and though we have become used to sharing it for free online, writers need to be compensated for what they do or else we’ll lose the good thinkers and storytellers. So, how do we reward our thinkers and storytellers, provide them access to mentors (editors), and deliver their thoughts and stories to the general public? I hope you two can figure it out.
February 19th, 2010 at 10:18 am
as a professional artist creating for consumer product, my community must not only keep up with but be ahead of the changing technological tide. The storytellers, the purveyors of desired information, and publishers, too, must also think ahead of the technological tide and position themselves so to protect the value of the written word.
Painting, and its manifestation be it canvas, reproduction print, or licensed art all still exist; photography, and its manifestation of a photograph, reproduction print, or licensed art still exist; and so to, writing, its manifestation of a tactile book (we all have so deeply a love affair with), or a blog, or Kindle transmission will also continue to exist. The delivery and reception of the written word, and compensation to the parties involved in bringing the written word to the reader, is indeed evolving and providing greater variety in format – the book will always remain tho – especially for those of us who love to highlight, pen notes and dog ear the pages of our beloved books.
Thoughts?
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:43 am
[...] And his original picture is in this link… [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:58 pm
I agree with Martha’s comments about the future of publishing, but also think there’s another area of opportunity that’s emerging. People are being inundated with such a plethora of information at an ever increasing rate that there’s also a need for the synthesizers. Those voracious readers/thinkers who can filter out the dregs, assimilate the gold, and communicate it to an audience that just wants to cut to the chase. What works, what’s valuable and useful to the reader about a specific personal issue or topic, those are the books to which I gravitate these days.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:23 am
Perfect, because that’s exactly the tone of my upcoming book!
The big Q is: how best to get it into the hands of my Tribe?
May 20th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I really liked your article post. Fantastic.