Or yet another publisher driven internet strategy bound for failure?
Hyperion President and founding publisher Robert S. Miller is bailing on that company to “launch a new global publishing program based on a non-traditional business model” at HarperCollins.
According to the press release, “Miller will publish approximately 25 popular-priced books per year in multiple physical and digital formats including those as yet unspecified, with the aim to combine the best practices of trade publishing while taking full advantage of the internet for sales, marketing and distribution. Authors will be compensated through a profit sharing model as opposed to a traditional royalty, and books will be promoted utilizing on-line publicity, advertising and marketing.” Translation, probably: Whatever it is that Bob will be publishing will be printed on demand, or you will be able to read it on your Kindle-type device, or, eventually, by using implanted technology in your eyeballs that will allow you to turn pages by blinking.
Knowing as much as I do about the publishing industry, Emily at Galleycat probably isn’t too far off with her guestimate of Miller’s plans. Here’s hoping though that whatever Bob Miller accomplishes at HC, it leans heavily toward the new business model side of things. New ideas are few and proactivity is low in publisherland. I’ll be watching…
UPDATE: You gotta love this headline from the Wall Street Journal. Is that a way to freak out authors or what?
More: P.Viktor chimes in with an authors opinion on HarperCollins’ new program.
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Bob Miller, Hyperion, HarperCollins, Publishing