The true believers of print

I had a great breakfast this morning in sunny, cool (eat your heart out rest of the US) Seattle with some of the fine folks at xerox.  Our discussion went to feedback and thoughts about Drupa 2012 and HP's decision to not participate at Ipex 2014.  It made me think a bit again about my Drupa experience, what I saw, who I met, friendships renewed.

By now everyone in the industry knows that attendance at this year's event in Düsseldorf was off 19%, or around 75,000.  I did notice a bit more elbow room around the Messe this year as opposed to others (this was my fifth time attending), but more important to me was actually who was there and who was not.

I think there were a few less folks from North America, which can be easily understood given the state of the economy in general and the condition of the printing industry.  But I think there were a bit fewer "hucksters", looking for a quick buck opportunity.  I mean, seriously, if you were looking for an industry to manipulate and exploit you probably wouldn't pick the print sector right now.  But the real story for me was who did make the trek to Germany.

What I saw during my visit was a bunch of folks that have ink in their veins and believe it to be the ultimate expression of non-human communication.  People who are in this business because they love it, believe in it, and, yes, cherish it beyond most common sense.  I saw the true believers.

Maybe it was Benny Landa's triumphant return to the industry.  Or the commitment by HP of retooling and enlarging their entire line.  Or the hand off of the iGen reins from Tony Federico to the next generation of talent.  Lots of examples of life in this industry.

This was the year that I think the big finishing companies really got it, and began providing world-class solutions to bookmaking challenges. The year the paper manufacturers were top of mind as printers look to create impressive, quality product. The year that the old hands met the new blood and said "This is what the print business is about, so let's take this thing to the next level."

You meet the finest people at a print trade show.  I think its a business like no other--none that I've been involved in anyway.  I always look up my friend Axel Zoeller from Heidelberg each Drupa as I have since 1995 when at Corbis I was scouting out new Tango scanners and Axel was running Marketing for Heidelberg US.  I saw the whole Jacobson clan from ODM, folks that were there at the genesis of the POD book industry. The folks from What They Think were spreading wisdom while bringing in the next generation of reporting from guys like Adam Dewitz. I could go on and on...I just really have a fondness for this business.

So when folks tell you about the demise of print, you know they are mistaken.  But the industry is not without challenges, as we all know. We have to make sure that when ink hits paper people are always getting a worthwhile, quality experience.  But after four days at Drupa, I know the industry is in good hands, challenges are opportunities, and ink is the lifeblood of those who truly love this business.

What Publishing Companies Do in a World Where Anyone Can Publish a Book. From @Forbes

If an author can go to Kindle Direct Publishing or Barnes & Noble’s PubIt!, instantly publish their own book and then collect up to 70% of the sale price as a royalty as opposed to the 15% to 25% that many traditional publishers offer on e-books, why wouldn’t they?

That’s a question that many authors are asking themselves in the e-book era. And publishers are answering it.

Several major book publishers have recently come out with aggressive statements asserting what they do and all the work that goes into publishing a successful book.

So, what do publishers do?  Read on here.....http://wtr.mn/M4Oe2Z

Digital colour is 'an opportunity' for book printers. From @printweek

Digital colour printing is an opportunity for book printers to win back work that is currently being offshored, according to speakers at last week's annual London Digital Book Printing Forum.

HP business manager Roger Stabler, who spoke at the event last Wednesday (20 June), said he was seeing "a lot more onshoring of colour", which could be driven by publishers recognising the cost of producing a book over its whole life-cycle, including storage and transportation, rather than just the print costs.

CPI UK head of digital Martin Collyer said that the printer, which launched its Quantum digital colour book line in May, was offering a small percentage of spot integrated-colour at "almost the same price as mono".

Collyer, who called the addition of colour a "game-changer", added: "In the age of e-books, differentiating and adding value are the challenges for publishers and with colour inkjet technology we can add both spot colour and full colour cost-effectively."

Read on here...http://wtr.mn/NxxH2P

EU publishing chiefs to discuss e-book tax. From @thebookseller

The chiefs of Europe's publishing houses will meet today (26th June) in Brussels at a round-table discussion on growing the e-book market set to emphasise the need for e-books to be taxed at the same rate as physical books.

Penguin chief executive John Makinson and Hachette commercial director Richard Kitson will join publishers including Riccardo Cavallero of Mondadori, Hedwige Pasquet of Gallimard Jeunesse and Rudiger Salat of Holtzbrink Verlagsgruppe at this morning's discussion, hosted by the Federation of European Publishers and the European Booksellers Federation.

Ahead of the event, the FEP and the EBF have told attendees VAT should be lowered on e-books in order for them to thrive, and that digital books should be possible to read on “any e-book bought on any platform, on any device” to benefit consumers.

Read on here....http://wtr.mn/LzAJXw

E-books' popularity crimps demand for paper.From @CBCBusiness

Canada's paper products industry is in for several years of weakness, partly because consumers are increasingly abandoning paper-based books and switching to the virtual kind, according to a new report from the Conference Board of Canada.

"The transition of information and media from print to electronic format has been going on for years, but until recently the effects were most pronounced for directories and newspapers,” said report author Michael Burt, the Conference Board's director of industrial economic trends.

“With the current batch of e-readers and tablet computers, it appears that a critical mass has now been reached and books are likely to follow the same path as newspapers,” he said.

"In short, demand for paper used in book publishing in North America is under significant pressure," the report says.

Read on here...http://wtr.mn/KIHqa1

Self Publishing: Vanity or Common Sense? From @Subversify

There was a time, back when publishing houses had  good reputations, and reading books was a general pastime, that self-publishing was unthinkable to an earnest writer determined to create a niche in whatever genre he or she had chosen.  Whether it was fine literature or a Harlequin romance, the main point was that it had been accepted by a House, thereby earning the writer the title of “author”.  A self published book meant going through a press that may or may not be credible, that often resorted to generic covers and cheap bindings; sometimes with nothing more than a stapled middle.  The self-published writer was expected to shell out the funds for a minimum quantity and it was up to the writer to discover the ways and means of acquiring a return on his investment; making the rounds of book stores, clubs and conventions, often surrendering in self-defeat after a few months, with a packing crate full of books moldering in the attic.

Along came the Internet.  It not only changed the avenues for self-publishing, it changed the attitudes about publishing in general.  Ironically, it was the publishing companies themselves that generated this new awareness in the trials, errors and difficulties of breaking in to a publishing house.  The Writer’s Market, once the handbook of every aspiring author, began suggesting that before looking for a publisher, a writer should gain an online reputation.  It advised joining writing groups that would help build the strength of the written hand and guide the writer into the best places to be published.

Read on here.....http://wtr.mn/MCqTlc

Why the Microsoft Surface probably won't be an iPad killer. From @cnet

Microsoft Surface, the tablet running Windows 8 or Windows RT with the nifty keyboard cover, sure looks like it's gunning for Apple's iPad. But the more we hear about it, the more it seems Ballmer and company's new hardware play may be packing a BB gun rather than a bazooka.

Granted, there's a lot to like about the Surface -- the new Windows OS is intriguing, Gorilla Glass is great and that integrated stand is the kind of design ingenuity we'd expect from a company located a little further south on the Pacific coast.

But with so many unanswered questions around price, availability and other features, I'm left with a familiar youthful trepidation. Microsoft reminds me of the crazy uncle who often promises the coolest gifts, but can't be counted on to actually show up to your birthday party and deliver the goods. Here's four reasons why the Surface has me steeling against potential disappointment, and why Apple can probably breathe easy.

Read on here....http://wtr.mn/MHQHKE