Speculation, Fact and Fiction

So says Stephen Page, Chief Exec of Faber & Faber in The Guardian yesterday. According to him, "as most book publishers bow to bestsellers and celebrity culture, serious literature can still thrive thanks to the internet."

An interesting article, especially in light of that marketing/retailing analysis piece I posted a while back.

He concludes

"The industry is closer now to a tipping point that would see a dramatic reduction in range, a shortening of writers' careers, and a reading culture that errs towards mass forms of entertainment alone. Perhaps one day the ebook will play some role in this, but for now hope lies in the new technology-spawned networks and print technologies that give oxygen to diversity, resulting in demand that allows online and range-holding booksellers to thrive."

And thus we see, not for the first time, that SF&F is out there well ahead of the curve!