Category: Publishing Controversies
Multinational Acquisitions of Indie Presses: Implications for Australian Publishing
Most of what happens in Australia stays in Australia, especially publishing news. But when PRH makes an acquisition down under, this is apparently important for us up top to know about.
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The Guardian is at it again. No, writers do not need financial support. This victim mentality does us no favours
Writers don’t need victim support and government handouts as The Guardian seems to think. They need positive thinking and a willingness to adapt. Success is earned, not handed out.
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USA – Authors Guild Federal Court Victory: Arkansas Book Ban Declared Unconstitutional
“When we allow broad restrictions like Act 372, we don’t just silence authors – we deny readers, particularly young people, the opportunity to see themselves and understand others through literature” – Mary Rasenberger.
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Fantastic news (unless you’re an AI Luddite): Harvard Uni and 1 million public domain books for AI training
Harvard University has unveiled an extensive dataset of nearly one million public domain books, making it freely available for AI training purposes.”
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Not Everyone Who Opposes AI Is A Luddite, Sam Missingham. But Some Have Earned The Epithet
Luddites of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your brain cells. Oh, and the chance of thriving as the industry evolves.
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Adapt and Thrive: AI Translation is the Game-Changer’s Game-Changer
Imagine for one moment if, somehow, the Bertelsmann buy-out of Simon & Schuster had been successful and the ever-tuxedoed Count Dohle was still emerging from the grave each night to dictate PRH policy. There would have been no Spotify deal and no unprecedented surge in the fortunes of the audiobook industry.
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Perplexity AI expands its Publisher Programme. Lessons for Academic and Trade Book Publishing
The industry needs to take a step back from the knee-jerk “AI can never compete with human creativity” and the “AI will steal our jobs, destroy our culture and eat our children for breakfast” nonsense, and take a look at how AI can enhance human creativity and productivity.
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Beware the Future! It’s Already Here
“AI can never replace human creativity!” So why are you running about like a headless chicken because your job is at risk?
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Batten down the hatches: The implications of a Trump Presidency for the publishing industry
As Donald Trump prepares to take office once again, the publishing industry faces a unique set of challenges. With a compliant Department of Justice (DoJ) under his administration, the potential for increased scrutiny and influence over book publishing decisions is a significant concern.
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Children reading for pleasure at an all-time low. Industry in panic mode. The problem lies in the classroom, not the industry
Does anyone seriously expect a child to enjoy reading if they cannot read properly?
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No sign of Gordon Gekko at the 2024 Global 50 CEO (Simon & Schuster/KRR) Talk at Frankfurt
“Not opening the floodgates” (Richard Sarnoff, KKR) is a concession that AI content will flow regardless, and the right way forward is to learn to manage that flow, not try to dam it.
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While trade publishers are scared to get off the AI fence, Wiley seeks more lucrative deals. Trade CEOs, wake up and smell the coffee!
With more access to trade content for training, LLMs can become more efficient in the trade sectors where it currently lags behind, opening up new revenue streams and potentially new and transformative concepts yet to be explored.
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