Print Is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age

by Jeff Gomez

Book Overview

For over 1500 years books have weathered numerous cultural changes remarkably unaltered. Through wars, radio, TV, computer games and fluctuating literacy rates, the book has, somewhat bizarrely, remained the more robust and culturally relevant way to communicate ideas. Now, for the first time since the Middle Ages, all that is about to change.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0230527167
• ISBN13: 9780230527164
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Print remix

Gomez debunks some of the oft-stated claims that "books will always be on paper" by showing how digital text is already part of our daily lives. Gomez considers the example of the music industry to shine a light on the future of publishing, while discussing the potential of electronic publications. Overall, a nice readable overview of digital publishing, but seasoned publishing professionals will find little substantive information.

Thought provoking read

Ironically, I found this book in my local library and it was definitely worth a Sunday afternoon read. It has some thought-provoking ideas that sparked a blog post. Writers today have been inspired by print books. The age of most successful writers today means they grew up without the internet, without email, without YouTube so the concept of what a book is remains with the print book. For Gen Y and beyond, they have so many other versions of what media is that the print book is just one. Creating content and posting it online immediately is reality.(Why wait 18 months to have your print book published when you can be on Kindle tomorrow? There is an audience online, you just have to be out there.) [...]

Catchy Title & Thoughtful Treatment

Gomez uses a provocative title to tackle a current topic of discussion in the publishing world. He combines careful research with his own insights from working in traditional publishing to produce a thoughtful and well-written book. I love the points he includes in some of the final pages of this book where he lists five reasons publishers will still exist in a digital age: "#1. Find talent. With millions online, finding anything worth consuming is getting more difficult. #2. Support talent. The Internet is great for making an initial splash, but not for turning that splash into a career. #3. Edit talent. Even geniuses need editors. (Great point in my view. wtw) #4. Expose and market talent. As more authors are discovered online, more authors are promoted online. #5. Pay talent. The Internet creates communities, but it doesn't pay them." As a reader who is intimately involved in traditional publishing as shown through my Book Proposals That Sell, I found Print Is Dead worth my limited reading time. I recommend it.