Alternate Methods of Survival

It’s indeed a tough phase for all the publishers—especially the ones who have been reigning in print book publishing. Every big publisher, including the big six, is busy concocting alternative ways to hold up and retain its name in the industry. With the advent of a lethal idea named self-publishing, the position of these publishers has been even more jeopardized.

Now, a self-published book Fifty Shades of Grey not only proves to be a frontrunner for all the do-it-yourself authors, but also underlines the stark reality of how the role of a publisher as a middleman is become bleaker each day.

No matter which way the print book publishers opt for their survival, the heart of the matter is that the end user is getting to indulge in the best of the technology and the best of the offers, whether related to ebooks or elearning. Random House, Canada, for instance, has pulled up its socks to experiment with different revenue streams or various platforms to sustain itself in the digital era. First, their thought of revamping their website is something which is nothing to raise eyebrows on, but could be a reason to look forward to on the sheer promise of novelty and uniqueness. Secondly, the idea, Hazlitt Originals and Hazlitt Magazines.

Clearly, this publisher is jumping onto magazine publishing. As they say, a publisher remains a publisher no matter which platform he uses, this publishing house is claiming itself to be the first Canadian trade book publisher to have initiated a digital magazine.

The strategy, evidently, is that the Hazlitt magazines would build the brand and give the readers their daily food for thought while pulling the users to Hazlitt Originals. We sincerely hope this strategy works out for the editor-in-chief, Christopher Frey!