Books: The Durable Medium Chapter Outline History Industry Controversies

Manuscript culture Early Forms Earliest paper evolved around 3000 BC. Papyrus to parchment, made from dried animal skins. Greeks & Asian cultures made early books

Manuscript culture Early Forms China - Book like objects from strips of wood 1st postmodern book Codex (pg 345) Sheets of parchment sewn together bound with wood Access was for the privileged Priests, monks

Print Revolution The Printing Revolution This Person came up with moveable metal type. Printing changed the world From oral culture to literature culture. Led to many changes

Publishing in the U.S. The Book In America 1530’s - Spanish established first press in the Americas. In Mexico City. Early colonial publishers escaped repression in England, Parchment gives way to early paper

Publishing in the U.S. Many colonial printers ran bookstores. vertical integration. Print shops/bookstores Became meeting places & educational centers. The Library Company of Philadelphia

Publishing in the U.S. Universal Education Massachusetts – Passed law requiring every child be taught to read Universal education Became law in the U.S. in 1820s. McGuffey’s Readers, 1st published in 1836

Publishing in the U.S. Paperback Books Mass-market paperbacks introduced by Pocket Books in 1939 Male-oriented mysteries, Westerns, and thrillers Harlequin, marketed romance novels grew in the 1960s, Trade paperback - heavier cover and better quality paper.

Today’s Book Publishing Types of Books Trade books – account for largest share of books sold. Fiction and nonfiction that are sold to the general public. Educational books – textbooks for schools Elementary, secondary, college, and vocational.

Today’s Book Publishing Reference books – used to look up facts and information. Professional books information for specific occupations The specialty classification Religious books, high school and college yearbooks,

Publishing in the U.S. New Forms of the Book Audiobooks – Started for people with vision problems, E-books – Digital files, usually downloaded from Internet. E-books have the potential to change the medium. Hypertext fiction Anyone remember the type of books with this feature?

Today’s Book Publishing The Players Less than 200 full-time professional authors of books. Most authors teach, work for newspapers/magazines, or are celebrities. Authors write under contract or on spec;

Today’s Book Publishing The Bookseller Barnes & Noble Accounts for more than 25 percent of book sales. Megastores have about 100k titles, Many perks & hard to find content Independent bookstores Not part of a larger company. Indy Bookstore Any advantages to independent bookstores? What?

Today’s Book Publishing Amazon.com is the leading online bookstore Developed “Bookmatcher” Recommends books based on customer’s other preferences. There are many other online booksellers What other sites have you gone to for books? Book Clubs What are some book clubs you are familiar with

Books and Democracy Insight into experiences beyond our own Books Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Silent spring – pesticide industry reform Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Published in 1851 - 1st national best seller.

Today’s Book Publishing The Reader – Determine what’s published. Bibliophiles Consume 50 or more books a year. Casual readers Enjoy reading, but only a few books a year. Required readers Only read for work or studies. Illiterates Never learned how to read. Aliterates Those who can read but don’t.

Controversies Book Censorship – Banned Book link The First Amendment Restricts government interference with free speech, Any act of government censorship tends to be a serious issue. Censorship by schools & libraries has been controversial. Any books that were banned by your school? Why?

Controversies Challenging a book, provides publicity that stimulates sales. What books were publicized and sold well? Book censorship around the world Usually far stricter than in the U.S. Censorship can protect children from Pornography, obscenity, and writers who advocate violence. Do you agree with this? Why, Why Not

Controversies The Blockbuster Syndrome Publishing blockbusters Controls the economics of the industry. Big payfor potential blockbusters Little money for more literary works. Midlist authors Write books with literary merit but are not obvious blockbusters.

Controversies The Blockbuster Syndrome The quest for blockbusters Has led to “books by crooks.” Such as “A Millions Little Pieces” Another problem of the phenomenon is Decline in quality & accuracy in works of nonfiction. Also, a number of books turn out to be hoaxes or plagiarized works.