16 May 2016
Publishers are never short of problems. But perhaps the biggest problem is one we rarely talk about, partly because it's a hidden problem, partly because grappling with it presents a fundamental challenge to the business model we all rely on.
The problem is this: there are far, far too many books. The market for books is chronically saturated, yet we must all go on regardless, writing, publishing, selling, stocking, distributing and marketing more, more and more books year in, year out. At some level most of us recognise this, but rarely do we dwell on the business, let alone the cultural, implications.
