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Search results for "Robert M. Sacks"
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A Publisher’s Secret Weapon
February 2006 From Publishing Executive
What good is a balloon with no air to fill it? What good is a rocket without the fuel to propel it? Of course, they are no good at all. They all have interesting potential, but that is all. The same holds true for the Internet. The Internet is nothing but a tool. You can’t hold it or see it, at least not without the secret weapon that publishers have. It is, for all intents and purposes, as empty or as dumb as a rock. What do people do on the Internet? They can basically do one of three things: They can hear, they
February 2006 From Publishing Executive
What good is a balloon with no air to fill it? What good is a rocket without the fuel to propel it? Of course, they are no good at all. They all have interesting potential, but that is all. The same holds true for the Internet. The Internet is nothing but a tool. You can’t hold it or see it, at least not without the secret weapon that publishers have. It is, for all intents and purposes, as empty or as dumb as a rock. What do people do on the Internet? They can basically do one of three things: They can hear, they
Have You Started Planning for E-Paper?
August 2006 From Publishing Executive
Sometimes I think our industry tries to predict the future by looking at the past and assumes that if its holds its collective breath long enough, the conditions will remain constant. This is like driving a car by looking in the rear-view mirror. Where you have been is not necessarily a good predictor of where you are going. But it can be enlightening, if you know where to look. Let’s, for a paragraph or two, intentionally look in the rear-view mirror. In the 1970s, magazines were still setting type using hot lead. In the early 1980s, long-run magazines were still printing with letterpresses—the same
August 2006 From Publishing Executive
Sometimes I think our industry tries to predict the future by looking at the past and assumes that if its holds its collective breath long enough, the conditions will remain constant. This is like driving a car by looking in the rear-view mirror. Where you have been is not necessarily a good predictor of where you are going. But it can be enlightening, if you know where to look. Let’s, for a paragraph or two, intentionally look in the rear-view mirror. In the 1970s, magazines were still setting type using hot lead. In the early 1980s, long-run magazines were still printing with letterpresses—the same
5 Easy Steps to Publishing Nirvana
September 2006 From Publishing Executive
Let’s get down to some serious business. Does anyone in their right mind think that writing, journalism or publishing is just going to fade away and disappear? Does anyone think that there isn’t going to be the need to be informed, be knowledgeable, or just know stuff? Here is news for those in doubt of their careers and the continuance of the honest profession of being a publisher/printer. People have always had the need for information and will always require news, instructions, directions and knowledge. The only difference now from yesterday or last year or last century is how they get to know what they
September 2006 From Publishing Executive
Let’s get down to some serious business. Does anyone in their right mind think that writing, journalism or publishing is just going to fade away and disappear? Does anyone think that there isn’t going to be the need to be informed, be knowledgeable, or just know stuff? Here is news for those in doubt of their careers and the continuance of the honest profession of being a publisher/printer. People have always had the need for information and will always require news, instructions, directions and knowledge. The only difference now from yesterday or last year or last century is how they get to know what they
BoSacks: What is a ‘Magazine’ in Today’s World?
October 2006 From Publishing Executive
Are magazines an endangered species? Before I answer the question, I think we need to dissect exactly what a “magazine” is. We know what it was, but this is the digitally infused 21st century. Just a few short years ago, you could instantly recognize what a magazine was from 20 feet away. It was generally rectangular, constructed with ink, paper, glue or staples. It was portable and required no power source. But what is a magazine today? What will it be as we proceed into the digital age of information distribution? As the French writer and philosopher Voltaire once said, “What is madness?
October 2006 From Publishing Executive
Are magazines an endangered species? Before I answer the question, I think we need to dissect exactly what a “magazine” is. We know what it was, but this is the digitally infused 21st century. Just a few short years ago, you could instantly recognize what a magazine was from 20 feet away. It was generally rectangular, constructed with ink, paper, glue or staples. It was portable and required no power source. But what is a magazine today? What will it be as we proceed into the digital age of information distribution? As the French writer and philosopher Voltaire once said, “What is madness?
Taking a Cue from Cable TV
June 2006 From Publishing Executive
What does all this mean? So far, this year has been slower for new launches. So what? What this industry needs and needs badly is quality, not quantity. Higher sell-throughs must be our new mantra. Quality titles should have been the demand and the mantra many years ago. As Samir Husni, “Mr. Magazine,” has stated, “Where there used to be ‘Me, too’ and ‘Me, three’ copycats, we are now seeing ‘Me, 13’ and ‘Me, 14’ titles.” In my opinion, this copycat mentality has never been good for the sustainability of our industry. It may be quick and easy to steal and borrow, but it usually doesn’t
June 2006 From Publishing Executive
What does all this mean? So far, this year has been slower for new launches. So what? What this industry needs and needs badly is quality, not quantity. Higher sell-throughs must be our new mantra. Quality titles should have been the demand and the mantra many years ago. As Samir Husni, “Mr. Magazine,” has stated, “Where there used to be ‘Me, too’ and ‘Me, three’ copycats, we are now seeing ‘Me, 13’ and ‘Me, 14’ titles.” In my opinion, this copycat mentality has never been good for the sustainability of our industry. It may be quick and easy to steal and borrow, but it usually doesn’t
BoSacks: How to Keep Your Job in Today’s Changing Publishing World
December 2006 From Publishing Executive
The last thing anyone wants during this unique transition period in publishing is to be downsized and out of work. Yet, it is an ongoing trend for publishers to minimize the workforce and still publish on a regular periodic time table. So, I offer you some tips on how to not only stay employed, but to prosper and grow. I’m not going to lecture you on the niceties of corporate cubicle etiquette, ridiculous office romances, chronic corporate complaining or the needs of showering before you go to work. If you have any of those problems, put this magazine down now and start to clean
December 2006 From Publishing Executive
The last thing anyone wants during this unique transition period in publishing is to be downsized and out of work. Yet, it is an ongoing trend for publishers to minimize the workforce and still publish on a regular periodic time table. So, I offer you some tips on how to not only stay employed, but to prosper and grow. I’m not going to lecture you on the niceties of corporate cubicle etiquette, ridiculous office romances, chronic corporate complaining or the needs of showering before you go to work. If you have any of those problems, put this magazine down now and start to clean
Where the Heck is the Industry Going?
February 2007 From Publishing Executive
As an industry, who are we, where are we going, and will we recognize ourselves when we get there? This rant is intended to be a look in the media mirror—call it a “State of the Union” address of sorts. There has been a lot of news, conjecture and posturing about what the media industry may be morphing into. These changes are not only affecting the industry, but the psyche of the people who work in it. As I travel around the country, I see some members of our industry who are terrified, some who are exhilarated, some who are fearful of losing their jobs,
February 2007 From Publishing Executive
As an industry, who are we, where are we going, and will we recognize ourselves when we get there? This rant is intended to be a look in the media mirror—call it a “State of the Union” address of sorts. There has been a lot of news, conjecture and posturing about what the media industry may be morphing into. These changes are not only affecting the industry, but the psyche of the people who work in it. As I travel around the country, I see some members of our industry who are terrified, some who are exhilarated, some who are fearful of losing their jobs,
It’s All in the Delivery
March 2007 From Publishing Executive
No matter how far back in history you go, humans have captured the moment and written it down, somewhere. Whether you look at the 25,000-year-old Ishango baton from the Congo that recorded a six-month lunar calendar, which was the first known non-cerebral memory device, now called a book … or the cave paintings of France … or the scrolls of the Library of Alexandria … or the retooled olive press of Mr. Gutenberg, you couldn’t find a more interesting and complex period of our industry, of information distribution, than now. OK, maybe Mr. Gutenberg’s era was pretty exciting too. From the moment movable type was
March 2007 From Publishing Executive
No matter how far back in history you go, humans have captured the moment and written it down, somewhere. Whether you look at the 25,000-year-old Ishango baton from the Congo that recorded a six-month lunar calendar, which was the first known non-cerebral memory device, now called a book … or the cave paintings of France … or the scrolls of the Library of Alexandria … or the retooled olive press of Mr. Gutenberg, you couldn’t find a more interesting and complex period of our industry, of information distribution, than now. OK, maybe Mr. Gutenberg’s era was pretty exciting too. From the moment movable type was
Where Are Today’s Mentors?
May 2007 From Publishing Executive
In this column I have pontificated many times about the positive nature and direction of our industry, about the belief that we are headed toward a new golden age of publishing, and that new technologies should be considered the friends of information distributors. But there is one aspect in this new world that has me worried. It is the area of mentorship where, it seems to me, we have fallen behind and, as an industry, we have been greatly diminished. What has happened? When and where did we lose the skill set and the will to teach the younglings? Have we so trimmed our business
May 2007 From Publishing Executive
In this column I have pontificated many times about the positive nature and direction of our industry, about the belief that we are headed toward a new golden age of publishing, and that new technologies should be considered the friends of information distributors. But there is one aspect in this new world that has me worried. It is the area of mentorship where, it seems to me, we have fallen behind and, as an industry, we have been greatly diminished. What has happened? When and where did we lose the skill set and the will to teach the younglings? Have we so trimmed our business
Printed Magazines Will Follow the Path of the Plastic Record
June 2007 From Publishing Executive
To paraphrase the sages, publishing is a journey, not a destination. We have been on a very long journey, reaching out to more and more readers as our business models, our technology and our society have progressed and morphed to the challenges and changes of the reading public. There are enormous new pressures on publishers now, and I think a case can be made that they are different and more complex than ever before. As I stated in a previous column in this magazine, we have been storing out-of-memory text for more than 25,000 years—a very long and noble tradition of teaching and sharing. But
June 2007 From Publishing Executive
To paraphrase the sages, publishing is a journey, not a destination. We have been on a very long journey, reaching out to more and more readers as our business models, our technology and our society have progressed and morphed to the challenges and changes of the reading public. There are enormous new pressures on publishers now, and I think a case can be made that they are different and more complex than ever before. As I stated in a previous column in this magazine, we have been storing out-of-memory text for more than 25,000 years—a very long and noble tradition of teaching and sharing. But
Keep Your Skills Sharp and Your Eyes Open
August 2007 From Publishing Executive
Do any of today’s executives really understand tomorrow’s publishing universe? And, do they truly understand tomorrow’s publishing employee? These are some brutal questions this industry must face. They are on everyone’s mind. I know this because I have always received letters asking about the state of the publishing industry and its various employment positions. Yet now, there is a much greater urgency. Now, I receive dozens of letters each week with the same common denominator: How can I stay employed? Or, should I continue to seek employment in publishing? Here is a sampling of some thoughts bouncing around inside my head: What kind of
August 2007 From Publishing Executive
Do any of today’s executives really understand tomorrow’s publishing universe? And, do they truly understand tomorrow’s publishing employee? These are some brutal questions this industry must face. They are on everyone’s mind. I know this because I have always received letters asking about the state of the publishing industry and its various employment positions. Yet now, there is a much greater urgency. Now, I receive dozens of letters each week with the same common denominator: How can I stay employed? Or, should I continue to seek employment in publishing? Here is a sampling of some thoughts bouncing around inside my head: What kind of
Is Anyone in Control Here?
September 2007 From Publishing Executive
How many magazines fit on the head of a pin? Just a silly metaphysical question you say? Perhaps, but that question might have real significance in today’s magazine marketplace—specifically, the newsstand business and the seemingly unlimited amount of opinions and business models that are being discussed, dissected and, if you will pardon the expression, distributed among all the trades, blogs and water coolers of the publishing world. I know you’ve heard the scuttlebutt before—the newsstand model is broken, or the newsstand has been flat for 15 years, or my current favorite, Samir Husni’s July 24 blog entry, “Wholesalers Are Not Dying … They Are Committing
September 2007 From Publishing Executive
How many magazines fit on the head of a pin? Just a silly metaphysical question you say? Perhaps, but that question might have real significance in today’s magazine marketplace—specifically, the newsstand business and the seemingly unlimited amount of opinions and business models that are being discussed, dissected and, if you will pardon the expression, distributed among all the trades, blogs and water coolers of the publishing world. I know you’ve heard the scuttlebutt before—the newsstand model is broken, or the newsstand has been flat for 15 years, or my current favorite, Samir Husni’s July 24 blog entry, “Wholesalers Are Not Dying … They Are Committing
BoSacks: The Profit Prophet
October 2007 From Publishing Executive
In the past few months, I have been to a half-dozen trade shows and dozens of publishing houses. I have had conversations with all types of vendors to our industry and ad agencies that contribute to supporting the information-distribution system. Lately, I have noticed the resurgence of a common question: Does the next generation actually read? It is still an excellent question, and one worth thinking about. Part of the equation is that we have created a generation of instant-gratification seekers. Reading an in-depth article in a newspaper or magazine does not provide instant gratification. Reading a book takes time and effort. You have to
October 2007 From Publishing Executive
In the past few months, I have been to a half-dozen trade shows and dozens of publishing houses. I have had conversations with all types of vendors to our industry and ad agencies that contribute to supporting the information-distribution system. Lately, I have noticed the resurgence of a common question: Does the next generation actually read? It is still an excellent question, and one worth thinking about. Part of the equation is that we have created a generation of instant-gratification seekers. Reading an in-depth article in a newspaper or magazine does not provide instant gratification. Reading a book takes time and effort. You have to
Steering the “New World Digital Order”
November 2007 From Publishing Executive
There is a book by Ray Kurzweil called “The Singularity Is Near.” In this book, Mr. Kurzweil has a theory about The Law of Accelerating Returns, which states that in today’s business environment, “Change happens faster than we are able to forecast or predict it.” This is a departure not only from long ago, but from our more recent past as well. There was, in our lifetime, the possibility of accurately predicting technologic growth. Those days have gone up in digital smoke. Technologic growth that once took multiple generations to achieve now happens in months. Another of Mr. Kurzweil’s concepts is that the rate of
November 2007 From Publishing Executive
There is a book by Ray Kurzweil called “The Singularity Is Near.” In this book, Mr. Kurzweil has a theory about The Law of Accelerating Returns, which states that in today’s business environment, “Change happens faster than we are able to forecast or predict it.” This is a departure not only from long ago, but from our more recent past as well. There was, in our lifetime, the possibility of accurately predicting technologic growth. Those days have gone up in digital smoke. Technologic growth that once took multiple generations to achieve now happens in months. Another of Mr. Kurzweil’s concepts is that the rate of
3 Concepts for Every Publisher’s Success
December 2007 From Publishing Executive
My friend Dr. Joe Webb is one of the graphic arts industry’s well-known and outspoken consultants, economic forecasters, commentators and pundits. As director of WhatTheyThink.com’s Economics and Research Center, he was pontificating and predicting in a recent online column the future of our industry, and he threw out the following ideas. 1. “Managing” content is not the issue; deploying content is. As my readers know, I have been suggesting similar concepts in this column for years. I think we can all agree that today’s print publishers have attained and acquired an excellence in creating and managing vast amounts of content. In fact, nobody does it better
December 2007 From Publishing Executive
My friend Dr. Joe Webb is one of the graphic arts industry’s well-known and outspoken consultants, economic forecasters, commentators and pundits. As director of WhatTheyThink.com’s Economics and Research Center, he was pontificating and predicting in a recent online column the future of our industry, and he threw out the following ideas. 1. “Managing” content is not the issue; deploying content is. As my readers know, I have been suggesting similar concepts in this column for years. I think we can all agree that today’s print publishers have attained and acquired an excellence in creating and managing vast amounts of content. In fact, nobody does it better
