Comments on: On Readers, Importance of

By: Kassia Krozser

Kassia Krozser — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:07:16 +0000

Well said, Sean, well said.

By: Kassia Krozser

Kassia Krozser — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:04:51 +0000

Stan, you’re right that the reader is often the missing part of the equation. Part of this is because the reader isn’t really the customer of the publisher, so there’s a natural tendency to work within the context of the existing system. Of course, it’s the publishers who pay attention to readers who are garnering lots of reader love and appreciation.

By: Stan Scott

Stan Scott — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:43:58 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, there was a discussion here on how publishers might have to change to survive the transition to ebooks. It was interesting to me that no one talked about what the READER might want; it was all from he provider’s point of view. Just as Apple did with the MP3 player, there’s a lot of money to be made, if someone can just figure out what the readers really want.

By: Sean Cranbury

Sean Cranbury — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:27:47 +0000

Thanks for posting the quote and the link, Kassia.

I was out for drinks with some very passionate and experienced publishing people in Vancouver last night and we discussed this notion at length.

My experience comes from more than 10 years as an independent bookseller as well as an independent publisher.

There’s always lots of talk about ‘what the customer wants’ online and at publishing meetings and I often wonder whether the people speaking about ‘what a customer wants’ has ever been in a situation to actually find out.

Have they ever actually served a customer? Ever actually experienced that intimacy? If they ever had they’d know that every customer is different and that there’s levels of give and take, it’s a conversation and a sharing.

It’s like Mr Defendini says, ‘engage the audience and listen.’

Thanks for posting!