Paganism
Review: Setting Sails toward new horizons with “Heathenry and the Sea”
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Lyonel Perabo reviews the new book by Dan Coultas, “Heathenry and the Sea.”
Culture
The Question of Self-Publishing
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In yesterday’s post, I discussed the state of the publishing industry with respect to Barnes & Noble’s recent unimpressive fiscal announcements. How would the disappearance of the last remaining large-scale, traditional bookstore affect the metaphysical book industry? After speaking with two industry experts, the answer seems conclusive. A Barnes & Noble collapse, while not at all preferable, would not permanently damage either company. Llewellyn and the Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore both maintain flexible, diverse, customer-driven business structures that are adaptable in this evolving marketplace. Will Barnes & Noble go the same way as Borders?
Culture
A World Without Barnes & Noble?
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In June the Associated Press reported that Barnes & Noble’s future may be bleak. Its stock dropped 17.1% from the previous quarter. It reported a loss of $118.6 million with a 7% drop in overall revenue. William Lynch resigned as CEO and the company announced the end of Nook production. Will Barnes & Noble, the last remaining large scale book store, survive the current retail climate? Far beneath the surface, in the tunnels underneath the Wild Hunt, we contemplated the fate of Barnes & Noble.
Culture
Adventures in self-publishing: an interview with John Matthews
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Over the past ten years there has been a significant increase in the number of writers who are self-publishing. The days of literary agents and big publishing houses may be numbered. Actual statistics are hard to come by due to the multiple modes of production. However, several big papers have attempted some estimations. In 2011 the New York Daily News reported that 43% of all paperbacks were self-published, with overall publishing up 287% from 2006. The Wall Street Journal reported that self-published books were up by 160% over the same period. Amazon’s publishing arm, Create Space, told the New York Times that “its books increased by 80% from 2009-2010” alone.
Self-publishing is reasonably affordable and easily available from the “comfort of your own home.” It promises higher returns on your investment and stardom for authors with no name, following, or agent to call their own. For many undiscovered writers who fail to attract the attention of the New York-based big six publishing houses or other smaller companies, the self-publishing option is the only option. While readers may still associate the self-published book with the untalented or self-aggrandizing writer, times are changing. Self-publishing has now become a very viable option for even the most accomplished and prolific of authors. This mode of production puts the power back into the artist’s hands. Last week I interviewed one such author – John Matthews. John is an accomplished historian, folklorist, and author. Over the past 30 years he has written over 90 books on Arthurian mythology as well as a volume of poetry and many short stories. His children’s book, Pirates, reached the number one slot on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2006.