Merchants of Culture by John B Thompson
These are turbulent times in the world of book publishing. For nearly five centuries the methods and practices of book publishing remained largely unchanged, but at the dawn of the twenty-first century the industry finds itself faced with perhaps the greatest challenges since Gutenberg.
"For some time to come, this is bound to be the definitive thing to read for anyone trying to understand the infrastructure of book culture - especially as it has taken shape over the past two or three decades" The National "This impressively comprehensive and revealing analysis of the structures and processes of modern publishing is timely as the industry faces its digital future." Katharine Reeve, Times Higher Education Book of the Week "For the uninitiated, Merchants of Culture provides a very perceptive, thorough and in-depth view of how trade publishing really works in the English-speaking world today. For those of us in the business or for writers who are mystified by their publisher's behavior, it offers a penetrating account of our business by a very shrewd, analytical observer. This book is the only thing I've ever read about our industry that has really got it." William Shinker, President and Publisher of Gotham Books and Avery Books, Penguin Group USA "Thompson's analysis of UK and US trade publishing is extraordinarily acute and insightful. It should be required reading for new entrants to the industry - but it will also illuminate many things for old publishing hands." Helen Fraser, Former Managing Director, Penguin Group UK "This uncommonly perceptive and thorough study tells you all you need to know about the publishing industry at a time of momentous change." Drake McFeely, Chairman and President, W.W. Norton & Company "One of the most intelligent and accessible accounts of the curious business of trade book publishing I have read. Anyone interested in knowing more about how our industry works - and where it might be headed - will find this book invaluable." Morgan Entrekin, CEO and Publisher, Grove Atlantic "An eye-opening tour of both American and British trade publishing. Even veterans in the publishing world will learn a lot, and novices will feel welcome, in this behind-the-scenes examination of how book publishing works in an age of mass marketing and digitization. Thompson knows more about contemporary publishing than any other scholar. He asks just the right questions of his sources, and their responses offer unique and illuminating testimony from an array of publishing insiders. Theoretically sophisticated but not burdened by academic apparatus, this is a landmark work." Michael Schudson, Columbia University "Thompson's ground-breaking research into the world of consumer book publishing provides a fascinating insight into the high-risk culture on both sides of the Atlantic. Revealed is the world of agents and scouts, of auctions and deals, often with large sums of money paid out to authors, as publishers gamble in the hope of signing the next Harry Potter or Dan Brown. His work is of the highest quality and should be read by all those concerned about our literary culture and its future." Angus Phillips, Director, Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies "From now on whenever anyone asks me how they can get published or get a job in publishing I'm going to tell them to buy this book because it is simply perfect at summing up how the whole messy business works and explaining why it very frequently doesn't work. It teaches a careful reader as much as any three year degree course on the subject." Andrew Crofts, author of The Freelance Writer's Handbook "As soon as I tore open the box, I had to start reading...It's frank, comprehensive, well-researched, with lots of interviews with people who know - and it pulls no punches. Want to know about the rise of the literary agent or why your mid-list books aren't marketed properly or what the digital revolution means for the author in the street? Then buy this book." Karen Ball, author of Starring Me as Third Donkey and several other children's books
John B. Thompson is Professor of Sociology at Jesus College, University of Cambridge.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780745647869 |
| ISBN 10 | 0745647863 |
| Title | Merchants of Culture |
| Author | John B Thompson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Polity Press |
| Year published | 2010-08-06 |
| Number of pages | 440 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |