Why publishers hate Google Print
The long tail is competing with sales of new product.
From Slashdot – The Point of Google Print
Re:Publisher’s Have a Bug Up Their Ass (Score:5, Insightful)
by silentbozo (542534) on Monday October 24, @06:49AM (#13859499)
(Last Journal: Monday April 18, @10:20AM)
I think that the publishers are protesting this, for the same reason the RIAA, and the MPAA are trying to stifle ways that make it easier to sell products. The reason is that they’re all distribution channels, but in the age of the internet, there are easier, more cost-effective methods of distribution (ie, direct downloads, Amazon.com, etc.). More so than that, they are MARKETING MACHINES – the reason Author X, or Band Y wants to sign with Publisher Z, is that Publisher Z can front a million dollars pushing product into people’s faces, and thus drum up large sales volumes… but only on NEW product.
You notice that many of the new technologies (iTunes, eBooks, etc.) really mostly benefit older back-list titles. This is because there is no marketing, production, or distribution budget for these things. There are few, if no jobs in promoting these backlist titles, whereas there is a lot of money in promoting the new stuff.
Things like Google Print will help promote sales of older items, and I think the fear is among the publishers, is that their ability to push new content will be drowned out, and they’ll all lose their jobs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of kickbacks, marketing contracts, air time, cushy offices, the whole idea of exclusivity – all down the toilet, because people only have so much time. If they can find what they’re looking for without having the consumer Big Brother tell them what they want, then what use are these marketing organizations, especially when most of the new product they peddle is crap to begin with?
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}