This Business of Publishing An Insider's View of Current Trends and Tactics

Veteran literary agent Richard Curtis takes a critical look at the changing face of publishing and offers a provocative and insightful interpretation of lessons learned from more than thirty years in the business. He examines every aspect of the publishing world, from the big houses to the small presses, from today's authors and editors to the techno-agents of the twenty-first century, discussing: the escalating damage caused by the consignment system; the changing wholesale business and its threat to authors, editors, and agents; the disenfranchisement of authors and editors by large publishing mergers and acquisitions; the electronic media revolution and the identity crisis for writers, editors, and agents; and the "blockbuster mentality" and the increased dependence of publishers on big-name authors. Curtis provides an engaging and clever read for authors, editors, agents, and anyone in publishing. This Business of Publishing confronts the big picture of publishing today, calling for an industry-wide reformation of the way books are merchandised.