Publishing industry

Author: (USA) Schiffrin (Schiffrin/A.) / Bai Xifeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The book crosses the street, overcomes the fence, enters the village, steps into the factory, boards the train, and enters the homes of countless ordinary people. It has become the most globally significant event in the world.—Harper's
A brilliant record of the changes in publishing houses after World War II in the 1950s.—USA Today
Engagingly describes the revolution that has taken place in the publishing industry over the past few decades.—Financial Times
Sharp, elegant, and thought-provoking writing, faithful descriptions, and full passion will bring hope.—The Nation
The original intention of this book is to explore the changes in the media industry worldwide, especially in the book publishing industry. As the author points out in the book, in recent years, the share of large multinational companies in the publishing industry of various countries has been increasing, while a new generation of small independent publishing houses has also emerged. This book mainly describes the changes that have taken place in the American publishing industry over the past half century. Although it is only a small part compared to the entire transformation, it is very representative. The story begins in the early 1940s. At that time, the author's father, Jacques Schiffrin, along with other refugees, opened a small publishing house in New York, Pantheon Books. In the following 20 years, this independent publishing house introduced many European works into the United States. The author also mentions in the book that by chance, the author later took the same path as his father. The author worked at Pantheon Books for more than 30 years, during which time he not only witnessed the successes and failures of independent publishing but also witnessed how the publishing house itself eventually disappeared. Many events in recent years have shown that the story of Pantheon Books is not unique. In this regard, many people's initial ideas were wrong. Now, the same model can be seen everywhere, and as an early example of this model, it is still worth our attention.