The literary exclusives was a great topic and got me thinking. I work for a major publishing house and am also, like many of my cohorts, an avid reader.

We, the public, hear that the internet is supposedly democratizing everything—news, book reviewing, and who gets to publish but it seems like these exclusive deals are the exact opposite of what we want the internet to provide—an open system. It’s one thing to have an exclusive publisher and quite another to have an exclusive store (in whatever form that may take).

Personally, I find it disheartening that I only have one choice when it comes to spending my money on a book. I would probably forego the author’s work rather than give my cash to a place I have moral issues with. It also begs the question, are publishers and authors catering to their audience or something else?

Thanks for another great podcast!

Good morning,
Just quick note to say how interesting/thoughtful this pod cast was. Great job! Also will check out both books recommend. Have a great week and thanks again..

What are “manly men”?

Stuff with car chases, guns, sports, lots of action, femme fatales and NO men in pastels maybe?

Men who like stuff with car chases, guns, sports, lots of action and femme fatales and never ever wear pastels maybe?

Michael – I hope you do get around to reading The Windup Bird Chronicle. I’d like to hear your (and Ann’s) thoughts on it.

Thanks again for raising some very interesting issues! I must officially share my angst at the exclusive publishing trend. I have been a member of Audible for more than two years now. But I simply refuse to listen to the Elijah Wood recording of Huck Finn, just because of this exclusivity issue. It bothers me that I would be listening to something that I couldn’t share. It also bothers me that authors and actors would contribute to such an enterprise.

When looking at the success of e-books, it’s hard for me to understand or imagine why there would even be a need for this kind of exclusivity in publishing. For one thing, it’s our capitalist nature that has made so many great literary works continue to be published year after year. A work gets on the bestseller list because it is sold in so many places. If it’s sold only in certain places, it’s not going to last. I can’t imagine a classic becoming a classic from a beginning where it is sold only by certain sellers. Then again, maybe that has happened in the past?

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that it is, in fact, anti-capitalist to try something like this. Capitalism thrives on people who sell products with quality, who are willing to compete with each other for the consumer’s attention, based on the quality of the item they sell. Are Audible and Amazon so afraid of competition that they have to resort to these tactics? Last I checked, there wasn’t even an alternative to Audible on the internet! It’s simply not necessary, and I hope that with some time, these guys will get the message. At the very least, I hope that the voice actors and writers will gather some strength and backbone to resist offers from vendors who break the rules.

Thanks for raising the issue, and I always look forward to hearing what you think!

As an avid reader, I find it disheartening that there are literary exclusives; wasn’t the printing press supposed to do the opposite? It almost feels that we are going to go back to the middle ages when a relative few people read. Reading a book should be considered to be a right, not a privilege.

Interesting podcast! I’ve seen bookstores (like Barnes & Noble) do exclusive editions before. Another Audible exclusive (and it’s a freebie) is Go The F–k to Sleep. I had to get it because Samuel L. Jackson narrated it.

Historically, reading has been a privilege. Most poor people were unable to read and write. As a woman of color, I am glad I got an education. 30 years people of color didn’t have that opportunity.

I guess I see the literary exclusivity issue as modern day elitism. You got the cash, you get the book. *shudder*

I found your podcast on Google last week while looking for some book-themed podcasts to listen to while at work. I started with the latest episode, but have fallen in love with your program and am starting from the beginning! I love the way you guys discuss books that would be found on the bestseller table AND in the back of the store. It gives me a little ego boost that I may have already read one, but it’s humbling to realize that there are still so many to go! At my desk, I have a post-it with all of the books you guys have gotten me interested in…it grows everyday. I’m a college student who loves to read (I’m pretty sure I have a compulsive book-buying problem) and want to eventually work in the publishing world. A native of New York, I can still remember my Grandma pointing out which buildings in the city belonged to Simon and Schuster, Random House, Scholastic, etc. I think you guys have the coolest jobs ever, and was wondering–how did you get them?

On another note, I heard about the retreat and was so upset that I had missed registration (and the event as a whole) but was overjoyed to see that you do the event at Northshire Bookstore. I have had a ski house in Stratton, VT since I was eight years old and have called Northshire “my bookstore” when raving about it to my friends at home. It’s truly one of my favorite places in the entire world, and I’m so glad you guys found it!

Thanks so much for doing this podcast. Sometimes, it’s hard to find people who you feel appreciate books as much as you do. It’s like having friends you’ve never met.

Keep it up,
Julianna

[...] BOTNS Podcast #133: We have opinions Jun 21 [...]

[...] BOTNS #133: We have opinions [...]

There are some fascinating points in time in this article however I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There’s some validity however I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want extra! Added to FeedBurner as nicely

[...] first heard about this book from Books on the Nightstand and from the way it was discussed, I became eager to read it.  So I requested it from the library. [...]