The Future of Publishing

As we celebrate our legacy, Moody is moving forward with excitement and expectation. Today’s post addresses how Moody Publishers is embracing the future of this changing industry.

By Greg Thornton, vice president Moody Publishers
Through the centuries, really ever since Johannes Gutenberg invented his movable type printing press more than 500 years ago, book publishing has been a rather quiet, conservative and somewhat mysterious field. The business model was solid and predictable: publish a certain number of new releases and hope that at least a few of them catch on and sell more than the industry average of 3,000 copies per title.

Greg Thornton

Then along came the Internet and the world of digital – digital manuscripts, digital printing and digital readers like the Kindle and the iPad (not to mention PCs, laptops and cell phones). The changes multiplied as major companies like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Lulu made it very easy for anyone to publish a book with very little money down. Now throw in the turmoil that major retailers like Borders are experiencing, and it’s not surprising that some are predicting the end of book publishing.

Yet industry leaders like Michael Hyatt of Thomas Nelson are more optimistic about publishing than ever before. Even The New York Times is saying that it’s far too early to kiss book publishing goodbye. Why?

Publishers have made the shift to digital and taken advantage of the staggering sales of e-readers. Statistics are showing that those with e-readers are buying and reading more books. And why not? Millions of very affordable titles are just seconds away via download. And not only are e-books sales dramatically increasing, but 2010 saw an increase in overall print sales as well. Interestingly, Americans are spending a larger share of their personal budgets on books than they did in 1960.

As well, publishers are using social media tools like blogs, Facebook and Twitter to connect their good books to very specific audiences. Even more, they are engaging with these audiences directly, learning how to better edit, title and package books to meet readers’ needs.

At Moody Publishers, we’ve been hard at work this past year on publishing plans that align with Dr. Paul Nyquist’s Biblical Mission. Global Vision. for Moody Bible Institute. We are committed to helping our readers know, love and serve Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we’re organizing all of our activities around audience-focused publishing teams that will work even harder to know and serve their specific audiences. We will accomplish this as we deliver biblical, relevant content (print and e-book) to readers all over the world.

Thanks for helping us fulfill this mission as you buy, read and recommend Moody Publishers titles. And please, let us know of your encounters with Jesus as you read one of our great books and post your stories at Insidepages.net.