Future of print publishing and paid content

The value point for content has shifted. With books, magazines, journal articles, and newspapers, the value point was the product itself. We charged for books. For access to journals. Or for the morning newspaper. The content creator negotiated economic value based on the artifact the embodied information. The internet has largely changed that. The value point is not found in the product itself. Instead, it’s found in reputation and access. Most authors don’t make significant revenue from books. Instead, value is found in the increased reputation, speaking or consulting opportunities, or improved employment options. This trend is quite strong in the music industry. Artists like Madonna are no longer negotiating only on albums. Value is found in reputational components - merchandising and concerts. Scott Karp takes a slightly different slant and states that the the new value point rests in distribution: “For many people who paid for print publications, including newspapers, magazines, and books, a significant part of the value was in the distribution. That DOESN’T mean people don’t value the content anymore. It means that the value of having it delivered to their doorstep every morning, or having it show up in their mailbox, or carrying it with them on a plane — in print — has CHANGED because of the availability of digital distribution as an alternative.”