Principled Innovation LLC

New biz model needed: association book publishing

June 11th, 2008

After attending a session yesterday on starting a book publishing program, I’m absolutely convinced that associations need a new business model in this area. The session, which was held as part of SNAP’s DC conference, was well done, but it made plain some of the fundamental problems with association book publishing as we’ve always done it:

1. The lead time for association book publishing is way too long.

2. The tangible incentives for authors often aren’t there.

3. The traditional approach to this work is too narrow.

Let me focus on the third point, as it encompasses the other two. In most associations, the process of developing a book is often only tangentially connected to other content development activities in which a creator might already be engaged, as well as those he or she will pursue in the future. To expand the value of the business opportunity for both authors and associations, I believe we need to take a page from Hollywood and enter into long-term development deals with content creators that cover a full range of value-creating activities from which both sides can benefit. In addition, I believe we need to structure these deals as joint ventures in which both the associations and creators involved accept some upfront risk in exchange for the possibility of greater reward over time.

The combination of for-profit publishing competition, more robust self-publishing options and the Web itself make the design of new business models in this area essential. As we know all too well, associations are not terribly comfortable with risk, but in this aspect of their work, it is unlikely that real success can be made sustainable going forward without moving in an entirely new direction.

Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover, The Association Innovator, Simplicity, We Have Always Done It That Way, Garage Memes