The book industry has proven to be relatively immune to disruption, and one reason for this may be the failure of tech entrepreneurs to understand the true problems facing the industry. Instead, these entrepreneurs have often approached the book industry with arrogance and a lack of understanding, believing that they can revolutionize it without truly grasping the intricacies of the community. Maris Kreizman, a writer and longtime book-industry observer, criticizes these tech entrepreneurs for creating false problems that didn’t actually exist.
One example of this misguided approach is the concept of a “Netflix for books.” Many startups attempted to replicate Netflix’s success by offering a subscription service for borrowing books, completely overlooking the fact that public libraries already fulfill this need. Publishers Weekly maintains a database of book startups, and a significant number of them have failed and closed down. While some of these startups had practical ideas, such as targeting specific demographics or focusing on technical aspects like metadata, many proposed ideas that made no sense to avid readers.
Kreizman suggests that these tech entrepreneurs lack a genuine love for fiction and an understanding of why people read. If they did, they wouldn’t make suggestions that nobody wants. The book industry has been inundated with suggestions from the “10x more engaging” crowd over the past two decades, as various technological trends have emerged. These enthusiasts believe that technology can make books more “fun,” but their energy often feels like a grifting attempt to capitalize on the latest trend. Despite their promises, previous ventures have not fundamentally transformed the way people read.
Interactive books, sound effects, music, NFTs, and AI have all been presented as potential game-changers for the book industry. Some have suggested adding sound effects or music to enhance the reading experience, allowing readers to “own” a character through NFTs, or using AI to generate personalized books or immerse readers in fictional worlds. However, these proposals often fail to resonate with readers who genuinely enjoy traditional books.
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While AI in the book world is not new, as electronic literature artists and scholars have been experimenting with it for decades, the tech industry’s proposals to revolutionize reading at scale have been met with skepticism. National Novel Generation Month, a collaborative challenge modeled after NaNoWriMo, has been ongoing since 2013. Some authors continue to experiment with AI-powered writing tools, with varying levels of success. However, these projects are usually individual and experimental, never intending to replace traditional books.
According to Jeremy Douglass, an assistant professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara, interactive storytelling has a long history. From hypertext fiction to pop-up books to ancient practices like marginalia, these forms of storytelling have been in existence for centuries. Douglass believes that rather than replacing traditional books, these new technologies and approaches are creating new mediums alongside the old ones. He compares it to the film and game industries’ efforts to replace radio, which he still listens to despite the availability of newer entertainment options.
In conclusion, the book industry has remained resistant to disruption because many tech entrepreneurs fail to understand the real problems facing the industry. Their arrogance and lack of understanding have led to the creation of false problems that don’t actually exist. While there have been various proposals to revolutionize reading through technology, many of them overlook the preferences and enjoyment that readers derive from traditional books. It is essential to approach the book industry with a genuine love for fiction and an understanding of why people read in order to bring meaningful and purposeful innovations to the industry.
