Jack Hoeft on the Future of Publishing Jack Hoeft still loves books. That's not a surprise, coming from the past chairman of the Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group. Hoeft has a history with books dating to 1979, when he became president of the U.S. sales division of Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd. Before that he spent seven years in sales and marketing positions at Pepsi, and served in Vietnam for the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of captain. He joined Bantam Books in 1981 and six years later helped form Bantam Doubleday Dell. A little more than a decade after that, he found himself overseeing the group's 1998 merger with German-based Bertelsmann Publishing. Hoeft is also an NYU SCPS faculty member, teaching two core courses in the master's degree program at the Publishing Center. Working Knowledge: Let's start with books on 8aper. Do they have a future in the age of the Internet or will they go the way of vinyl records in the age of the CD? Jack Hoeft: I think e-commerce and e-publishing are changing publishing. But I don't think they will do away with books. Books have survived radio, movies, TV, and VCRs, and I don't think the Internet is going to eliminate their usefulness. I don't know if people (ill want to read long text on computer screens. And I don't think most of us would want to download and print out a 300-page book. In fact, online distribution channels like Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com may actually be increasing interest in books. I do know that book sales are continuing to increase. WK: You mention online bookstores, how are they different from traditional retail and catalog sellers? JH: The Internet booksellers have leveled the playing field. You don't necessarily have to get your book on a featured table in the front of a big chain store to reach your audience anymore. There are more than 250 places on the Web where you can purchase books. The Internet is also a great promotional venue. You can list an author's tour on your Web site - where he or she will be signing books, giving readings, appearing on television. And you can put up "teasers" for new books. For example, as part of the announcement for John Grisham's new book we put a chapter up on the Web. Hopefully, that will make you want to go on and read the whole book. WK: Do downloadable books have a future as an enabler for publishing over the Internet? JH: I've seen the electronic books offered by publishers and they are an interesting platform. They're a novelty now, but as the technology improves I think they could become a popular format. I'm talking about the quality of the screen, the weight, battery life, things like that. We have hardcovers, paperbacks, trade books - why shouldn't electronic books have their place, too? For people who read a lot, they could be very convenient. To be able to go to a Web site and just download whatever book you felt like reading on a moment's notice...I think there would be interest in that. WK:If downloadable books do become popular, will that threaten the position of publishers? JH:I think that a publisher still has the creative process of working with the writer, the process of marketing the finished work, of managing it over the years. Will an Internet company come along that can do those things? Possibly, but it will still be a publisher. And, of course, publishers aren't going to stand by and not pursue all the distribution opportunities the Internet offers. You know, even with all the mergers in the business, there are still more publishers around now then there were 20 years ago. Small and medium-sized publishers are carving out niches - somewhat like the specialization in magazines. WK:Speaking of mergers, you've been through several now, including the recent Bertelsmann/Random House combination.... JH:Which I think is a superb merger. From a purchasing, distribution, marketing, and worldwide rights standpoint, I think this combined company can offer one-stop shopping for writers and agents and realize economies of scale while still keeping the creative sides separate. I've also on the board of IDG Books, the company that puts out the "Books for Dummies" line of how-to guides. They have just merged with Cliff Notes, and I think from a distribution, sales, and marketing standpoint that's going to be a very strong combination. WK:So you see mergers as more a boon to publishing than a negative? JH:Absolutely. I think you've seeing more books being published every year, on a wider range of topics. This is really one of the most exciting times, because the Internet and the other developments in the world are moving publishing ahead and opening up a whole new set of possibilities.         ©2000New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies Information Line: (212) 998-7080 Wondering what to take? General questions to: scpsinfo@nyu.edu Web site comments to: scps.webmaster@nyu.edu

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