Publishing:
The Real Revolution Has Just Begun
by Forest Linton
Since 1984, when the Apple Macintosh was first introduced, people have been
marveling at "Desk Top Publishing" and its revolutionizing effect
on the publishing world. With the advent of the LaserWriter a couple of
years later, it was said, "desktop publishing" was on its way
to becoming a household word, and a new industry was born.
I disagree.
Not about creating a new industry -- it actually does exist. However, I
think that everyone was about 10 years too early with the phrase "desktop
publishing." Sure, the Macintosh made it easier to create the paper,
but it was still just as hard to distribute the product. With the amazing
growth of the Internet though, we are now staring directly in the face of
true desktop publishing -- all the way from concept to delivery.
Barriers to entry are falling, and we have entered a powerful new age of
information dissemination that everyone can be a part of. The real revolution
has just begun -- distribution for the masses.
Notice that I did not say "to" the masses. The reason the desktop
revolution starts now is because the distribution problem has been solved.
An instant, low-cost distribution channel is now available to practically
anyone. The Internet provides a global forum for anyone who wishes to use
it; even those without a computer or a modem are able to get their works
online with relative ease. The Internet supports a variety of formats, and
documents can be archived in plain text, PostScript, HTML, or VRML; they
can include sounds and movies, interact with other documents, and be linked
to from anywhere on the Net.
Leveling the playing field
It has been said by many that the Internet is "leveling the playing
field" between the big powerhouse marketers and the small, independent
or self publishers. This is definitely the case, and the low barriers to
entry mean that many independents are on the Net in a big way. Content is
now the important factor in creating large readership.
Online, the battle is no longer won at the checkout counter or with expensive
subscription campaigns. It is important to take a closer look at the word
"content," a term whose meaning is in jeopardy of being diluted
from overuse. Content truly includes everything from the presentation to
the actual editorial. The average end user hasn't changed much, and it would
be wise to remember that many readers enjoy the traditional mainstays of
normal magazines -- like, for example, advertising. For some readers, advertising
is part of the content.
There are, of course, many readers who despise the slick, advertising-driven
gloss. It is easy to cater to them as well. The point is to identify the
need of the intended readers and cater to them.
Revenue models
It is a known fact that people do not always publish to make money. Many
publishers are out there spending money simply to be heard. They have no
desire to generate profit -- they only want to get their message out. These
are typically political, religious, and activist publications. The Net makes
it easy to get the word out, representing free speech at its best. Opposing
views are just as easily launched, creating a nice balance.
Of course, the big questions for those publishers that do want to
make money on the Internet is: How? There are currently three revenue models
worth looking at: electronic transactions, advertising, and conventional
subscriptions.
The advancement of electronic commerce has brought about the feasibility
of a new revenue model for the self-publisher. Micro transactions will allow
the author to receive payment (as little as a few cents or even fractions
of a cent) every time an article is read or downloaded. Virtual clearing
houses will collect payments and regularly credit the author's account.
The author would then be able to use the payments or convert them into goods
or real money.
Many scenarios can be imagined, from setting up a Web site and selling articles
directly to licensing "content" to a larger publisher or database.
Each article could be coded with the author's account information and perhaps
enclosed in a digital signature or container. No matter where the article
is, any time it is read (or "opened"), a payment would be credited
to the author.
The idea of publishing a free-to-the-reader magazine, driven solely by advertising
revenues, has been around for ages. Many business-to-business magazines,
like MacWeek or PCWeek, follow this controlled subscription
model. The idea is that you guarantee advertisers a certain readership (usually
a professional niche) and they pay a premium to reach them. In the United
States, there are more controlled circulation magazines than conventional
ones.
This is the model that large commercial publishers will use online, and
one that is already succeeding on the Web. The first and best known example
is HotWired. In its first year, it generated approximately 2 million
dollars in advertising revenue. Other big publishers include Time's Pathfinder
site, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. The key is simply generating
enough traffic to a site to justify advertising revenues.
Nonpublishers (like Netscape, Yahoo, and GNN) with high traffic sites are
also generating revenues by selling advertising on their Web sites. The
big trick now is determining how to evaluate a Web site's traffic logs.
In its simplest form, incoming traffic is known as a "hit," or
a single access to a page or graphic. Of course, advertisers want a lot
more specific demographic information than just the number of hits. Systems
are currently being created to measure this.
Conventional subscriptions of online magazines will be the least successful.
I think for most people, there is a natural unwillingness to pay big money
for information on the Internet. The most viable scenario for this model
is time-related information, like news or stock quotes. If a service can
add value and demonstrate enough reliability to create demand, it will attract
subscribers. Successful examples do exist and will remain (albeit in limited
numbers) if they can create a powerful brand image.
Perfect digital
copies everywhere?
The Internet's most powerful function is also a publisher's greatest fear.
A digital document let loose on today's Internet can circle the globe and
be copied thousands of times in less than a day. The commercial success
of electronic self-publishing is directly tied to the acceptance of electronic
payment systems. In order for an author to put his or her full work on the
Net, it must be secured in some fashion. This is an issue that is quickly
being addressed and will be solved.
Using the Web as a promotional medium is a great way to generate interest
for conventional publishing jobs. Many new books and magazines are creating
Web sites solely for promotional purposes. Writers can also drum up new
business by showcasing their wares on the Internet.
Future trends
It is common knowledge that Japan is one of the world's largest print publishers.
In 1994, over 6 billion books and magazines were printed, and the industry
continues to grow. Japan does not lack content and certainly doesn't lack
writers. I predict that Japan's big success on the Internet will come with
e-publishing on the World Wide Web. Considering Japan's largest magazine
genre, manga (comics), and the popularity of anime (animation)
-- can you think of a better media fit for electronic publishing? Japan's
publishing industry could, without any stretch of the imagination, surpass
the rest of the world's publishers. Time will tell.ç
Forest Linton: living and working in Tokyo, Japan. E-mail forest@twics.com,
or check out the Digital Forest at http://www.twics.com/~forest/the
forest.html.
Big publications in the US
CNN http://www.cnn.com/
Time's Pathfinder http://www.pathfinder.com/
Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/
Ziff Davis http://www.zdnet.com/
Publications in Japan
Asahi Shimbun http://www.asahi.com/
Computing Japan http://www.gol.com/cj/
Ele-Bugi http://www.eccosys.com/ELEBUGI/index.html
Jingumae Hot Place http://www.newsbase.co.jp/jhp/
MacUser Japan http://www.softbank.co.jp/softbank/publishing/macuser/
Yomiuri Shimbun http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
Transaction and demographic information
First Virtual http://www.fv.com/
Clickshare http://www.newshare.com/Clickshare/overview.html
NetTrust http://www.epr.com/
Nielsen http://www.nielsen.com/
(c) Copyright 1996 by Computing Japan magazine