Mike Shatzkin’s blog has an interesting essay about putting together an advisory council for the Digital Book World conference, and some of the challenges that come with running such a conference.
One challenge has to do with knowing some change is going on or about to go on in digital publishing, but not knowing who is a part of it or whether those who are will talk about it. The other has to do with with publishers being willing to discuss things privately, but not publicly—e-book royalty rates, for example.
And as with any business, nobody wants to reveal everything they’re doing in the presence of the competition.
The post is an interesting reminder that publishing, and e-publishing, is still a highly-competitive business, and running conferences for such businesses can be a tricky balancing act. But Shatzkin feels that the advisory council is up to meeting the necessary challenges.
