Open Question: How Can Publishers Capitalize on Hot Topics?

Mac Slocum
October 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Listen

You can't fault Newsweek and Amazon for cashing in on pre-election interest with a series of Kindle-only candidate biographies. There's certainly nothing wrong with profitable aggregation of content, either. But the efficiencies gained from ebooks, e-readers and print on demand raise secondary questions I'd like to explore with the TOC Community:

• Can long-form content (print or digital) effectively capitalize on trendy subjects?
• Is there still a market for quickie books? Can they compete with Web content?
• Should publishers use Web/digital as a testbed for hot topics, then provide long-form content down the road? Or, will this technique spread them too thin?

Please share your thoughts in the comments area.

Related Stories:

• Newsweek Repackaging Candidate Coverage for Kindle Bios
• Publishers Rush Economic Crisis Books
• Publishers Pushing to Meet Russert Book Demand
• "Last Lecture" Success Inspires Kindle Marketing