Why are tech bro dudes always intent on disrupting publishing, the industry that famously makes no money? Ooh 8000 books, what is that $1000 (i say this lovingly having worked in publishing)
Hypothesis: they get their idea of publishing from media coverage of authors, which selects for the 1% of high-end outliers and make it look like a lifestyle (personal chef, chateau in the south of France *or* if you're JKR a castle in Scotland) rather than a badly-paid job.
Another, not incompatible hypothesis: they all wanted to be artists--writers, illustrators, musicians--but none of them wanted to put in the work or take the losses; but instead of acknowledging and accepting that, they'll "knock down the gatekeepers".
Actually, I think this is the idea they use to convince _investors_. There’s no money in publishing, but there’s a lot of money in AI.
All you need is a couple of guys with a Macbook that can look cool on a photoshoot and a business plan that can pass cursory inspection, like this one.
I do wonder: why there's this push to "disrupt" every industry? Yes, flooding the market with BS is disrupting, but what is the gain? This is just a short term scheme that's already going to backfire
Well I saw the pic of the Spines guys before and they do look just like this. Granted, I didn't look too closely, but they look like these guys. So basically they're the same guys.
Yet another vanity publisher but this time with an AI spin to gloss it over. Creativity requires a complex human spark and even Janet and Jill (which Spines have probably never heard of) is complex/emotiaonal. Printing books is not cheap so you intend to flood the ebook indiemarket?
So we end up with blokes in too-small clothes in search of a tiny bookreading market (male, young, white working class) which does not usually buy books and aims to upsell them with a piece of prose created by a machine that will (for want of a better phrase) inspire them and harden their ardour.
definitely don't think that meme escaped the UK orbit. i'd never seen it before and have seen your post reposted as if it were an actual photo of the spines jerks
Apologies for the interruption, but I am fascinated by this comment. Professor Donald could you potentially expand on your comments a little? I may have missed something.
Are they aiming their publications at the same demographic as themselves - people happy with churned out mass produce AI publications, rather than limited supply artist crafted work. Quantity over quality. Hope that helps.
Thank you I appreciate the reply. A couple of points from me.
1. This is a meme, You've been had (with real style).
2. You've made a series of assumptions about these lads, what they read & its literary value. Based from a picture. I think this is regrettable.
Again, Thanks.
I see. You’ve decided what I meant/assumed and are going to stick with that even though my clarification contradicts the idea that I made the assumptions you describe. Why didn’t you just ask a straight forward question instead? Or if you were going to ignore my answer, just tell me what I assumed.
They... they do know what books are, yeah? It's just that they still seem to be wearing the same clothes they had on when they were 10 years old, so I don't want to assume they've got the reading thing down.
Not as many tats- but yes, it’s real &just as yucky. How do they miss the part that’s stealing from the files of human consciousness & creativity. It’s theft from everyone. I think AI can be useful- like a research assistant but creative projects - no, that is theft from the collective conscious
Comments
(Also, hi Holly!)
It's the "Money For Nothing" attitude.
All you need is a couple of guys with a Macbook that can look cool on a photoshoot and a business plan that can pass cursory inspection, like this one.
The simpler description is "four douche-bags "
But these have nothing to do with each other. Or this image.
Especially if you're also fond of chanteys.
https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-happened-to-the-4-lads-in-jeans-the-2024-update-of-the-meme-explained
I mean – does nobody remember the 80s?
This photo has been used before on none related matter to this.
1. This is a meme, You've been had (with real style).
2. You've made a series of assumptions about these lads, what they read & its literary value. Based from a picture. I think this is regrettable.
Again, Thanks.
Your reply confirmed that you'd been had by the very well done joke & your honestly held view that a particular group have a particular market.
1/2