When Benjamin Franklin created the first library, he did so in the
belief that people would benefit from greater and easier access to
books. When they wrote the Constitution, the founding fathers also
hoped to increase access to "Works which promote the Progress of
Science and the useful Arts." In the latter case, copyright was
established to encourage writing by providing protection for, and the
potential for economic gain from, a creative work. For more than two
hundred years, publishers have furthered both of these goals--
through our processes of publication and distribution we have
provided access to creative works, and through our royalty system,
we have provided economic incentives to encourage authors to write
them.
Now, with the digital age upon us, the methods that we have created
to promote access are suddenly in conflict. In a digital world access
can be instantaneous, and to fully serve the goal of libraries that
access should be free. This, however, conflicts with the purpose and
protections of copyright, and we publishers are caught in the middle.
Can we resolve this fundamental conflict, and as we do, will there be
a role for publishers in the next century? I believe that the answer
to both questions is yes.
With regard to access vs. copyright, the answers will not be simple.
To allow for access, libraries and publishers need to work out
entirely new economic models and methods of transaction for the
transfer of information. While many scholars write purely for the
exchange of ideas, I have yet to work with an author who was not
motivated by and eager to receive royalties. To serve the interests of
all authors, including those in the commercial sector, it is crucial that
we create the new models that will provide incentives for bright,
talented people to continue to contribute. I am encouraged by many
of the initiatives currently underway, such as the prototype
Electronic Copyright Management System field test at the University
of Illinois.
Let's assume that the new economic models will be developed and
authors will both have their work protected and earn money from
their efforts. Publishers will not necessarily be needed for
distribution, because anyone can freely distribute material over the
Internet. And, as Nicholas Negroponte points out in his book, Being
Digital, established authors can earn a great deal of more money by
selling their works directly to an end-user and avoiding the
publisher altogether. If one believes that the role of publishers is
essentially distribution and revenue collection, then indeed the
future looks bleak.
While distribution and revenue collection are important functions for
publishers today, I believe that our most important function is the
editorial guidance that we provide. It is an important role today, and
it will become even more important in the future. For end users, a
publisher's imprint is a stamp of quality assurance, and that quality
assurance can only come from pre-publication editorial involvement.
With the mind-boggling amount of material available on the
Internet, users will look to publishers both to provide quality content
and to provide the "pointers" to related material that might be
available in other places. For authors, a good editor can make a good
work even better; even after they are established, I know of many
authors who depend on their editors to understand the market and
to provide sound judgment and a critical eye. And, just as today,
editors will be needed to scout for and to guide new talent to
commercial and critical success.
Why are publishers in the best position to provide editorial guidance
and quality control? For the answer to this, look back to the wisdom
of our founding fathers who understood that economic incentives
were important. Because publishing is a commercial enterprise, our
profit motives will only be fulfilled if we provide the quality
assurance that users expect.
There is no question that the roles of libraries, of copyright, of
authors and of publishers will change dramatically in the years to
come. In some form, there will be a future for all of the above, but
the way ahead may be rocky indeed. As we forge new roles, we
might best be served by heeding the words of Benjamin Franklin as
he signed the Declaration of Independence: "We must indeed all hang
together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."
Susan Driscoll is vice president, product & technology, and associate
publisher of HarperCollins College Publishers. She can be reached at
[email protected]
� 1995 Educom.