Publishers Should Be Asking "What's the Subtext"

Many publishing companies read social trends like tea leaves, trying to mirror them in books. This trend-mirroring focus has had some unexpected results, like monster mash-up overload to a book deal gold rush for comedians.

Today's guest on the Morning Media Menu was Alain Sylvain, managing director of strategy at the branding agency, Redscout. Around the 10:25 mark, Sylvain explained that publishers should stop reporting on these trends and focus on discovering the subtext behind these unexpected events.

Here's an excerpt from the interview: "If we were thinking about innovating a publishing space, we would start with account planning--really getting to the bottom of what consumers think about and want every day. The publishing community holds a mirror up to the culture...Where I think publishing has an opportunity to really offer something new is asking: 'what's the subtext?' Publishing has to get more tapped into what people are really feeling about the world around them, rather than reporting what is."

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