That certainly is the question on the publishing world’s mind with only 107 days to go until the final Harry Potter novel lands on bookshelves around the world – leaving Bloomsbury to pick up the pieces and move onto the next project (and make up for what is expected to be a serious profit shortfall along the lines of the 15 million pound drop seen in 2006.) The Independent reports that new media may be the publisher’s answer, as its chairman, Nigel Newton was seeking funding from a third party to help it launch a literary alternative to the likes of online communities such as YouTube and Bebo. “[N]o one has yet done the same for books, especially in a way which will benefit all the main players in the book business”.
Newton also spoke of further expansion into America and Germany, where different pricing trends are offsetting some of the margin pressures on the cut-throat British high street. “We will make more of our geographic presence so we can publish the same big books in the three largest book markets in the world,” said Newton.