Tips for a Time of Tremendous Change

Two years ago, Publishing Executive started a new tradition: the December issue would become our annual “tips issue.” While the magazine provides tips year-round in its regular departments, columns and features, this special issue, we decided, would pack in as many fast, hard-hitting bits of how-to business advice as we could fit on the pages. The winter holiday season is the busiest time of year for most people, so we wanted this issue to give you boatloads of information in a quick and easy-to-digest format, one that you can keep on your desk and refer to year-round. This particular December issue is by far the most tips-laden issue we’ve done. Considering that every single one of us in publishing is living and breathing this air of tremendous change that’s taking place, the feature story, “Get Your Multimedia House in Order,” really hits home. Throughout almost every level and department of almost every publishing organization, there are new issues, challenges and questions that have arisen due to the multimedia marketplaces that we face. And for most people, change means anxiety. Anxiety about keeping our print-based jobs as the tables turn toward digital content creation and distribution. (By the way, check out Bob Sacks’ column on page 58; he offers some great tips for keeping your job in today’s publishing world.) Anxiety about being able to keep up with the endless new tasks and responsibilities being dumped in our laps, while still doing our “old” jobs (see “17 Tips for Publishing Better, Faster and Cheaper” on page 51). Anxiety about making multimedia endeavors profitable. And anxiety about simply surviving in this business, given all of the challenges publishers face today. So, the feature story, in my opinion, is like a hand patting us all on the back, saying, “Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even some of the brightest in the industry are going through this transition and learning as they go along.” However, a pat on the back doesn’t pay the bills, so fortunately the feature also does more than that. It reveals concrete tips from leaders in the field who were graciously honest and forthcoming about their insights into the best paths to take on this amorphous journey we’re all on—together. Finally, some great news on Publishing Executive’s own digital frontier: If you have comments about any articles in this issue or want to see what comments other executives have made about them, you can post and read comments on our newly relaunched Web site at www.PubExec.com. That’s just one of the new features of the site, so check it out, and let us know what you think. Happy reading … and happy, happy holidays!

General

Tips for a Time of Tremendous Change

Noelle Skodzinksi

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Noelle Skodzinksi