Does Publishing have a Future?

So many elements seem to be conspiring to drive publishers out of business. Bookstores are struggling due to a variety of reasons-- the current economic climate, the decrease of the reading public, the ease and economy of purchasing one's books online, the influence of the media on one's reading choices that makes everyone want to buy the same book rather than try something new. These are just a few reasons; I could add a lot more and I'm sure you could, too.

At the same time, countless people want to write and get published. Thus the rise of the vanity presses, the self-publishing services, the we-will-publish-you-if-you-pay-us companies, the POD companies like Lightening Source and many others. When millions of people are writing books and craving publication, willing to pay for the privilege, companies will then arise to fill this huge market.

With the news that Harlequin is now offering a vanity imprint, I am wondering what all this means for the publishing industry. Clearly here's where the money is--publishing for a fee. Forget about quality, or promotion, or marketing, or even getting the books into bookstores. Why should these publishers care? They already have their profit.

Is this the future of publishing? Brick and mortar bookstores closing while millions of books are available online, e-books, on websites, etc? And the reading public can pick and choose according to their interests? Publishing company particulars no longer mattering? The struggling small press having to switch over to charging author fees in order to survive?

I am shuddering here. I don't like this picture. And I shall do my part to help the small press in any way I can, such as posting a review here on Zarahemla's release, No Going Back by Jonathan Langford, an excellent book which I want to promote in my own small way. Watch for it on Friday.