1. Books: The Birth of the Mass Media
Chapter 4

2. If you won the National Book Award and a MacArthur Genius Award, what would you do?
Ta-Nehisi Coates chose to write Black Panther comics for Marvel.
Literary influences growing up were hip-hop, Dungeons & Dragons, and Marvel comics
“I think diversity is a storytelling imperative. If you’re not at least grappling with diversity, then you’re not depicting the world.”

3. Development of Writing
Approx BC: Writing originates in Egypt or Mesopotamia
Earliest writing was pictographs and ideographs; symbols that stand for ideas.
Approx BC: Phonography begins; symbols stand for sounds
1700–1500 BC: Alphabets developed; letters stand for sounds

4. Development of Paper
3100 BC: Egyptians develop papyrus, writing surface made from papyrus reed
Parchment – Writing surface from skin of goats and sheep; much less fragile than papyrus
240–105 BC: Paper developed by Chinese; moves to Europe in mid 11th century

5. Development of Books Earliest books were papyrus scrolls
400–800 AD: Religious books hand-copied by monks in rooms called scriptoria
1200s: Gov’t licensed publishers distribute hand copied books such as The Canterbury Tales

6. The Invention of Mass Culture
1455: Gutenberg develops movable metal type, makes printing feasible
First mass-produced written word

7. Consequences of the Printing Press
Standardized books and language
Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Messages and ideas take on a broader scope: regional, national, and international.
The technique of making paper was brought to Europe by Islamic merchants in the late 700’s before movable type was invented.

8. Traditional Paper Making The Gutenberg Printing Press
The Gutenberg Printing Press
Making Movable Type
Parchment Making
The Art of Making a Book

9. Books in the New World
1539: First New World printing press in Mexico City
1640: Printing begins in North America with Whole Booke of Psalmes. Book became early export for colonies.
1731: Benjamin Franklin establishes early circulating (subscription) libraries. Went on to become popular author.

10. Mass Produced Books 1814: Steam-powered rotary press.
1830s–1840s: Popularity of serial novels.
Civil War era: Popularity of paperback dime novels.
Growth of inexpensive books, magazines, and newspapers fuels growth of mass literacy.

11. The 21st Century Book Business
Publishers
Authors
Booksellers

12. Publishers
Major U.S. Publishers: Cengage, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Harper Collins
University and small presses
Government Publishing Office

13. Authors Not everyone is a star Many books have limited promotion
Median income for US writers and authors was $60,250 in 2015.

14. Book Writing Process

15. Booksellers Wholesalers/distributors – Ingram Book Group
Major bookstore chains – Barnes & Noble is largest bookseller, last big player standing.
Independent booksellers – American Booksellers Association (ABA)
Mail order book clubs

16. Books and the Long Tail
Amazon.com – Offering all books rather than a selection of books
Electronic publishing and print-on-demand
Tracks reader interests and recommends books based on purchasing and browsing history

17. Textbook Business
National Association of College Stores estimates students spend average of $646 a year on course materials and $1,344 a year on technology, supplies, and course materials.
Barnes & Noble a major player with its textbook division.
Schools try variety of ways to lower costs including rentals, choosing less-expensive editions, and electronic books.

18. Great Books vs. Popular Books
Nathaniel Hawthorne vs. the “scribblers”
Popularity of domestic novels
Focus for contemporary publishers is on authors who write multiple bestsellers
Vampires, wizards, dystopian young adult novels, and the NYT Best Seller list

19. Books and Censorship
Book banning in the U.S. is generally local and involves removing books from libraries or classroom reading lists.
Many more “challenged books” than “banned books”
Globally, authors face book bans, threats of violence, and death.
Salman Rushdie – The Satanic Verses
Sherry Jones – The Jewel of Medina

20. Media Transformations Can Paper and E-books Coexist?
Problem of incompatible formats on e-book readers
Author Jonathan Franzen criticizes e-books for lack of permanence
Paper books are easier to write in
E-books give instant gratification, allow you to carry many books with you

21. E-book concerns and alternatives
Audiobooks increasingly popular format, growing rapidly
Concerns about expensive devices, worries about orphan technology
Print on demand is alternative way of delivering books