The Content Machine: Towards a Theory of Publishing from the Printing Press to the Digital Network

by Michael Bhaskar

This ground-breaking study, the first of its kind, outlines a theory of publishing that allows publishing houses to focus on their core competencies in times of crisis. Tracing the history of publishing from the press works of fifteenth-century Germany to twenty-first-century Silicon Valley, via Venice, Beijing, Paris and London, and fusing media theory and business experience, ‘The Content Machine’ offers a new understanding of content, publishing and technology, and defiantly answers those who contend that publishing has no future in a digital age.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Business, Unfinished, Books About Books

226 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Michael Bhaskar is a writer, researcher and digital publisher. He is Co-Founder of Canelo, a new publishing company, and Writer in Residence at DeepMind.

He has written and talked extensively about publishing, the future of media, the creative industries and the economics of technology.

He has worked as a digital publisher, an economics researcher, a book reviewer and founded several web initiatives.

Michael has a degree in English Literature from the University of Oxford where he won the University Gibbs Prize. He has been a British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur, a Frankfurt Book Fair Fellow and is currently a Visiting Researcher at the Oxford Brookes International Centre for Publishing and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this quickly on my phone to get a sense of it, but I will definitely go back and read it properly again. Bhaskar's book is a very good, very up-to-date perspective on the predicament of publishing in the digital age. His intent is to develop a theoretical model of what publishing is (or does)--beyond the trivial "making things public"--and I think he largely succeeds at that, elaborating a functional model that spans from Aldus Manutius to Allen Lane to the present day.

It could be longer/deeper, as I think he's pretty breezy with some of the concepts, but longer/deeper would no doubt come at the expense of readability. I am very impressed with how well-researched and current it is; lots and lots of coverage of important perspectives from earlier this year, and I can't fault him for leaving anything out--a hell of an achievement for a published *book* on this topic (I have articles still "in press" that are already obsolete). Seriously considering this as required reading for Publishing@SFU next year.

[Francisco López · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creo que tengo un nuevo favorito en la increíble colección de Libros sobre Libros del Fondo de Cultura Económica. Este libro reflexiona en torno a la necesidad de una teoría de la edición y particularmente una teoría del contenido: desde su creación hasta su difusión. Contribuye con un marco teórico y conceptual que puede abarcar no solo la edición de libros sino la verdadera máquina de contenido. Va más allá y hace propuestas y apuestas para la edición después del reto digital. Me quedé con ganas de leer más, ojalá que alguien reflexionara sobre los mismos temas, bajo este aparato, pero con el contexto pospandemia y el creciente uso de IAs y modelos de lenguaje. Recomendadísimo para autores, editores, creadores y gestores de contenido, y toda persona interesada en medios y redes en general.

[Tomas Šinkūnas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a bit longer than expected. To be honest, i've got mixed feelings about this book. At times it has genuine insight and in other instances it falls short. As the author admits it himself, this is to be expected of a book that attempts to deliver a theory of publishing.

There are two things that struck me the most and why I am going to read the book again. First, the consistent delivery of insight. Bhaskar does a good job in summing up, presenting and pointing out the possible outcomes of this or that theory. He's well red in the history of publishing as well as nuanced in the business side of publishing. Anyone who is thinking of going into publishing should read it.

Second, the depth of the book. Although, i'm pretty sceptical when it comes to some "theories" of publishing, but Bhaskar produces one that is quite insightful and can be applied to old book publishing as to the new, digital publishing. The author also does not compromise style over substance. The book reads more like an academic book, but that's a good thing. Overall, a clever book.

There are more things one could say there, especially with contents. Maybe, after reading it the second time...

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does it mean to "publish" a text? Is it merely to make it public (as says the oft-spoken definition)? As Bhaskar points out, leaving a manuscript on a park bench makes it public, but it doesn't "publish" it--nobody will read it. On the other hand, uploading a novel to Amazon without proper metadata "publishes" it, but doesn't make it public--it'll sink so low in the sea of data that no one will even know it's there.

In our networked age, Bhaskar argues, it's more important than ever for publishers to understand just what they do and why. But his basic outline of "publishing"--filtering, framing, and amplifying--applies not only to traditional publishers, but also to anyone who creates and distributes content, be it mp3s, TV episodes, news articles, recipes, web comics, or photos.

Bhaskar can't cover everything, but the swath of what he does cover is pretty staggering: believe it or not, he really does go "from the printing press to the digital network." As the prof who recommended it to me put it, "This is the book that the publishing industry has been begging someone, anyone, to write for years." And Bhaskar has done it brilliantly.

[Gill James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could be described as a close reading of the publishing industry. Michael Bhaskar steers us away from the idea that publishing merely means making public. After all, he asks, is a book with a 10,000 print run that doesn’t sell a single copy any more “published” than a typescript left on a park bench?
He takes a long look at the industry and also compares it with farming and the music trade. He describes how it started, what it became and how it is evolving now.
He discusses filtering, framing, amplifying and curating. He shows us models that have worked, are working now and may work in the future. He doesn’t shy away from pointing out their flaws.
This book has an excellent critical tone and the Bhaskar’s research and knowledge must be commended. He provides as well easy to follow foot-notes, an extensive bibliography and a very useful index.
This book certainly helped me to clarify my ideas, as a writer, editor and publisher, about the whole process.
I was pleased to see confirmation that this academic publisher used print on demand – a model Bhaskar discusses. We see Lightning Source’s logo on the final page. This is the very company we use. Slightly puzzling though that the digital resources are listed separately form the print ones, given what the author discusses.
Never mind. This is an excellent text and is certainly informing my decision of where to go next.

[Kin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente reflexión sobre la naturaleza y características del acto de editar, en un sentido extenso. El ensayo está bien estructurado y la investigación es esclarecedor. Revela de manera puntual diferentes aspectos del oficio a través de ejemplos históricos bien seleccionados a los que añade observaciones pertinentes sobre el funcionamiento de la también llamada máquina de contenido. Se pregunta por sus futuros posibles (y se adelanta a varias cosas que han estado ocurriendo en los años posteriores a su publicación).

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"La edición es la máquina de contenido en la medida en que unas cuantas operaciones sencillas bastan para construir el acto de publicación. Es una máquina social".

Libro clave para los que nos interesa el mundo editorial. Mucha historia, reflexiones, conceptos y preguntas sobre el futuro de la edición.

[Juan Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué reconfortante leer estas ideas y propuestas que invitan a crear una teoría de la edición. Muy bien documentado aunque a veces, un poco exagerado en su estilo de escritura, pero definitivamente un libro más que necesario para quienes nos dedicamos a esto (y al diseño).

[Andrea Mafara · Rating 3 out of 5]

(En realidad me faltaron dos capítulos para acabarlo pero como fue para un curso no pienso terminar je)
Está entretenido y se aprende del mundo de la edición, me recordó a las clases de teoría literaria.

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only two chapters of this book were relevant to me, so I tried to speed through the rest of its content like a machine, but that got tiring quickly. I have the impression that this book can be summarized with only a few sentences.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat theoretical take on the changing landscape of “publishing” in print and digital form with a focus on the traditional book industry.

[Heberquijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

El contenido como el motor de la edición, la forma es transitoria. Un libro de cabecera para cualquier editor

[Simón · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Good, but a bit longer than necessary. The parts about models, frames, filtering and amplification are the heart of the matter. Chapter 6 could have been almost entirely cut out.

[Nela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como los buenos libros, genera más preguntas que certezas.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure I totally understood the majority of the concepts in this (but that's what I'm paying my hard earned cash to the University this is on the reading list for, right?) but it is definitely an interesting/intriguing book and hopefully I can be a bit more articulate than this in a few months.

[Brendan Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most interesting perspectives on publishing I've read yet. Game-changing.

[Eliza · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, I had to read it for uni, so that's never fun. Secondly, the author writes like a pretentious little shit, questioning the meaning of like in every other paragraph. 

[María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verboso pero interesante.