Hi there, Rob Matheny here, writer, blogger, and podcaster. We’ve been doing our show for a few months now, and it’s been a growing process for sure. Things had to be learned, mistakes had to be made, yet  things are coming along. Granted, yes, we have less than 20 episodes under our belts. So does that qualify me as an expert podcaster? Well, it remains to be seen. What I do have is 15+ years of commercial radio experience, with a degree in broadcasting and career experience to boot. I have spent countless hours engineering and editing and producing broadcast commercial radio, in most cases behind the scenes. But also, I’ve been a podcast listener for a minimum of five years. I’ve heard many, many podcast. Some good, some great, and some no so fantastic (I could have a used a myriad of colorful statements at this point, but I’m…

Might Amazon’s debilitating effect on local shops be about to change?

For the past 20 years Amazon has disrupted the publishing industry from stem to stern. Could it be that much of the resulting adaptation and metamorphosis has actually been good news for publishers?

Depends on what you consider. What kind of publisher? What kind of book? Book audience location. Book platform. Book distribution system access. Digital technology, etc., etc.

Hell, many of these considerations weren’t even in existence 20 years ago! And while Amazon didn’t create or discover all of the above mentioned ingredients, they were the first to mix them in a masterful menu – creating a smorgasbord of possibilities – the understanding of which is still being deciphered today.

Tonight’s topic will discuss the how’s and where’s of some of the possible positive changes that Amazon has wrought within the publishing industry and the reaction/attitude of the big five publishing…