"The book market as we have known it over the past century, and the centuries leading up to it, is no longer relevant. We are in a state of transition, as a result of many influences unique to our current technological and economic model. But, under scrutiny, the wise publisher will see parallels between what is happening now, and what has happened already, and if that publisher is willing to pivot and change their approach, taking notes from the challenges our predecessors have faced, then we can take a step back, adjust our goals, and reapproach the market with our original intentions intact, but also directed to a more exclusive audience. These people may be more highly educated, though in my experience, not -- they may have more money, though again, in my experience, lack sophistication, -- they may have more specialized interests, though again, in my experience, lack authority -- and they may have a collector's instinct, though, as has proven time and time again, little to no real understanding of value, or a plan for succession once they are no longer the curator visionary. Grand collections always fall victem to uneducated and disinterested estates. In my time, even museums and libraries mandated to collecting cultural and historical artifacts are faced with overwhelming challenges, such that there is no funding, and thus, no interest, in preserving anything unless it can be sold as tacky vintage fashion, side hustle style.
We are at an impasse. The digital world and globalized economy has fractured our ability to care much about much of anything. Easy access has made people despondent. Unstable progress has made the newest technologies obsolete. And the politics of the day are such that we are fighting for relevance, meaning and integrity, not just freedom, justice, and a halfway decent cup of coffee.
The Book World has ALWAYS had a secret econonmy of rare and impossible to procure selection of ancient books, secreted away in private collection, museum libraries, university special collections, royal cabinets, religious archives, secret society basement closets, Hidden government filing cabinets, and the ever popular Google Books digital Depository.
Knowledge has always had its weird little nooks and crannys. Most of them exist in university basements, tucked away where only pasty white skinned computer nerds prank each other by backdooring each others phones with badly written malware, hoping to see their friends jerking off to My Little Pony.