Diet Books, Serial Killers, and . . . *gasp!* Mulching?

Jonathan Karp, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Twelve imprint, discusses the impact of "disposable books" in yesterday's Washington Post. You can read Karp's piece right here. (Oh, and writers everywhere, prepare to cringe while reading Karp's opening paragraphs. You'll never hear the word "mulching" quite the same way again...)

I'm one of those who's still skeptical of the ability of self-publishing and print-on-demand to really compete -- meaning with a truly viable product -- in the publishing industry. But I share Karp's hope that a wider availability of materials will start to sway publishers toward higher-quality books, rather than their perpetual wooing of the latest flame.

An alternate view, courtesy of Bookslut, will run later this week.