Publishing Enthusiasts Gather to Discuss the Sector's Future in Goa, India's First Publishing City in PublishingNext

[YourStory.in is the online outreach partner of PublishingNext] 

There is a perceptible change in weather as I travel from Chennai to Goa. The bright morning with sunshine turns into sharp showers in Bombay and back to hot in Goa. The green envelope is lovely in Goa and puts your mood on a high. I am headed to find out if such 'weather' changes are happening in Indian publishing as well.

While the Big Six publishers are busy hammering out a deal with Department of Justice on e-book pricing, the so-called agency model pricing, and when e-books are finding their way into libraries and self-publishing is posing a real challenge to eons-old publishing model, Indian publishing sector has its own problems to ponder over. A large chunk of Indian publishers are in the languages domain while only a small minority cater to English language readers. Still Rupa, Penguin, and HarperCollins hog the limelight, pushing the basha publishers into a subdued role.

The Indian publishing sector is witnessing tumultuous changes, which might define the future. To debate on what the future holds given the changes, PublishingNext, a conference on future of publishing, starting tomorrow (14 September) and into Saturday (15 September) as well, will take up some of the current issues in publishing for a discussion. Mr. S. Muthiah, known as Madras Man for chronicling the colonial past of Chennai and discovering its hidden history, said in a recent meeting that publishing in India started in Goa. So it's very appropriate that this conference is held in the city, now known popularly as an international tourist destination.

Apart from panel discussions, the conference will host workshops and also insight talks, which are experience-sharing sessions by successful entrepreneurs in publishing, retail, and library services. The emerging digital publishing paradigms will also form part of workshops. Preserving oral traditions and a discussion on language publishing seek to highlight the under-covered segments and their relevance.

Goa is inviting not only for its beaches but for these discussions the second year running as well.

Author Credit: Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, Chief Evangelist