This blog is moving to a new home: the Butow Communications Group (BCG) website. Since the blog launched in October 2016, we’ve had a chance to see how the blog was received. It’s clear that this blog can be of better use for current and prospective BCG customers.
However, this site won’t go away. It will have more basic information about the Blogging to Drive Business, Second Edition book. Speaking of the book, several people have asked Rebecca Bollwitt and me about creating a third edition.
The bad news is that the computer book publishing industry has cut back its offerings dramatically. Publishers aren’t that interested in producing general business or beginner/intermediate level books as they were even a couple of years ago.
Que, a publishing brand owned by UK company Pearson Education, published the first two editions of Blogging to Drive Business. In early 2016, Pearson laid off 4,000 employees — about 10 percent of its workforce. Worse, some authors (including one I know) had current and future book authoring contracts cancelled.
At Pearson’s annual meeting on May 5, 2017, investors revolted against a 20% increase in CEO John Fallon’s pay after a 2.6 billion pound (about a $3.4 billion) annual loss. Fallon tried to assuage investors by putting his additional salary in Pearson stock. He also announced another round of job cuts and office closures that will save 300 million pounds ($3.95 billion). This is on top of Pearson’s plan to sell its consumer publishing joint venture with Random House.
Fallon warned investors that “things are not going to get better anytime soon.” So, don’t expect a third edition of Blogging to Drive Business in the near future. Given Pearson’s troubles, I won’t be surprised if their technology book brands are sold off, too — hopefully to a solvent buyer that’s willing to invest in books. If so, Rebecca and I will be there to promote a new edition of the book.
In the meantime, visit the BCG website and click on BCGIN in the lower-right corner of the screen to sign up to get news and offers from BCG. When the new BCG blog is online, then you’ll be the first to know. And keep checking this webpage because the new Blogging to Drive Business site will be online soon.