--- title: "4 Publishing Quotes By Jason Epstein" description: "4 Publishing quotes by Jason Epstein. Plus more from Jason Epstein and more Publishing sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/jason-epstein-33609_autonomy_trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cot_347165.png" --- > [Trade book publishing is by nature a cottage industry, decentralized, improvisational, personal; best performed by small groups of like-minded people, devoted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cottage-industry-decentralized/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/jason-epstein-33609_autonomy_trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cot_347165.png) > [What is true for book publishing is true for civilization: the books that survive the test of time are humanity's backlist, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/what-is-true-for-book-publishing-is-true-for-civilization-the-books/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jason-epstein-33609_book_what-is-true-for-book-publishing-is-true_1093504.png) > [“Technological change is discontinuous. The monks in their scriptoria did not invent the printing press, horse breeders did not invent the motorcar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/technological-change-is-discontinuous-the-monks-in-their-scriptoria/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/jason-epstein-33609_amazon_technological-change-is-discontinuous-th_1295755.png) > [The primary goal of publishing general fiction and non-fiction was never profit - though profit was essential to stay in the game.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/the-primary-goal-of-publishing-general-fiction-and-non-fiction-was/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/jason-epstein-33609_essential_the-primary-goal-of-publishing-general-f_2641044.png) ## Other authors on Publishing - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b021/author-sara-sheridan-83140.jpg) Sara Sheridan 15 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/sara-sheridan/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-julian-assange-54221.jpg) Julian Assange 8 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/julian-assange/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-margaret-atwood-63354.jpg) Margaret Atwood 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/margaret-atwood/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b007/author-clay-shirky-24527.jpg) Clay Shirky 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/clay-shirky/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b024/author-tucker-max-92401.jpg) Tucker Max 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/tucker-max/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-matt-mullenweg-65470.jpg) Matt Mullenweg 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/matt-mullenweg/) - [Israelmore Ayivor 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/israelmore-ayivor/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-deborah-smith-28387.jpg) Deborah Smith 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/deborah-smith/) ## More by Jason Epstein > [The revolutionary process by which all books, old and new, in all languages, will soon be available digitally, at practically no cost for storage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/the-revolutionary-process-by-which-all-books-old-and-new-in-all/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Trade book publishing is by nature a cottage industry, decentralized, improvisational, personal; best performed by small groups of like-minded people, devoted to their craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/trade-book-publishing-is-by-nature-a-cottage-industry-decentralized/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Wherever the title of streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/wherever-the-title-of-streets-and-parks-may-rest-they-have/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [ “Yet the extravagant enthusiasm for profit persisted among businessmen. In the spring of 1969 Senator Long \[spoke out against\] a partisan of the oil… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/yet-the-extravagant-enthusiasm-for-profit-persisted-among-businessmen/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [The marketplace for books when I entered the business shortly after World War II consisted of a thousand or so well stocked independent booksellers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/the-marketplace-for-books-when-i-entered-the-business-shortly-after/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [What is true for book publishing is true for civilization: the books that survive the test of time are humanity's backlist, our collective memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/what-is-true-for-book-publishing-is-true-for-civilization-the-books/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [A civilization without retail bookstores is unimaginable. Like shrines and other sacred meeting places, bookstores are essential artifacts of human nature. The feel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/a-civilization-without-retail-bookstores-is-unimaginable-like-shrines/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [“Technological change is discontinuous. The monks in their scriptoria did not invent the printing press, horse breeders did not invent the motorcar, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/technological-change-is-discontinuous-the-monks-in-their-scriptoria/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Technological change is discontinuous. The monks in their scriptoria did not invent the printing press, horse breeders did not invent the motorcar, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/technological-change-is-discontinuous-the-monks-in-their-scriptoria-2/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [You stand now between anarchy and law. The Police have done their duty. Let the jury have the same courage so that the police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/you-stand-now-between-anarchy-and-law-the-police-have-done-their-duty/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [By the mid 1970s, the great downtown bookstores had begun to disappear as their customers migrated from city to suburb where population density was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/by-the-mid-1970s-the-great-downtown-bookstores-had-begun-to-disappear/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Editors and their authors seldom form deep friendships for the same reason that psychiatrists and their patients keep their distance: The relationship requires candor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/editors-and-their-authors-seldom-form-deep-friendships-for-the-same/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [The primary goal of publishing general fiction and non-fiction was never profit - though profit was essential to stay in the game. Publishing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/the-primary-goal-of-publishing-general-fiction-and-non-fiction-was/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [Bookstores will not disappear but will exploit digital technologies to increase their virtual and physical inventories, and perhaps become publishers themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/bookstores-will-not-disappear-but-will-exploit-digital-technologies/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/jason-epstein/#itemlist", "name": "4 Publishing Quotes By Jason Epstein", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Trade book publishing is by nature a cottage industry, decentralized, improvisational, personal; best performed by small groups of like-minded people, devoted to their craft, jealous of their autonomy, sensitive to the needs of writers and to the diverse interests of readers. 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