--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Few industries have had their death…" description: "\"“Few industries have had their death foretold more frequently than the book publishing industry, and yet somehow, miraculously, it seems to have surviv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg" --- # Few industries have had their death foretold more… ![“Few industries have had their death foretold more frequently than the book publishing industry, and yet somehow, miraculously, it seems to have survived them all – at least till now.” quote by John B. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg) > ““Few industries have had their death foretold more frequently than the book publishing industry, and yet somehow, miraculously, it seems to have survived them all – at least till now.”” [John B. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despite repeated predictions of its demise, the book publishing industry continues to survive, showing resilience and adaptability. **In simple terms:** Publishing survives despite doom forecasts. Key Takeaway Adapt and innovate to stay relevant. Themes industry resilience media change Mood optimistic analytical Type critical observational When to use this quote - publishing - strategic planning - innovation workshops - market analysis Key Concepts business models digital transformation cultural persistence Questions to Reflect On - What strategies keep publishing alive? - How can new technologies support the industry? A Different Perspective Economic pressures may still threaten stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-publishing/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Industries Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industries-death-4672503/) [Industry Miraculously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry-miraculously-4672502/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Publishing industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing-industry/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [If I had followed my own rules - if I had eaten my own dog food - I would have created a digital book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/if-i-had-followed-my-own-rules-if-i-had-eaten-my-own-dog-food-i-would/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [It really gets me when the critics say I haven't done enough for the economy. I mean, look what I've done for the book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-really-gets-me-when-the-critics-say-i-haven-t-done-enough-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Many writers hate the shilling process, and I understand that. However, it's really the only thing about the publication process you can somewhat control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/many-writers-hate-the-shilling-process-and-i-understand-that-however/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [It's interesting that the book publishing industry, on the iPad, has much more flexibility than the music industry had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-jr/it-s-interesting-that-the-book-publishing-industry-on-the-ipad-has/) [Edgar Bronfman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-jr/) > [With the communication internet, whole industries have been disrupted. You're in the publishing industry, you understand that. Before, we had newspapers, magazines - now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/with-the-communication-internet-whole-industries-have-been-disrupted/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [“In TIME June 7, 2010 On the sustainability of the publishing industry, in the Chicago Tribune: "I think that book publishing is about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/in-time-june-7-2010-on-the-sustainability-of-the-publishing-industry/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [Now, almost twenty years since my last job in book publishing, I know that there are far more socially inept people in book than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/now-almost-twenty-years-since-my-last-job-in-book-publishing-i-know/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [Book publishing was never a heaven "run by editors", and it is by no means today a hell "run by accountants." If our "sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-nielsen-hayden/book-publishing-was-never-a-heaven-run-by-editors-and-it-is-by-no/) [Patrick Nielsen Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-nielsen-hayden/) > [I think I'm gonna attach myself to the sinking ship that is book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-think-i-m-gonna-attach-myself-to-the-sinking-ship-that-is-book/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [I think that the economics of book publishing favor hits with long book runs. You make all your money on the last bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-think-that-the-economics-of-book-publishing-favor-hits-with-long/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [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/) > [Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/book-publishing-would-be-so-much-easier-without-the-authors/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Australian SF book publishing has undergone a boom recently, and sometimes it's easier for new writers to sell a book to a local publisher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/australian-sf-book-publishing-has-undergone-a-boom-recently-and/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [I thought, 'Okay, what's going to be my edge, and how am I going to define what I'm doing differently?' Once I had that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trip-hawkins/i-thought-okay-what-s-going-to-be-my-edge-and-how-am-i-going-to/) [Trip Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trip-hawkins/) ## More by John B. Thompson > [“To publish in the sense of making a book available to the public is easy – and never easier than it is today, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/to-publish-in-the-sense-of-making-a-book-available-to-the-public-is/) [John B. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-thompson/) > [“For publishers are not just employers and financial risk-takers: they are also cultural mediators and arbitrators of quality and taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/for-publishers-are-not-just-employers-and-financial-risk-takers-they/) [John B. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-thompson/) [Explore all 3 John B. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-thompson/) ## More Book publishing quotes > [I thought, 'Okay, what's going to be my edge, and how am I going to define what I'm doing differently?' Once I had that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trip-hawkins/i-thought-okay-what-s-going-to-be-my-edge-and-how-am-i-going-to/) [Trip Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trip-hawkins/) > [Australian SF book publishing has undergone a boom recently, and sometimes it's easier for new writers to sell a book to a local publisher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/australian-sf-book-publishing-has-undergone-a-boom-recently-and/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [When we first did 'Modernist Cuisine,' I think most people in cookbook publishing would have said, 'This is insane.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/when-we-first-did-modernist-cuisine-i-think-most-people-in-cookbook/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [“The grossest offenders are in the field of, in connection with, in order to, in respect of, so far as… is concerned. All sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-evans/the-grossest-offenders-are-in-the-field-of-in-connection-with-in/) [Harold Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-evans/) > [Book publishing would be so much easier without the authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/book-publishing-would-be-so-much-easier-without-the-authors/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [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/) > [I think that the economics of book publishing favor hits with long book runs. You make all your money on the last bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-think-that-the-economics-of-book-publishing-favor-hits-with-long/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I think I'm gonna attach myself to the sinking ship that is book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-think-i-m-gonna-attach-myself-to-the-sinking-ship-that-is-book/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [Book publishing was never a heaven "run by editors", and it is by no means today a hell "run by accountants." If our "sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-nielsen-hayden/book-publishing-was-never-a-heaven-run-by-editors-and-it-is-by-no/) [Patrick Nielsen Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-nielsen-hayden/) > [Now, almost twenty years since my last job in book publishing, I know that there are far more socially inept people in book than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/now-almost-twenty-years-since-my-last-job-in-book-publishing-i-know/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [Many writers hate the shilling process, and I understand that. However, it's really the only thing about the publication process you can somewhat control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/many-writers-hate-the-shilling-process-and-i-understand-that-however/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) > [I had a lot of space as a kid. My mother worked with human rights for the government, and my dad had a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yung-lean/i-had-a-lot-of-space-as-a-kid-my-mother-worked-with-human-rights-for/) [Yung Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yung-lean/) > [“Book publishing is a passion that one hopes eventually becomes a good paying job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/book-publishing-is-a-passion-that-one-hopes-eventually-becomes-a-good/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I came into book publishing without any particular impulse to be in book publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/i-came-into-book-publishing-without-any-particular-impulse-to-be-in/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Google helps us sort the Internet by providing a sense of hierarchy to information. Facebook uses its algorithms and its intricate understanding of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/google-helps-us-sort-the-internet-by-providing-a-sense-of-hierarchy/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) [Browse all 43 Book publishing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-publishing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Few industries have had their death foretold more frequently than the book publishing industry, and yet somehow, miraculously, it seems to have survived them all – at least till now.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John B. Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/few-industries-have-had-their-death-foretold-more-frequently-than-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book publishing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/few-industries-have-had-their-death-foretold-more-frequently-than-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab7/john-b-thompson-81174_book-publishing_few-industries-have-had-their-death-fore_2986643.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Few industries have had their death foretold more frequently than the book publishing industry, and yet…” — John B. Thompson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John B. Thompson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-thompson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Few industries have had their death...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/few-industries-have-had-their-death-foretold-more-frequently-than-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-thompson/few-industries-have-had-their-death-foretold-more-frequently-than-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```