Respone to Paperight Seminar

In Monday’s seminar we engaged in a Skype discussion with Paperight founder Arthur Attwell. This provided us with a fascinating insight into his unique publishing operation which seeks to address the problem of distributing books in rural areas and those lacking bookshops. It is remarkable just how clever Paperight’s solution to the problem is, particularly as it is one that is so simple and easy to implement. Instead of sticking with the old model and trying to figure out ways of getting standard print books to hard-to-reach customers, the company utilises what these rural areas actually have to offer and adapts the product and distribution method accordingly. In doing so, the business manages to benefit not only themselves and the publishers, but local print shops also.

It will be interesting to keep track of Paperight’s progress in order see if it can become a sustainable and viable business operation. I also think the while the same issues of distribution are not necessarily applicable to the UK, there could still be valuable lessons from Paperight’s experiences for UK publishers. In an era where the position of high-street bookshops is becoming increasingly tenuous, it is worth bearing in mind that any business with a printer and an internet connection can be turned into a bookstore.