Publishing Talks: David Wilk Interviews Michael Cairns

In this new series of interviews, I have set out to talk to book industry professionals who have varying perspectives and thoughts about the future of publishing, books, and culture.  This is a period of tremendous disruption and change.  Publishing has been a crucial part of human culture for as long as people have been writing and reading.  How will publishing evolve as our culture is affected by technology, climate change, population density, and the ebb and flow of civilization and its economics?  Many people are thinking deeply – and some acting on – the nature of change and the challenges and opportunities that face us all.  Publishing Talks tries, in a small way, to get at and illustrate some of what is going on today, and perhaps to help us understand, even if only generally, the outlines of what is happening, and how we might ourselves interact with and influence the future as it unfolds.

Publishing Talks gives people in the book business a chance to talk about ideas and concerns in a public forum that are often only talked about “around the water cooler,” at industry conventions and events, and in emails between friends.  I hope this series of talks will give people inside and outside the book industry a chance to hear about some of the thoughts, ideas and concepts that are currently being discussed by engaged individuals within the industry.

My first interview in this series is with Michael Cairns, who has been active in publishing for many years and is currently working with Louis Borders’ start up content venture, MyWire.com.

Michael Cairns is Managing Partner of Information Media Partners a business strategy consulting firm and he is currently serving as Entrepreneur in Residence at a start-up content business, Mywire.com.  His career spans a wide range of publishing and information products, services and B2B categories and his years spent as a line-operating executive have largely been with brand name publishing companies such as Macmillan, Inc, Berlitz International and R.R. Bowker. He publishes his commentary on the publishing industry at www.personanondata.com.

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