by Mike Bako
There are few names more synonymous with newspaper reporting than Pete Hamill’s. His columns graced the black and white pages of The New York Post and New York Daily News for decades. He also served as editor in chief of both papers at various points in his career and his books have been on both the fiction and nonfiction New York Times best seller lists. If there is anyone who is associated with the printed on paper word it is Hamill.
News that his next book will only be released in digital form has not set the publishing world on fire but it is a significant development for someone so associated with the more traditional forms of disseminating his content to the world. Hamill’s new book will focus on the immigration debate, both he and the publisher want to book to be ready for the midterm elections in order to a part of the national debate. The advantage of releasing only in a digital format will allow for quicker turn around time and no time needed to publish actual books.
The question for both Hamill and his publisher Little, Brown and Company is will the audience for his book follow him into the digital world? Most people who have read Hamill for decades fall into the demographic that has not totally bought into the E-reader market. However, going digital could open him up to a brand new audience who has embraced the trend and have been shunning the brick and mortar bookstores over the last few years.