Page 20 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL4

COUNTRY PORTRAITFrom left to right: Youngsuk ‘YS’ Chi, current president of the IPA; MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Bangkok governor; and Woraphan Lokitsathaporn, former president of PUBATThe industry needs content creators who can take time off from regular employment to write and create their own works.need to fight for themselves. “Thai publishers have created their own market, their own demand and supply chain and even their own distribution system,” she said.The government can still help the book industry in Thailand by creating a fund to provide money or allowances to writers and artists who wish to write, she added. The industry needs content creators who can take time off from regular employment to write and create their own works.So what do Thai publishers need to do to remain relevant in an increasingly digital world?Ms Trasvin believes publishers need to keep themselves updated on digital e-book technology and waitpatiently until more viable, stable and affordable technology appears. Most of all, publishers must keep doing what they do and be clear about their purpose. “Keep doing good work,” she said. “Produce good books from good manuscripts.”And publishers need to know their trade. “Publishers are businesspeople who need to make money. But our business is unique because our products are cultural and educational, and we need to deal with artists, thinkers and educators. I think publishers must have faith in their profession and be firm in their role, and not be easily influenced by new fads in technology. Publishers need to know what writers cannot do, and how they as publishers can fillthat void.”Ms Trasvin also urges localpublishers to help find and cultivate new writers and talent. She believes local publishers should not rely on selling books translated from foreign bestsellers alone because they don’t control the copyright. Local publishers who sell physical books might see their market decline if copyright owners start allocating copyrights to e-books.In the end, publishers that can remain relevant and run sustainable businesses are those who create their own content and keep doing good work, fulfilling the first and foremost duty of any publisher – to reproduce and promote works of high quality.18 Elite+