Curating Free Content

Via aptstudio.com

“Content is Free… but curation is sacred”

The phrase (see below for its origins) first came to mind during the Google [un-] settlement with US publishers, and since then I’ve become more and more interested in the notion of “curation”, and publishing….I was struck by this question, of what happens when previously “locked up” content – stuff that is invisible, lost, or in far-off backlist – becomes free, and even more freely available? How will we judge, choose between, or come to find/value content – new or old?What I felt at the time was that if content becomes effectively free then it will be curation that is worth something. And that good curators will be those with the ability to add significant value to something which has effectively become free, and available in multiple formats.Just that as the amount of content we are exposed to increases, without any discernible gauge of quality, it is the trusted curators of that content to whom we will choose to give our attention, time or money, rather then trying to filter it all out personally. In my case, the curator may be the bloke in the record shop who knows my music collection and recommends something new, the staff in my local wine merchant, or a particularly good blog I follow, my newspaper – anything. However, it is not Amazon’s recommendation algorithm; it is decidedly human, and, over time, a relationship of trust is built up. If it works, that trust leads to action, purchase, attention, refinement and more trust.

Publishers prepared to adopt new models (and find ways beyond the printed book to make it work commercially) may find a new lease of life from this. And they may find that in so doing, they create a relationship with their readers that is worth a whole lot in these difficult times.