Why Publishing?

I was asked the above question during a recent job interview, and while I stumbled through my answer, I've had more time to chew on it and add my own questions. Do I really want this? Am I as passionate about publishing as I say? My fall-back answer has always been, "I love the feel of books in my hands, the permanence and tangibility of a cover bound story." But that doesn't quite capture the depth of WHY...

Here's what I discovered. Books seem to hold promise-- the promise of learning, of adventure, or maybe an emotion (to feel something you wouldn't otherwise). This is what keeps me going to my bookshelf, the library, or every bookstore I happen to find. How does publishing fit into this? I love the thought of putting books together, because THEN it ceases to be a pile of papers and disconnected pieces, and becomes a whole entity, an entity whose label reads, "Just Add Reader." And then it comes to life in front of you!

To take part in the creation of a book is to help an author polish and shape his or her dream into something he or she can be proud of. I'm realizing that I care less about whether or not that dream "sells" and more about the effect it will have on its readers, no matter how few they may be. For example, a family memoir written by an eighty-two year old grandfather will capture something of his family's history that might otherwise be lost. It will not become a best seller. It may never even see a bookstore shelf! But if it is created (and created well) and finds its way into the hands of future generations, that book will keep its promise to the author, and the reader, to teach and remind.

And even after exploring these questions, I still can't help but feel desperate for someone to tell me, "You're not crazy for wanting this!" The interviewer, a man who has been in the publishing business for over thirty years, told me I'm about "ten years too late." I refuse to believe that's true.