Legendary publisher turned literary agent Larry Kirshbaum was recently interviewed by the 26th Story, HarperStudio’s publishing blog.

I found his take on the state of the book industry a welcome break from the dearth of stories reporting on its imminent demise. I also liked Kirshbaum’s focus on what can be done to better give books a chance of succeeding in the marketplace.

He suggests big publishers trim their lists so they can ote more time, energy and marketing dollars to each title, something HarperStudio is already doing. Most intriguing was his suggestion that “marginal titles” or ones with a smaller potential audience, be published in digital format exclusively and only brought to print in a physical book if need dictates. Others, including marketer Seth Godin and novelist Stephen King have played with this idea — offering either books or chapters online ahead of a book’s physical release, or in King’s case, in lieu of it.

While Kirshbaum’s solutions might not be the ultimate solution for a world that’s growing increasingly digital, it’s clear that he’s headed in the right direction.