Comments on: Competing for Eyeballs: Reading in the 21st Century http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/ Dissecting the publishing industry with love and skepticism Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:02:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tamara Peace http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170266 Tamara Peace Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:57:32 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170266 As a former bookseller and avid reader, I've seen first-hand how time has "collapsed," and how the Internet has both challenged and supported what, where, and how we read. My slightly rhetorical question is, "Who’s setting the criteria for what counts as ‘reading fiction’"? It seems to me that people are doing what they’ve always done: being eclectic and selective about what, where, and how they choose to read. It seems like it’s all about juggling the order of priority, particularly for those of us who “read and write” for a living. Different point: sort of riffing off of both Perry and Ted’s comments above, I think educators' greatest challenge is in figuring out how to assist students in learning how to be more reflective and deliberate as they read. In a world where flipping from one website to another without deeply digesting anything has fast become a norm among people who DO read a lot, what sort of implications does this have for anybody trying to find the "time” to read? How do we help students want to grapple with a text? Reading certainly has several purposes, and is meaningful in different ways to different people. But the schooling process might be inadvertently contributing to a very quiet defection from reading later on in life---even by people who generally like to read. Last point: "Time" is a somewhat loaded word when it comes to reading. Many of us truly valorize making the "time to read"---which includes figuring out what we must/should/could read first. But there’s a lot of pressure involved with figuring out what you think you "need" to read versus what you may "want" to read. This is more about what sort of lifestyle you have, what your friends read, what your colleagues read, what you are “expected” to read, and so on. “Reading” inexorably then becomes a new kind of “work” in ways that we might not always want because it’s too closely linked to other parts of our professional lives. We might be unconsciously pushing away from “reading” because it’s too much like the work many of us now do. I really enjoyed both the article and comments. As a former bookseller and avid reader, I’ve seen first-hand how time has “collapsed,” and how the Internet has both challenged and supported what, where, and how we read. My slightly rhetorical question is, “Who’s setting the criteria for what counts as ‘reading fiction’”? It seems to me that people are doing what they’ve always done: being eclectic and selective about what, where, and how they choose to read. It seems like it’s all about juggling the order of priority, particularly for those of us who “read and write” for a living.

Different point: sort of riffing off of both Perry and Ted’s comments above, I think educators’ greatest challenge is in figuring out how to assist students in learning how to be more reflective and deliberate as they read. In a world where flipping from one website to another without deeply digesting anything has fast become a norm among people who DO read a lot, what sort of implications does this have for anybody trying to find the “time” to read? How do we help students want to grapple with a text? Reading certainly has several purposes, and is meaningful in different ways to different people. But the schooling process might be inadvertently contributing to a very quiet defection from reading later on in life—even by people who generally like to read.

Last point: “Time” is a somewhat loaded word when it comes to reading. Many of us truly valorize making the “time to read”—which includes figuring out what we must/should/could read first. But there’s a lot of pressure involved with figuring out what you think you “need” to read versus what you may “want” to read. This is more about what sort of lifestyle you have, what your friends read, what your colleagues read, what you are “expected” to read, and so on. “Reading” inexorably then becomes a new kind of “work” in ways that we might not always want because it’s too closely linked to other parts of our professional lives. We might be unconsciously pushing away from “reading” because it’s too much like the work many of us now do.

I really enjoyed both the article and comments.

]]> By: Ted http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170261 Ted Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:48:31 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170261 I would suggest something that increases the difficulty of reading "quality" books is the different narrative styles of years ago. Such writers as Joseph Conrad in his novels written in the late 19th - early 20th centuries had a different periodicity to their sentences. It's the same for Robert Graves who wrote his historical works somewhat later into the 20th century but still before the TV and the Internet. A different style of journalism affected narrative style, and "hurried it up." The novels of Conrad and Graves, for just two, were written for a readership that did not have TV or the Internet to interrupt their long evenings, especially in the winter. However, if you persist with a novel by the two writers mentioned above, you will soon "get into" their narrative style with the long periodicity of their sentences, and enjoy it. Such styles with diminish your interest for the TV, Internet and modern journalism because of the intelligence and perceptivity of the authors. Ted I would suggest something that increases the difficulty of reading “quality” books is the different narrative styles of years ago. Such writers as Joseph Conrad in his novels written in the late 19th – early 20th centuries had a different periodicity to their sentences. It’s the same for Robert Graves who wrote his historical works somewhat later into the 20th century but still before the TV and the Internet. A different style of journalism affected narrative style, and “hurried it up.” The novels of Conrad and Graves, for just two, were written for a readership that did not have TV or the Internet to interrupt their long evenings, especially in the winter. However, if you persist with a novel by the two writers mentioned above, you will soon “get into” their narrative style with the long periodicity of their sentences, and enjoy it. Such styles with diminish your interest for the TV, Internet and modern journalism because of the intelligence and perceptivity of the authors. Ted

]]> By: Perry Brass http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170205 Perry Brass Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:13:12 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170205 The real problem is much more systemic: the literacy rate in America is actually, testably dropping. Kids now graduate from most public high schools with a literacy rate that would have put them in 5th grade when I was in school (I graduated high school in 1964). Most colleges now have to do exceptional remedial jobs to get their freshmen up to speed, and many freshmen can't take it. On the other hand, a lot of public community colleges have just given up, so we have community college graduates who are reading, with a degree, at my 9th grade level. This makes reading itself a huge chore for most kids. It also means that when the baby boomers die off, there will be little to replace them, certainly in the area of literacy. This itself is scary, since democracy really rests on literacy. Another strange bit of info: back in the 1930s, when America was knee-deep in the Depression, the country had a 100% literacy rate. Illiteracy was virtually unknown. Public schools produced very literate graduates, mostly because reading the newspaper was virtually the only way of getting the news. So before we start talking about no time to read, we have to ask ourselves, who are the readers going to be? Perry Brass, author of Carnal Sacraments, A Historical Novel of the Future. The real problem is much more systemic: the literacy rate in America is actually, testably dropping. Kids now graduate from most public high schools with a literacy rate that would have put them in 5th grade when I was in school (I graduated high school in 1964). Most colleges now have to do exceptional remedial jobs to get their freshmen up to speed, and many freshmen can’t take it. On the other hand, a lot of public community colleges have just given up, so we have community college graduates who are reading, with a degree, at my 9th grade level. This makes reading itself a huge chore for most kids. It also means that when the baby boomers die off, there will be little to replace them, certainly in the area of literacy. This itself is scary, since democracy really rests on literacy. Another strange bit of info: back in the 1930s, when America was knee-deep in the Depression, the country had a 100% literacy rate. Illiteracy was virtually unknown. Public schools produced very literate graduates, mostly because reading the newspaper was virtually the only way of getting the news. So before we start talking about no time to read, we have to ask ourselves, who are the readers going to be?

Perry Brass, author of Carnal Sacraments, A Historical Novel of the Future.

]]> By: Karl Lamb http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170203 Karl Lamb Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:39:06 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170203 Its too depressing for writers. Its too depressing for writers.

]]> By: Ode to change « The Book Publicity Blog http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170202 Ode to change « The Book Publicity Blog Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:47:19 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170202 [...] to change Over at Booksquare, a thoughtful publishing industry blog, Kassia Krozser penned Competing for Eyeballs, in which she exhorted publishing companies to change the way they (we) reach readers.  (Patience, [...] [...] to change Over at Booksquare, a thoughtful publishing industry blog, Kassia Krozser penned Competing for Eyeballs, in which she exhorted publishing companies to change the way they (we) reach readers.  (Patience, [...]

]]> By: Brian O'Leary http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170201 Brian O'Leary Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:04:15 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170201 I know that you've read them, but I have done a couple of pieces lately that may help. One is on lean consumption and organizing around (real-life) readers: http://www.magellanmediapartners.com/index.php/mmcp/article/content_from_the_consumers_perspective/ The other, more recent, talks about how hard it is for publishers to get a grip and focus their innovation: http://www.magellanmediapartners.com/index.php/mmcp/article/a_fix_on_anything/ I agree that times are challenging (and I too am not sure who'd left standing in December), but there are guideposts and lighthouses we can use to navigate. I wrote these two posts with that in mind. I know that you’ve read them, but I have done a couple of pieces lately that may help. One is on lean consumption and organizing around (real-life) readers:

http://www.magellanmediapartners.com/index.php/mmcp/article/content_from_the_consumers_perspective/

The other, more recent, talks about how hard it is for publishers to get a grip and focus their innovation:

http://www.magellanmediapartners.com/index.php/mmcp/article/a_fix_on_anything/

I agree that times are challenging (and I too am not sure who’d left standing in December), but there are guideposts and lighthouses we can use to navigate. I wrote these two posts with that in mind.

]]> By: Kassia Krozser http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170199 Kassia Krozser Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:43:18 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170199 Ha! Official game of the BS household is croquet. We hold an annual tournament (sometimes twice a year). This leads back to Kate's comment about other forms of entertainment being social. We have game night (I admit, I lose a lot). But it's about all this stuff, you know? I do my best reading at the gym on my Kindle. The big paddles on Kindle 1 are conducive to rapid page turning while I'm on the machine. In that one hour, I am both multitasking and immersed in a story. For me, that's a win. When I get back home, it's not so easy to disconnect. My business is spread across multiple states. My larger business network is around the world. My friends are global. I still find time to read, but I am lucky in that I don't have kids. I don't have many of pressures that many of my peers face -- I was at my real-world bookclub tonight, and one member was talking about the fact that her kids and husband were going out of town next week. She's seeing that as catch-up-with-her time, but already her schedule is filled. I'm going to keep pushing back on this: look beyond our own lives at the craziness of others. Ha! Official game of the BS household is croquet. We hold an annual tournament (sometimes twice a year).

This leads back to Kate’s comment about other forms of entertainment being social. We have game night (I admit, I lose a lot). But it’s about all this stuff, you know? I do my best reading at the gym on my Kindle. The big paddles on Kindle 1 are conducive to rapid page turning while I’m on the machine. In that one hour, I am both multitasking and immersed in a story. For me, that’s a win.

When I get back home, it’s not so easy to disconnect. My business is spread across multiple states. My larger business network is around the world. My friends are global. I still find time to read, but I am lucky in that I don’t have kids. I don’t have many of pressures that many of my peers face — I was at my real-world bookclub tonight, and one member was talking about the fact that her kids and husband were going out of town next week. She’s seeing that as catch-up-with-her time, but already her schedule is filled.

I’m going to keep pushing back on this: look beyond our own lives at the craziness of others.

]]> By: ReacherFan http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170198 ReacherFan Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:21:28 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170198 I play games, chat, keep a blog, read the news, shop, email, swap books, mail books, manage my work in a voluntary standards group, and in my spare time, I work for a living. Yes, books compete for my time. I read books when I spend the day on my computer and print books when I shut it down. I do not Twitter, text, or Digg. If I allowed it, technology would consume all of my time. Every waking hour, every single day. It's an easy trap. Lately, I've noticed that people are so fixated on communicating in every mode possible, they have less and less of interest to say. It's like intelligent thought has taken a vacation with its partner, critical thinking. When was the last time you sat down and played cards with friends? A board game with the kids? They have computers of their own and chat, text and twitter with friends - but how many just get together and DO things that have nothing to do with technology? We had a gathering in June and the hit of the party was - croquet. Now, every person with a croquet set, raise your hand! Shut of your computers, phones, Blackberry, iPhones, iPods and all the rest of the junk and go outside and play a game with your family and pick up a good book and read each night. Now, my TBR pile is threatening to crush me to death as it teeters on the back of my sofa, so I think I'll start working on a new book - my 3rd this week. I have learned the art of disconnecting from electronic life. I play games, chat, keep a blog, read the news, shop, email, swap books, mail books, manage my work in a voluntary standards group, and in my spare time, I work for a living. Yes, books compete for my time. I read books when I spend the day on my computer and print books when I shut it down. I do not Twitter, text, or Digg. If I allowed it, technology would consume all of my time. Every waking hour, every single day. It’s an easy trap.

Lately, I’ve noticed that people are so fixated on communicating in every mode possible, they have less and less of interest to say. It’s like intelligent thought has taken a vacation with its partner, critical thinking.

When was the last time you sat down and played cards with friends? A board game with the kids? They have computers of their own and chat, text and twitter with friends – but how many just get together and DO things that have nothing to do with technology? We had a gathering in June and the hit of the party was – croquet. Now, every person with a croquet set, raise your hand! Shut of your computers, phones, Blackberry, iPhones, iPods and all the rest of the junk and go outside and play a game with your family and pick up a good book and read each night.

Now, my TBR pile is threatening to crush me to death as it teeters on the back of my sofa, so I think I’ll start working on a new book – my 3rd this week. I have learned the art of disconnecting from electronic life.

]]> By: Clive Warner http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170197 Clive Warner Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:12:42 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170197 I started reading when I was about three years old, in what feels like about 1897, and devoured everything I could find in my parent's house including a book on the design of toilets. But now ... even though I run a small press and you would think I spend a lot of time reading, I don't. It is exactly as David Ulin said. Exactly. I started reading when I was about three years old, in what feels like about 1897, and devoured everything I could find in my parent’s house including a book on the design of toilets. But now … even though I run a small press and you would think I spend a lot of time reading, I don’t. It is exactly as David Ulin said. Exactly.

]]> By: Kassia Krozser http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/comment-page-1/#comment-170196 Kassia Krozser Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:04:31 +0000 http://booksquare.com/competing-for-eyeballs-reading-in-the-21st-century/#comment-170196 Brian -- honestly, I think I started one and ended up lurching toward the other. Your example of shorter reads is, certainly, one way of solving the problems of the push me/pull you society we call home. I agree that longer form books aren't going way. In some ways, my questions here anticipate some of the questions raised in Mike Shatzkin's post today. How do we make it easier on the people who just want to read a book? This is playing off of other incomplete thoughts. Part of me is looking at the sheer number of new titles (big, heavy, expensive books!) dropping in the next few months, another part of me is looking at the amount of life that has to fit between (increasingly short) hours of sleep, and then there's the part wondering who will be left standing in December. Brian — honestly, I think I started one and ended up lurching toward the other. Your example of shorter reads is, certainly, one way of solving the problems of the push me/pull you society we call home. I agree that longer form books aren’t going way. In some ways, my questions here anticipate some of the questions raised in Mike Shatzkin’s post today. How do we make it easier on the people who just want to read a book?

This is playing off of other incomplete thoughts. Part of me is looking at the sheer number of new titles (big, heavy, expensive books!) dropping in the next few months, another part of me is looking at the amount of life that has to fit between (increasingly short) hours of sleep, and then there’s the part wondering who will be left standing in December.

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