Today’s links of interest: Kindle Ebooks Outsell Real Books on ChristmasHey, parse the numbers however you want, it’s still pretty darn amazing. Lessons from the Rick Moody Twitter ProjectMany lessons to be learned from this project. Some of them uncomfortable for those on the receiving end. All gets back to audience and how to live it.
Today’s links of interest: City Tries to Rewrite Lone Bookstore’s Last ChapterThe worst part about closing Laredo’s only remaining bookstore is the reason why. Pure corporate decision, not lack of sales.
Today’s links of interest: Judging a publisher by formatting?Oh yes! Poor formatting pulls the readers out of the story, and readers do notice (hey Big Six, don’t look smug, you are making a lot of poor quality lists!). Steal These BooksAn interesting look at the books people steal…and the people who steal books. NSFW: Free as in “my publisher will disown me after I pirate my book on TechCrunch”Author Paul Carr, caught up in a territorial rights war and desire to garner publicity and maybe sell a few more books, goes rogue. Love this quote: “The consensus seems to be
David Ulin, of the Los Angeles Times focuses on the question we kicked down the road. And, oh yes, he notes that reading is stronger and more prevalent than ever before. Writing and reading are about engagement, about participating in a conversation, and inasmuch as technology can play a role in this interaction, it only draws more people in. How does the screen change things? This should have been the question of the last decade, but it appears it will unavoidably be the question of the next. What kind of platforms — social networks, Web, print, multimedia — are we
No matter where you stand on the various issues surrrounding the future of publishing, one thing is clear: without readers, what we do doesn’t matter very much. We sometimes take the privilege of our bookish lives for granted, forgetting how many people out there would give anything to be able to pick up a book and read it. Yet, this is the season of giving (and, yes, tax deductions). Every year, we here at Booksquare make a pitch for our favorite causes, hoping some of you, like us, will find a little something extra to give this now and in
Today’s links of interest: Board of Director Election Results December 2009Congratulations to all the IDPF board members and new president. Carolyn Reidy’s Two WorldsReidy’s annual letter to the Simon Schuster staff looks back at accomplishments and forward to challenges. At PW-Moderated E-Book Session, Questions Rise for One Panelist, Revenues Rise for AnotherA lot to consider in this article, and publishers are probably squirming at the increase of authors wondering what have you done for me lately. Also note the innovations of Oxford University Press.
Today’s links of interest: Garage doors, printers, and the DMCA: A look backA different look at the first sale doctrine. Things breakFrom Brian O’Leary, some thoughts on ebook delays and pricing. Separation of E-Book Rights: Publishers’ Worst NightmareFrom Richard Curtis, who points out yet another battle about the past (though a likely more lucrative past than the orphans in the GBS).
Today’s links of interest: Random: UK legal context on digital rights ‘different’You know this has something to the do with the war (the one we don’t mention), right? Self-publishing Attracts Star Authors TooEoin Purcell extends some of our recent thoughts about the world of self-publishing. PW’s African-American Cover Image: Black Beauty or Big Mistake?Excellent piece from Calvin Reid on the cover image that rocked the Twittersphere. The reactions were really interesting, and the conversation was well done.
Today’s links of interest: L. B. Taylor’s review of Electra Galaxy’s Mr. Interstellar FellerDear authors, please do not behave like the author in the comments thread to this Amazon review. So far, this author has behaved badly, made up facts, accused a reviewer of being a coward (despite the reviewer’s initial graciousness), attacked other readers, insinuated that her book’s editorial process is akin to making a patchwork quilt, and insulted other published authors. Oh, and she’s managed to do all this with some of the worst-formed sentences and thoughts on the planet.
For your reading enjoyment, I have compiled a list of about a dozen things that will not save publishing. I have also created a brief list of things that will save publishing. As always, neither list is comprehensive, and I reserve the right to add items if I think of something while I’m in the shower. For what it’s worth, publishing is alive, well, and bigger than ever! It’s obvious we’re seeing more creativity, more innovation, more ways of connecting people and reading. When we talk about “saving publishing”, we need to be very clear. We are talking about book
