If I Were A Gatekeeper

Looking back, the worst part about the New Think panel at South by Southwest was not the lack of new thinking. It was the sense that the panelists didn’t have a plan for executing on the audience comments. There was no discussion, no follow-up questions, no suggestion that something would come from the audience-as-focus-group approach. So with a bit of my eternal “once more with feeling” optimism, I’m going to lay out some of the issues and my thoughts on them. This is in no way an all-encompassing list, so feel free to add your own ideas. You may be […]

The Future of Publishing

The Daily Square – Where It’s At Edition

Todays links of interest: Baker Taylor Moving California Warehouse to IndianapolisBad news for California. Scribd Signs Deals with Major HousesLooks like we might have to give Scribd another look — publishers see it as optimal marketing channel. German Book Publishers Sue File Sharing ReadersYay! The music industry model is alive and well.

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The Daily Square – High Tide or Low Tide Edition

Todays links of interest: Are rising used book sales making it harder to publish new books?A brief piece at Mobylives about recent Oprah segment pushing people toward buying used and trading books. Rather than shake our fingers, maybe it’s time, again, to talk about the value of books. The Puppy That Will Eat The Publishing DogMike Cane highlights points about adaptability and speed to market. Sourcebooks, Books Are Fun Team UpThe Horrid Henry series is coming to the US in great style.

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The Daily Square – Highway 69 Edition

Todays links of interest: Reganomics, or How to Publish Like a Porn StarSara Nelson muses on the new HarperCollins imprints and the ghost of the still-alive Judith Regan. Book Publishers Are Scarce at SXSWAt Publishing Trends, Lorraine Shanley asks the eternal question: why aren’t more book publishers at a conference so focused on new media and publishing! Ex-Rocky Mountain News staffers plan news Web siteVery cool, and so keeping in with the let’s-just-do-it zeitgeist of the week.

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New Think? Not So Much

Nutshell analysis of the “New Think for Old Publishers” panel at South by Southwest 2009: there was a not a single new think in the room. Let me be clear. Absolutely clear. Not one word spoken in that session, either from the panelists or from the audience, was new or innovative. (This is ironic given the fact that Penguin UK/Six to Start won two awards for the brilliant We Tell Stories project later that night. Congratulations to everyone involved, with a special shout-out to Jeremy Ettinghausen!) Let’s back up. The panel — fronting a room of about 300 people —

The Future of Publishing

The Daily Square – Seven Second Delay Edition

Todays links of interest: Old Growth Media And The Future Of NewsText of Steve Johnson’s SXSW presentation on newspapers. It’s a nice companion to the Clay Shirky article Newspapers and Thinking the UnthinkableWe’re all thinking it, Clay Shirky just comes out and says it. It’s time to save the world, the world of journalism, instead of worrying about saving the newspapers. The Orphan MonopolyPeter Brantley’s analysis of the Google Book Search meeting at the Columbia Law School. While focusing on the plight of orphan works, he picks up on some of the potential, shall we say, difficulties.

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The Daily Square – Not For Sale Girl Edition

Todays links of interest: Amazon uses DMCA to restrict where you can buy e-booksInteresting. The iPhone e-book readers’ guideMacworld reviews ereaders for the iPhone. Opportunities in the Digital Arena for Independent Bookstores: An Action Plan for the American Booksellers AssociationWhile we applaud the concept of a plan (and wish we had one!), we’re a bit, dudes, it’s 2009. Now you’re getting started on a plan?

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The Daily Square – Could You Be Loved Edition

Todays links of interest: At Risk: Universal Online Access to All Knowledge – O’Reilly RadarThoughts on Google Book Search and orphaned works. The Twitter Followholic: An EpidemicHow manage Twitter to suit your lifestyle (and online style). NC woman sues over ‘Monster-in-Law’ scriptIt is official: every movie ever made in the history of the world is based on a script written by someone who only remembers this after the movie is made, and in some case, years later.

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The Daily Square – Beautiful Right Now Edition

Todays links of interest: Audrey Niffenegger Receives $5 Million Advance for Second NovelScribner gambles big on a second novel. In their favor? The fact that Niffenegger has actually finished the novel, allowing the publisher to at least know what they’re actually buying. Stanza Has Read an eBook Week Freebees; Hunted Pubs in Print, on iPhoneGo forth and get yours!

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