Non-Traditional Publishing

Last week’s reception for Amazon’s Kindle was, to put it kindly, rough. I admit it: I was expecting something more exciting. Something more egalitarian. Something I could put on my Amazon Wishlist. Good thing I’m an eternal optimist. I really do think a good e-reader is important to the world, and here are two reasons why. Save trees, money, space. All with one device. One of the so-called perks of being a book reviewer are the books. They just keep on coming. Lots and lots of books. More than I can ever read, even though I really want to curl […]

Some of your are thinking, “Why is she so obsessed with this strike?” Others, I hope, are seeing the appropriate parallels between what is happening with the Hollywood writers and you. Authors are surely noting that these writers are fighting for better compensation. Publishers are seeing that, as with music, creative talent has leverage. It is interesting that, despite being the oldest of entertainment industries, the publishing industry is lagging behind its siblings when it comes to online exploitation. I see this as a chance for publishing professionals to get it right while the music and film businesses engage in

Nothing like the first Monday after a lovely vacation to get the creative juices flowing. Hmm, that is so not true. The Monday after a lovely vacation is spent contemplating the possibility of the permanent vacation. Why, oh why, must we work to eat? Shouldn’t life be free? It’s all about the mailing list. Alas, life is not free. Do not see this as sad; see it as opportunity. Yeah, that’s taking it too far. Sorry. Still thinking mai tais and snorkeling. Let’s try again. In today’s world, artists and producers (writers and publishers) need to be creative about their

[BS: The BS team is taking a well-deserved rest cure, but that doesn’t stop the fun around here (nothing stops the fun around here). We asked Malle Valik of Harlequin to discuss her company’s recent decision to release their full frontlist in ebook format. More specifically, we asked her to address the question of “who buys ebooks”? Fullish disclosure here: the question arose at a recent conference where, buoyed by just a drop of wine, we argued quite forcefully with a gentleman who assured us that women — especially women who don’t reside in major coastal cities — don’t read

It is not a surprise that traditional entertainment companies are turning to the Internet to find new talent. In fact, the surprise would be if they weren’t. Not only is the web a great place to showcase talent, but it also gives editors, agents, producers, whomever the opportunity to observe fan reaction. Self-publisher works for a certain type of author. Over at Literary Kicks, there’s a lengthy discussion about the dysfunctional nature of (literary) fiction pricing. I use the parentheses because while the site’s focus is literary fiction, the problem is widespread. I’m sending you there to read that discussion;

One of the great features of the Booksquare/Medialoper complex is the awesome production studio. It’s not unusual for the team (cats, humans, squirrels, random strangers) to go straight from the conference facilities to the microphone to talk about the big ideas of our era. Luckily for you, cooler heads often prevail the next morning. Except this time. Kirk Biglione interviewed author Timothy Sykes about his experiences with self-publishing and print-on-demand for Medialoper. Then Kirk thought, “You know, that chick who writes for Booksquare has a lot of opinions on this topic.” A glass(ish) of wine later…voila! Or maybe…two for price

Books are funny things. You’d think, after centuries of printing and selling them, industry professionals would understand how the business works. They would get that buzz doesn’t necessarily translate to sales — especially when that buzz is inherently incestuous in nature — and that the buying public is completely overwhelmed by choice. Publishers need to remember that trying to recreate the successes of 1963 means building time machines. You would also think that publishers would realize that niches are different than trends. The latter leads to glutting the market when just one or two would do; the former simmers along

During this incredibly busy week, we have come to rely on the magical powers of our cell phone more than ever. So much so that we had a panicky dream where the cute little thing was broken and required major surgery. Not a happy time sleeping. We’ve also been talking to friends about the wonders that is cellular technology. We are turning to you to help us understand the allure of the cellular phone. Because leaving well enough alone has never been our strong suit, naturally we’ve nudged the conversation toward cell phones and new media. Over and over, we

It is all the rage to write about the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And there is, indeed, so much to write. The release date, the title, the potential for spoilers to ruin a perfectly nice. And then there’s the fact that the book won’t be released as an electronic edition. None of the Potter titles have been available as ebooks. The most commonly cited reason is a fear of piracy. Woe to the stupid pirate who tries to argue that he or she is selling a legitimate version of the book (as we vaguely recall happening a