Comics Publishers Recognize Digital Opportunity
If there’s one area of publishing where the “game-changing” hype around the iPad has substance, it’s comic books. While comics have been in digital formats, legally and otherwise, for years, few would argue that Apple’s sleek tablet is the first platform to offer an optimal digital reading and purchasing experience, from comiXology’s innovative Guided View
The Ideal 21st Century Publisher: A Remix
My fantasy publisher would follow a pretty simple equation: Tor.com + Runes of Gallidon + Book View Cafe + Cursor = Awesome!
Digital Natives and Ebooks: Missing the Point
WE BELIEVE that reading widely and reading fluently will give children the reading stamina to deal with more challenging texts they will meet in college, at work and in everyday life. And every child should be able to choose and own the books they want to read for that choice builds literacy confidence—the ability to
Fragmented Marketing: Making Owls Appealing
“From the Director of 300 and Watchmen” isn’t an ideal tagline for a PG-rated movie aimed at kids.
Wrestling With Words: Defining Transmedia
Ask 5 people what they think transmedia is and you’ll get 10 different answers, all with pretty sound reasoning, most likely based on the industry they work in.
Your Brand is NOT a Community
Back in January, Shiv Singh gave a great keynote presentation, Engaging Readers in the Digital Age, at the inaugural Digital Book World Conference that, in retrospect, set the tone for what was to come in 2010. “Build consumer brands,” Singh exhorted, “because your current value chain is breaking.” Since then, we’ve seen the introduction of
A Little Help From Our Friends
NOTE: You may not know that my wife is a special ed teacher, and you may not know that special ed teachers in many school districts get even less support than general ed teachers, but both are true. The following is from her annual “Beg-A-Thon” appeal, and any help you can offer would be greatly
The Godin Situation: Content, Context, Community
Seth Godin’s decision to not publish his theoretical next book(s) via traditional channels has caused a predictable stir amongst the pundit class, with proclamations about “The Death of Publishing” coming from many of the usual suspects looking to scare up page views. Predictably, few have acknowledged the unusually nuanced statement Godin actually made about his situation: “The thing is–now I know who my readers are. Adding layers or faux scarcity doesn’t help me or you.”
Don’t Be a Writer, Be a Creator
And by independence, I mean making a sustainable living, not just self-publishing your book via Amazon or Lulu or Smashwords and declaring yourself an “indie”.
Can Digital Expand the Audience for Comic Books?
From a fragile network of brick-and-mortar direct market retailers and the often fickle tastes of hardcore, social media-savvy fans, to online piracy and the tantalizing possibilities of the iPad, comic books have been out on the bleeding edge of the digital transition for years. While some comics publishers have had success expanding beyond the limited