As in guillotine...

Rethinking Engagement: Facebook and Permission Marketing

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:April 12, 2012
Post category:Media
Post comments:3 Comments

If you think of a “Like” as an opt-in, you’re as close to the value proposition of an email list as it gets outside of actually acquiring that email, and you should treat the content you post to your Facebook Page with as much care and attention as you do your email newsletters. Even better, think of your Facebook Page as a key component of your brand’s overall audience development strategy, complementing your website and email program, and as your audience there grows, leverage Facebook Insights as aggressively as your web analytics to inform and evolve your content strategy.

Pottermore—When Disintermediation Goes Awry

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 28, 2012
Post category:Media
Post comments:0 Comments

While it's interesting to see the affiliate script flipped on Amazon, with their redirecting traffic to purchase the ebooks (surely with a nice cut of the revenue), the user experience leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you're used to purchasing your ebooks via the Kindle itself and/or the apps. The whole setup seems to be targeting hardcore fans—most of whom have probably already downloaded the ebooks for free via a torrent site—while asking the more casual reader to jump through hoops Amazon and B&N, in particular, have worked hard to eliminate.

How John Carter MIGHT Get a Sequel, Despite Disney’s Apparent Efforts to Kill It

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 15, 2012
Post category:Pop Culture
Post comments:0 Comments

Licensing decisions are made well in advance of the release of a movie, so I have to wonder if this had anything to do with Burroughs' estate, what's considered public domain and who has the rights to what's not, but it's difficult to justify treating this movie like a niche play—not with a reported $250m budget on the line.

John Carter of Earth-Two?

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 10, 2012
Post category:Pop Culture Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

In an alternate dimension, where we're a less cynical culture and hollow crap like Avatar and The Lorax tank at the box office, John Carter would be lauded for what it is: an unapologetic, old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure for all ages.

Ebooks and Libraries: Is it Worth the Effort?

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 6, 2012
Post category:Media
Post comments:5 Comments

Since publishers are so concerned with the “perpetuity of lending and simultaneity of availability” of their ebooks, I have to wonder if libraries shouldn’t just help them out and hit the STOP button themselves? Stop buying ebooks across the board, at any price, under any terms.

Asian = Fortune Cookies, and other American Blindspots

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:February 26, 2012
Post category:Personal
Post comments:0 Comments

Having our own kids growing up around a relatively diverse group of kids was an important factor for us when we left the Bronx nearly four years ago, and while we technically found what we were looking for, what we didn't account for was the overwhelmingly white staff that would be teaching them.

Moving Beyond THE BOOK; Three Takeaways from #Book2

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:February 13, 2012
Post category:Media
Post comments:7 Comments

The latest edition of Book^2 Camp, a publishing and technology "unconference," took place yesterday, and while it lacked the star power of last year's Margaret Atwood appearance, it was another worthwhile Sunday afternoon full of thoughtful conversations about the future of publishing. Three quick takeaways.