The Atlantic, Electric Literature, and the Digital Future
If your core pitch is your “innovative” business model and not what you publish and for whom, your 15 minutes are almost up.
Seven People in My #Transmedia Neighborhood
While Twitter has only become even more valuable since then as a professional networking tool, I still look to blogs for deeper engagement, and subscribe to feeds of blogs that offer real value.
Audience Development, Beer, Books and Optimism (#smbtv)
The passion and optimism for Troy from some of the people I met was inspiring and infectious, reminding me very much of the community that’s gathered around Digital Book World over the past year.
Waiting for “Superman” and the Vast Charter School Agenda
The situation is dire, the film warns us. We must act. But what must we do? The message of the film is clear. Public schools are bad, privately managed charter schools are good. Parents clamor to get their children out of the public schools in New York City (despite the claims by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
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!
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
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.”
Our Bookshelves Are Over-Flowing With Books
Like a good bookstore, our bookshelves are a curated collection of stories and ideas – some true, some imagined, some a questionable mix of both. Each one of those books say something about who we are, what we believe in, what we cherish.
Collaboration is the Killer App – #DIYdays
For a writer, it’s an amazing opportunity to leverage the full depth of their creations through a truly collaborative process — ideally starting after the first draft is written, IMO — instead of parceling out chunks of rights for a licensing fee and complete loss of control.
The Future of Publishing is Bright
Six months ago, Digital Book World didn’t exist. And yet, 48 hours ago I had the honor of giving the closing remarks at the end of our first annual Digital Book World Conference. Simultaneously exhilarated and exhausted, I communicated most of what I’d hoped to say, but I wanted to reiterate and expand upon it here (and share my slides) because it was a message not just for those in attendance, but for everyone working in this industry that I’m so passionate and optimistic about.