Publishing’s Brooklyn Problem
Much like Google didn’t disintermediate big ad agencies via AdWords, nor TV networks or Hollywood studios via YouTube, but instead provided new channels for those who had no need for the Super Bowl, Amazon has done the same for authors who are better served with a scalpel than a mallet.
What is Journalism?
Journalism is more than soundbites or “just the facts, ma’am” but getting “the facts” is a critical first step that involves the kind of research, investigation and perspective few link-bloggers can offer. While people may think they don’t care about “journalism,” they usually realize that’s not the case when the lack thereof leads to things like political scandals, financial disasters, and ill-conceived wars.
Here Comes the [Black] Spider-Man?
In light of Marvel and DC’s continued inability to introduce new superheroes with diverse backgrounds, a full generation after everyone wanted to “be like Mike” and Will Smith became a bankable leading man, what does the furor over Morales say about the state of comics and their place within pop culture?
The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media
The Influencing Machine is an insightful graphic manifesto that offers a broad, contextual overview of the history of media, recounted with a healthy sense of humor, and a refreshing undertone of optimism.
Unleashing Stories; Engaging Communities
Stories just as powerful and compelling as those Waiting for Superman put in the spotlight are confined to the printed page instead of being unleashed across multiple platforms for people to connect with, share with others, and inspire action.
DIY’s Great, But WHO Are We Doing it For?
“Just do it!” was definitely an underlying theme of the day as the deceptively sexy notion of the “democratization” of content creation and distribution was frequently noted, but I realized towards the end of the day, what was missing was any reference to the issue of access, and the ever-widening digital divide.
Why I Love Librarians, and Publishers Should, Too
I find it somewhat ironic that, at the same time publishers are scrambling to fill ill-advised budget gaps left by their blind co-dependence on Borders, HarperCollins decides to play hardball with the one channel that offers the maximum combination of discoverability and NON-RETURNABILITY.
On Inception, The Passage, and Writing in The Obama Era
The weakness of “It’s all a dream” — why we hate that, why we feel cheated when narratively anything is revealed to be all a dream — is that you’ve just asked me to spend so much time and emotional capital investing in the stakes of this, and you’ve now swept it away with the
Shout-Outs: Lanier, Wendig and the Robots
“The combination of hive mind and advertising has resulted in a new kind of social contract. The basic idea of this contract is that authors, journalists, musicians, and artists are encouraged to treat the fruits of their intellects and imaginations as fragments to be given without pay to the hive mind. Reciprocity takes the form
Hanging with the Estefans on Ellis Island
One of the best things about working for a publisher based out in the Midwest is that I sometimes get to play Peter Parker at events in New York City when no one from a particular magazine can attend. A few weeks back, it was the NY Round Table Writers Conference thanks to Writer’s Digest,