How do you find something good to read in a brave new self-published world? asks Laura Miller in When anyone can be a published author (Salon, 6-22-10). Those of us who have worked in book publishing know how much really bad writing comes through slush Read More
Writers and Editors (RSS feed)
Shatzkin's roadmap for book publishers' future
June 14, 2010
Publishers have to change the way they do business, because digital delivery increases supply even more than it increases demand, so prices have to go down, blogs Mike Shatzkin. He writes that "getting from today (selling content) to tomorrow (selling audiences) depends on using today’s asset to build tomorrow’s." Doing this will require using "content as bait," monetizing "the eyeballs you own," not "the copyrights you own." In A roadmap for the future: 6 suggestions for today’s publishers that many can’t follow he recommends that publishers Read More
Heavy investment in digital to save The Atlantic
June 11, 2010
The struggling magazine with a historic brand has structured a comeback around "creating a solid brand identity; a digital-first strategy; building a marketing services operation; expanding live events; and maintaining a relentless focus on hiring top talent," writes Bill Mickey in Behind The Atlantic's Brand Reinvention (Audience Development, June 9, 2010). Atlantic media president Justin Smith, in his keynote address at the Folio: Show, was reported as saying The Atlantic's brand had suffered from a lack of definition. It's new tagline, "Brave Thinking," defines the brand's essence. Read More
Wiley's Deceptive Letter to Bloomberg Press Authors:
June 11, 2010
""We are pleased to inform you" that we will be slicing your royalties up to 50%, is the essence of a letter from John Wiley & Sons to Bloomberg Press authors. "John Wiley & Sons acquired Bloomberg Press, the books division of Bloomberg, in March," says the June 2010 Authors Guild alert. "At the end of April, it began sending a letter to hundreds of Bloomberg Press authors purporting to inform them 'about a few differences in the accounting systems of Bloomberg and Wiley Read More
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Metadata: something else to learn about -- fast!
June 9, 2010
Metadata is the new most important thing to know about writes Mike Shatzkin, IdeaLogical, 6-8-10. A publishing professional asks: What's the best way to index an e-book? As the reader enlarges or downsizes type on the page, the paging in an e-book will change, Read More