Commonplace Book: E-books Attractiveness and Brokenness

The fact of e-books being attractive to publishers and publishing trade does not outweigh the fact of e-books being broken along with e-pub. The conventional mind dictates that a broken thing must be fixed. But, first in order to fix something you must distinguish what are the problems. The problems with e-pub are numerous, but here are just a few and answers to the complications.

The digitization of book has been great as of late to the publishing business, but it has its various challenges. One of them is DRM which stands for digital rights management and also piracy. Does rights for digital works stop people from stealing? Cory Doctorow suggest that digital rights management does nothing and in article Freekonomics Doctorow pays homage to the ideas of a economic scholar and leading publisher Tim O' Reilly. O'Reilly describes this as "piracy's progressive taxation," which means some profit is taken of the top, but for the most there is a wealth of product for money to be made for publisher. As far as piracy it is the concerned the doctorate candidates data shows that pirated materials help in net sales music which can also be translated into dividends for e-books. The suggestion of Doctorow, Michael Jensen to stop piracy is give away some items for free. In most cases Jensen exclaims people police the items that are stolen on the internet and tell company. Even when one problem is met with a possible solution more arise.

One other fiasco with e-books is the sometimes attempting of purchase with ease on certain sites. The problem catergorizing e-books. The are suppose to come with metadata of information about the book and is sometimes not available. An one of the most avoidable problem is various text languages, but is due to competitiveness and a need to innovation in a crowded market. One uniform standard for e-book language is needed to give publishers one choice to format e-book. Open standards such markup text (XML, HTML) should automatically be put up for e-book readability. The open standards are good for engineering ideas, and community standards should be used for e-books. The discrepency lies in proprietary standards such as PDF and Java and that vie for stiff hold on market share for e-books being understood in the companies that produced e-code. To solve this jumble of massive e-text being used about for e-books, it should be an all war like as of late Blu-Ray and Hi-Def DVD. The winner of the DVD battle was Sony Blu-Ray. Now Sony's product is the standard format for high definition digital disc. The same can be afforded to happen in the publishing industry and of course to the victor go the spoils. This will only lighten the load of the brokenness of e-books and e-pub.

In close the attractiveness of the unmature segment of electronic publishing is what keeps the publishers interested. But to mature to full potential it must be nurtured and guided into full adulthood. The future will be only worked out by idealist and publishers willing to fix this teenage outbreak of problems.

Commonplace Book: E-books Attractiveness and Brokenness

As mankinds thought evovles better technologies are birthed. So has the book from humble beginnings written on stone tablets to papyrus fit together for codex books. The evolution of books as time has past is now the e-book. Just a responsible look at historical data shows how the uniformity of books have changed.

Robert Darton states in his book The Case For Books:

Somewhere, around 4000 BC, humans learned
to write...hieroglpyhs...about3200BC, alphabetical
writing to 1000 BC.According to scholars like
Jack Goody, writing was the most important technological
breakthrough in history humanity. It transformed mankind's
relation to past and opened a way for the emergence of the
book as a force in history (pp.21,22).

From the first manner of writings stems the technological past of books. Each era has made jumps to keep writ Holy or otherwise more stable and to have a longer life. E-books has brought about the continuity of technological change for original books to make them more appealing. With e-books there is no crumbling such as with clay tablets and quick aging as with papyrus an earlier scrolls types of writings. E-books not only is the evolved book but has a certain appeal.

Humans gravitate toward new technology overtime. The same with e-books the attractiveness of e-books came about like a late blooming teen. Though the industry of publishing has been peddling e-books for years, but they have just gained popularity with the masses. The industry has shown tremendous growth in e-sales yearly in just about every segment of the business. The late move on e-books has been because publishers have been skeptical of the e-future and holding on to the costly past of p-books Jason Epstein describes in article The New York Review of Books. This somewhat fear has kept publishers from forging through the e-publishing landscape and charting new territory of what is the beauty of e-pub.

The handsomeness in e-publishing is warehousing of books does not exist, which can become a problem when determining the life of book. The portability of the book is paramount especially if a publisher wants to sale to foreign market. A publisher can easily put their book in XML and various other e-formats and send off. For the consumer they can carry thousands of books in e-reader instead of having a few p-copies of books of interest. Publishers can take books already in backlist in transform them into e-books to little or no cost. There are various ways to sale e-books (i.e. chapters, bundled with print, and pages). Last but not least, every publishers dream e-books are sold on a no return basis. These are some reseasons of what make e-books grand to publishers and the industry.

Get ready for endless possiblities and bask in the splendor of the new publishing industry. Lead by a format that may be a bit broken, but seems not to die because of where existence dwells.

from e-ink to e-paper?

Disposable e-paper prototype developed

Sony Reader Introducing Apps for Android and iPhone

"The Sony Reader was one of the first big names in the eBook space, but over the past few years the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and similar eBook devices have grabbed most of the headlines. By launching a Reader app for mobile, Sony might be able to drive up the use of the Sony Reader Store — and also the company’s hardware eBook devices."

http://mobiputing.com/2010/11/sony-reader-apps-coming-to-android-ios/

JEP - Reimaging the university press

Some interesting, possibly relevant essays in the current issue of the JEP on reimagining the university press.

http://www.journalofelectronicpublishing.org

Random/Discussion

The first two links are the articles from Industry news for Oct. 25. The third link is to an online discussion amongst writers about the E-Book publisher I was researching. The criticisms were interesting, and the publisher responds on occassion.

http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/wowio-inc-issued-notice-allowance-for-patent-application-covering-advertising-ebooks/1



http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/45000-libraries-say-no-drm--springer-agrees-.html

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168026

Trip to Stylus Publishing, Inc.

Two weeks ago, I had to travel out to Sterling, VA to visit with our US distributor/marketer, Stylus Publishing, Inc. I had never been to a distribution warehouse before and figured many of you hadn't either, so I figured I'd share a few pictures and insights.

Basically, the warehouse holds all of our books (both Earthscan and RFF Press) and is separated by their own in-house schematic (surprisingly, its sorted by BIN number, and not titles, etc). It is absolutely HUGE and ridiculously organized. Note: we share the space with a few other publishers (for example, Stylus has its own imprint and houses its books in this warehouse as well).

When an order comes in, its contents are gathered and brought to the back of the warehouse for packing and processing. This is the area of most activity in the warehouse as not only are orders being processed to go out, but also being processed as returns are coming in (depressing thought). The workers processing the returns separate "damaged" books by publisher and places them in giant individual boxes. Our marketing rep goes in every day to the Earthscan damaged box and tries to find homes for the ones that are hardly scratched. As she told me "every book needs a home, just like puppies." Made me smile.

I was thrilled to discover that Stylus shares their administrative space with Potomac Books (formerly Brassey's Inc.), one of the leading independent publishers of American history, military history, etc. (You may remember Bob telling us his agent had been in talks with Potomac Books about possibly acquiring his novel about platoon leaders experiences in Vietnam.) I own may of their books myself, and was chided for "geeking out" in my excitement over getting to meet a few members of their staff. I got to meet the marketing manager and was given an advanced copy of their upcoming catalogue...pretty cool!

All in all...I had a great trip. Not only did I sit in on a lot of meetings and learn Stylus' role in marketing and distributing our books, but I made a few fabulous contacts (isn't it always about networking anyways?)

Analysis of Mundania Press, LLC

Originally, I was going to analyze Books Unbound. However, Books Unbound is closed for submissions, and the website was last updated in 2006. I believe it has gone out of business. Therefore, I have chosen a new company to investigate: Mundania Press.

Mundania Press was founded in 2002, and is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Although I found this site in a Directory of E-Publishers, they sell print versions as well, depending on the book. The submission guidelines warn that any accepted manuscripts under 60,000 words will be published in ebook format only. They publish original fiction and out-of-print works, all through electronic submissions.

They have a good-sized staff. In case you are interested, the positions are as follows: COO and Senior Editor, President and Marketing Director, Art Director, Promotions Director, Cover Artist, Webmaster, Executive Assistant, Editor (6), and Artist (8). I am curious to know why there are more artists than editors, but perhaps they work on promotional material that is unavailable on the website.

Mundania Press specializes in science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and paranormal. According to the about page, they select manuscripts “based on the quality of writing, story entertainment value, and sales potential.” (Then again, so does every other trade publisher.) I find their mission statement is better summed up by their trademarked tagline “extraordinary books by talented authors.”

The Home page is dedicated to new releases, with cover art to catch the reader’s eye. In a brick and mortar bookstore, browsers would only be able to see the spine – a definite disadvantage to smaller publishers that the internet can correct.

They offer a full catalog of their books, information on all of their authors, and a Coming Soon section. It is even possible to browse the catalog by “genre.” Some of their genres are invented; there is no such thing as “female sleuths genre.” The term “category” is more fitting than “genre.” However, the browse function is a useful tool if you are only interested in books with female sleuths, zombies, or fairies.

There is a password protected Authors Only section of the site. Although I cannot enter it to investigate, I applaud their efforts to build community among their authors, rather than keep them separate and promote competition.

Mundania Press also attempts to build community among their readers, expanding into various social media. In addition to an onsite blog, they have branched out to Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube.

The blog has a convenient timeline of where they are in acquiring manuscripts from certain months (responses have gone out, still under consideration, etc.). At a glance, those who have submitted their work can see where their manuscript is in the process. The latest blog posts advertise new releases, but the list of post labels includes acquisition tips, covers, interviews, publishing realities, and rights.

Clearly this blog is not only concerned with promoting its new books. It wants to build discussions among its readers – though not take part. While several people have commented on various posts, Mundania Press has not responded to those comments. I think this is a big mistake. By responding to comments, they show readers that they are listening and paying attention to them. Thirty-seven followers are listed in the sidebar. That number is probably higher, since you have to be on Blogger to follow.

The blog also has a link to the Mundania Press Facebook page, which 192 people “like.” Their wall includes posts about new books, interviews, discounts, awards won by authors, and articles by staff members. There appears to be more reader participation on this site, and a stronger sense of community.

Two more social media sites are only linked on the Shopping Cart, which appears out-of-date compared to the rest of the site. The Myspace posts are current, but they appear to be more automatic than their Facebook counterparts. The video book trailers on Youtube are all at least one year old. I believe this suggests that Myspace and the book trailers are past promotional efforts, neglected in the face of new media like Facebook.

Two links from the blog, Freebies and Calendar, are under construction. These pages may be further attempts to build community among readers.

The F.A.Q. is short, but it has questions about ordering books and contacting authors. I believe they recognize that readers associate with authors more than publishers, and gladly promote the relationship to help build a strong readership base.

The site offers gift certificates and wholesale discounts. Although it is not clear, I think the wholesale discount is aimed at bookstores, not individual customers. In addition to having a shopping cart, Mundania Press is also on Fictionwise.com, a Barnes & Noble eBook company. They probably reach more people through Fictionwise than their own site, but this is pure conjecture.

It is mentioned that the website is undergoing reconstruction, and from the shopping cart it is clear that the logo has been updated. Perhaps Mundania Press is working on updating their brand?

On a final note, Mundania Press sells ebooks in a PDF format. While this is not a portable format, like ebooks available to an ereader, it is available to anyone with Adobe. I would argue that this system is less broken than trying to match an ebook with a compatible e-reader, especially for a small press trying to expand their readership.

Mundania Press is small, but they have published many authors and seem to be doing well business-wise. I think they are also doing well at establishing footholds in their readership community, though they could improve by writing more blog post articles (not just rehashing new releases) and replying to readers’ comments.

E-Release of Catch-22

Joseph Heller's Catch-22, until now unavailable for purchase as such, is being released in e-book form by the book's original publisher, Simon & Schuster.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101121/GJLIFESTYLES/101119490/-1/SANNEWS

Yet Another Controversial E-Book Pulled...

But this time it's involved in a murder investigation...

E-Book Involved in Florida Copycat Murder Case

Some Bright News for Book Binders

A friend sent me a link to this website - they make cases for iPads and Kindles that are essentially bound covers. The idea is to keep San Francisco book-binders in business, and the company is aptly named DodoCase.

What do you guys think of this? Kind of cool for bibliophiles looking to make their e-readers a little more book-ish. They are a little pricey though.

DODOcase

AAP and Bowker Host Educational Sessions

I know this is going to take place in New York and most of us won't be able to go, but Bowker and the Association for American Publishers (AAP) are hosting a conference series in December and February for editors, and marketing and sales professionals. These educational sessions will teach editors and marketing and sales staff at publishing houses how to target their books based on consumer data. Certainly something valuable for publishers trying to stay afloat and for those trying to get more from consumer data.

Here's the AAP press release.

Just in time for the holidays...

Amazon fixes something that was broken: now one can give the gift of a Kindle Book.

Barnes & Noble Rolls Out Toy Stores Within It's Bookstores

Since the decline of book sales as more and more readers are switching to digital books, B&N decided to test selling toys in their stores to increase sales.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTREA6AAFU20101111

Ann Taylor Career Reception

In case anyone is interested, Ann Taylor in D.C. is hosting a Polish Your Professional Image reception on Dec. 1. It’s open to students in the College of Professional Studies, and the deadline to RSVP is today.

What: Reception – Polish Your Professional Image; Learn about different looks for your career

When: December 1, 2010 from 6-8 p.m.

Where: Ann Taylor Stores – 1140 Connecticut Ave., NW

Why: It will help you in your career, and they are offering a twenty percent discount!

RSVP: Mag Gottlieb, GSPM Career Director – mag@gwu.edu by Nov. 17

-- Heather Walrath

Amazon.com Pulls Controversial E-Book

This has caused quite a stir over the past few days. Amazon.com's had to remove a book titled "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct" because of (expected and quite justified) widespread outrage. Mostly moms and various alarmists.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/10/amazon-com-book-defending-pedophilia-sparks-boycott-call/?hpt=Sbin

This brings up a more interesting point: the ease with which Amazon.com can recall books and dissolve all traces of it. Kind of hard to do with print copies.

Some Things Never Change

Despite the shifting medium, one writer at The Atlantic feels that the elements that make a good publication will always be the same.

The 12 Timeless Rules for Making a Good Publication

The New York Times to publish e-book best seller lists

The New York Times announced on Wednesday, that starting early next year it would publish e-book best-seller lists in fiction and non-fiction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/books/11list.html

Veterans Book Project

I heard this story last night on NPR as I was driving home from class (State of the Re:Union Veterans Day Special Segment A), and it made me think of Bob's project. I was thinking maybe Bob could contact this woman or at the very least get some ideas from this story. In any case, it's a very well done piece about how an artist has encouraged her veteran friend to create a book in order to deal with his emotions and all of the issues associated with having to serve in a war. It's quite touching, as are the other two segments. For once I was glad for a long drive home after class!

Latest Book Sales Reported by AAP

AAP issued a press release today giving the latest stats on book sales for the month of September. Overall book sales suffered by 12.1% - ouch!

Thankfully e-book sales rebounded in comparison to September 2009 with a 158.1% increase and 188.4% for e-book sales year-to-date.

I think we're going to continue to see this kind of trend as long as e-books continue to grow and expand in the market. Someday soon, e-books will begin to dominate and print books will become obsolete. We're not quite there yet though, so don't worry.

TeleRead's short article on this

RIP U.S. News & World Report

Another magazine abandons its print edition in favor of digital publication.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/for-the-record-rip-usn-wr/66216/

Commonplace Book: The Book of John: Holistic, Pluralistic, & for all Salvation

Sharing the thoughts of the gospel not only the Gospel of John is the duty of all believers. The exuberance of the cross is shed abroad in every true believer's heart globally.

True believer meaning a person of faith in orthodox Christianity that believes Jesus is fully God and fully man, the God-Man, Theantropos. The sacrifice at Golgotha is sculpting my thoughts daily. That Christ submits his life as ransom for humanities' most discourteous souls. He was bruised, bled, died, and lives for all to have salvation.

The redemptive works of Christ atonement of mankind's sin on the cross is spoken of through the annals of time. Moses and Isaiah spoke of His coming and Jesus sacrifice that would abolish all of world's transgressions. Redemption is given to them that are born again. Christ explains this to Nicodemus the Pharisee trying to get him to understand that there is no saving grace in his lineage of Abraham. For Christ is the,"...the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!"(John 1:29 NKJV), accepting this very fact is key to being born again. Christ is the sovereign disintermediator of the world to the Father. No festival, no animal sacrifice, or no sabbath of the old Hebrew tradition is pertinent now to go before a Holy God, Yahweh. The Lord Jesus exclaims these things in the third chapter of John to the Pharisee who is yearning for wisdom. John 3:14-18 NKJV:

14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man be lifted up,"

15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 "For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Jesus reminds Nicodemus of the Hebrew historical stories of old using Hebraic terminology to show He will lift His life and heal an ailing world plagued with sin. As the children of Israel look toward the serpent for healing from scorpion stings in the wilderness; so is Christ liken to the rod of Moses, but his healing is for the entire human race. This is the crux of the gospel believing on Jesus all powerful name as the scripture says will bring you eternal life. A life lived in unbelief is damnable, and it will cause you to live your after life in hell. Choose the former not the latter. Men deceive themselves into not believing, because they love darkness. All men's conscience excuses or accuses them for not accepting Christ as savior.

Redemption is given to all by the atoning blood of God. Share in the wealth of eternal life and giving others the joy of Christ, which is paramount to the Christian faith. Please accept the cure of God which is just saying from your heart Christ is savior, ruler, and lord over your life. This is the salvation Christ, Theanthropos presents to all. You will have saving from God by God. The wrath of God will surely come, so let Christ rescue you, who is the very God of heaven and earth. Everyday you live you have one more chance to choose Him. The redundancy of the gospel message is that all may learn it an put it upon their hearts. For no one can learn without repetition.

So again in this last part to my commonplace book, the life of Christ is to save the world and he did. The question is will you allow Him to save you?

I Am Smarter Than Sherlock Holmes

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the new show Sherlock on Masterpiece. It's Sherlock Holmes in modern times, and is a really good show.

However, in the second episode, The Blind Banker, I realized that for one moment, one brief shining moment, I was smarter than Sherlock Holmes.

He was trying to break a smuggling code that involved books. The first part of the cipher tells you which page of the book, the second part tells you which word on that page. He was trying to find a book two victims both had. (Conveniently, they both had the same editions.) But none of the books they had in common were used for the code; "add" and "the" are hardly death threats.

So Sherlock tries to think of books that everyone would have in their house, and pulls down such items as the Bible and the dictionary.

I immediately said "No! Not everyone's going to have the same editions of those! Sherlock, how could you not know that?!"

Luckily for Sherlock, they didn't have death threats on the "right" page either. That could have ended horribly.

And now for a random(-ish) digital tie-in:

With e-readers and the elimination of mundane functions like "page numbers," will book codes go the way of the scroll? After all, imagine how complicated a cipher you'd need on an e-reader:

1. the book (same edition!)
2. the reader
3. the program to translate your DRM-book to your non-matching reader - hey, smugglers are criminals already
4. the font size
5. the window size
6. the word - finally!

After all, nobody would use print books. They're too simple. Gosh.

End tongue-in-cheek.

We Can't Afford to Not Create a Digital Library System

"Shouldn't libraries adjust in a major way to the possibilities of e-books and, in fact, use technology to strengthen themselves as bastions of literacy, so that, for example, books can better match YouTube's popularity?

What's the point of broadband expansion, a goal of the Obama administration, if it simply means more YouTube? Broadband could actually hurt literacy, at least among families without an interest in reading, if we fail to not just to spread the books around but also work actively to popularize them.

A National Digital Library System?

Cooks Source: Word's getting out

The Washington Post picked up the story about everything on the web being public domain... and ran with it!

the web is considered "public domain"

The editor of Cooks Source, a newsstand-distributed, for-profit magazine and obligatory Facebook page, lifted an article on early modern apple pies from the author's website. When the author contacted Cooks Source, she was told, in part, 

I do know about copyright laws. It was "my bad" indeed, and, as the magazine is put together in long sessions, tired eyes and minds somethings forget to do these things.

But honestly Monica, the web is considered "public domain" and you should be happy we just didn't "lift" your whole article and put someone else's name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace.

This editor claims to have been "doing this" (by which one hopes she means editing and not plagiarizing) for three decades. Assuming that the editor is actually confused on the web being public domain, it goes to show how confusing e-publishing can be, even for professionals.

Copyright Infringement and Me

PS. The lack of an apostrophe in Cooks Source also makes me wonder about the professionalism of the editor. Just sayin'.

Some more from O'Reilly: Ebooks and the threat from "internal constituencies"

Here is a very interesting response by Roger Magoulas on the O'Reilly Radar website to a recent New Yorker article that addresses the threat of "internal constituencies"...he relates it to the coexistence of e-books and print books and their relative business models.

Nielsen Company's Latest iPad Stats

Here's a link to the Nielsen Company's stats on the iPad and what users access with their iPads:

Connected Devices: Does the iPad Change Everything?

It's interesting to see the differences between iPad and iPhone uses. And how much books are used on the iPad versus the iPhone. Clearly there is something to the fact that the screen is bigger and more accessible to readers. The iPad survey Nielsen conducted already reflects these differences.

And with numbers showing that 54% of iPad users use their iPad to read books, there is even more evidence that there is a place in the publishing world for e-books. Hopefully publishers will continue to recognize the changes taking place before us.

Commonplace Book: The Book of John: Holistic, Pluralistic, & for all Salvation

The Book of John is the essential gospel pertaining to Jesus Christ's deity. The plea of the gospel is never to be confused with mysticism, which the the term holistic wellness is sometimes associated with.
http://www.reference.com/ explains holistic as a doctrine of prevention and treatment that emphasizes looking at the whole person—body, mind, emotions, and environment—rather than a single function or organ.

The God of Christianity seeks to quench the unruly thoughts, appetites, and proclivities of man along with infirmities of the body. The holistic healing or cleansing of a man wholly is part of the purpose of Christ coming to the sin sick world. Jesus shows these miracles as testaments to his sovereignty and God ship.

In one of the narratives of the Lord Jesus Christ he is watching a man sick for 38 years amongst a multitude of ailing persons at the pool of Bethesda. The rest of the story goes like this from John 5:4-8:

4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (NKJV)

This testament to Christ's work totally hangs on the man wanting to be made whole. The King James Version poses the question of verse 6:"Do yo want to be made whole?" The person most definitely wants to, but looks at his cicumstance. Christ being able to change situations tells the man to walk. This is key because no matter the problem ascertain by man with belief in Christ problem disappear. The man believes because instead of sitting wallowing in self-pity. He takes Christ at his Word and does as Christ commands. Healing comes to the those who can do what Christ commands.

I was in need of healing at one of the most down points in my life. It was the year 2000 my mom just died and I was in a long bout with depression. At this point in my life I had ceased to think about my Lord and savior. I cried daily and did nothing but minial recreational task, also the occassional hanging with friends. I toiled with thoughts of my purpose daily. I loathed my very existence until I began to pray. There was the suggestion of my family to go to a shrink and get anti-depressants. The renewal of my relationship with Christ disspelled the suffering I dealt with for so long. There was no need for zoloft or prozac once I got back to the key tennents of my faith. I was healed emotionally and mentally from my mother's death. Christ is a healer to all of them that believe and willing to recieve.

Christ healing power is available to all today. The question Christ asks not just to the man at the pool of Bethesda, but to you also, "Do want to be made whole?"

New Social "Disorder?"

While reading Everything is Miscellaneous, about students sharing information and knowledge as they read, and a collective of readers, I had a strange vision:

Gone is the lonely child, reading in a corner. Gone are the school nerds who prefer books to sports. Gone too is the solitary reader, trying to escape into solitude.

Reading is now one of the most social activities out there. Even if you are alone on the couch with your book, you are in fact surrounded by other readers. They make comments, ask questions, raise issues. They are never silent; they never stop.

As the act of reading expands, so does its social status. Readers are no longer snubbed or taunted, but embraced as fellows.

You can read by yourself, but you will never be truly alone in reading again.

The New Yorker Paywall

Yet another issue with digital publishing and DRM:
Flood Magazine article

Also, it's worth looking back at Part 1 and then forward to see how the New Yorker has responded to this.
I particularly liked this quote: "It was as if an absentminded surgeon had left his scalpel, forceps, and gauze inside a patient."

Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop per Child

On Monday night’s episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen interviewed Nicholas Negroponte, who has said that his One Laptop per Child program for kids in impoverished countries will ultimately kill the printed book.

While I think that’s of course going much too far, the interview does illustrate that the laptops allow children to access more books than will ever be physically shipped to these remote locations. Also, while the laptops do come at a cost of $180 each, the cost of regularly shipping physical books to many of these areas could be far more expensive. Negroponte's program has distributed two million laptops so far.

Check out the interview, seen in the second half of the episode, and the One Laptop per Child website.

-- Heather Walrath

How NOT to Gain Revenue From E-Publishing

Boing Boing brought attention to a regional newspaper, The North County Gazette, whose online offerings were being policed in an unusual way. Their site is nonfunctional for me as of this morning, but you only need to read Boing Boing's rundown—complete with screenshots and amusing commentary—to get the picture.

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/10/25/local-newspaper-boas.html

Why Real Books Are Better Than E-Books

Watch the video to see its really cute

Piracy as Promo

This popped up on one of the blogs on the class RSS feed, so you may have seen it, but it's too good to miss so I thought I'd make sure.

Headline says it all: "Comic Book Pirated on 4chan, Author Joins Discussion, Watches Sales Soar."

Some food for thought!

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101021/10481211524/comic-book-pirated-on-4chan-author-joins-discussion-watches-sales-soar.shtml

Commonplace Book: The Book of John: Holistic, Pluralistic, & for all Salvation

The cross is bowed down to by all who venerate Christ as Lord and God. Jesus divested himself from His majesty, and took on human flesh and was sent by the Father. He lived, died, and is resurrected. The testimony of Jesus Christ expressed is that His life was given for all of mankind's sin. When man deserves to be cut off from God for life. His life compells me to the thought of my heart. The gospel of John is misconstrued in many areas, so its verses have taken on a pluralistic meanings. Revisionist precepts of God's Word creates tenets in certain sects of Christendom that are fallacious.

The dogma in various churches corrodes the inerrancy of scripture as believed in the orthodox Christian faith. This misconception of a few scriptures in the book of John has spawned a heretical doctrine that puts out a misunderstanding of God's nature. People who want to be worthy of the calling of Christ interpret scripture not to the twisting of their own will. The scriptures that pose a conundrum are John 14:10&11 which says:


10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The word that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority: but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
11 "Believe in Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (NKJV)

Some babes in Christ and students of scripture alike look at this text as stating Jesus and the Father are one person, instead of one being. This is clear error and interpolation of the text. This is done because people do not take the time to put text in context of surrounding scriptures or framework in which to interpret the writ. God is not limited to the person ship of Christ alone. They are two distinct persons that share same nature. In the clear deciphering of the verse Jesus speaks to his followers to allow them to know he shares in divinity with the Father and having Him in their midst is the same as having the Father amongst them. The disciples understood right away, because they inquire no more of seeing the Father once Christ explains Himself thoroughly to them. Also in the book of John in same chapter putting John 14:10&11 in a contextual framework, by going to John 14:6, to show the coherent interpretation of text is no way explaining Jesus and the Father are one in the same. John 14:6 states:

6 Jesus said to him,"I am the way the truth, and life, No one come to Father except through me." (NKJV)

Jesus can not be the Father himself if He speaks authoritative of being separate from Father God in this verse afore John 14:10&11. Jesus expressively tells His disciples that He is the way to the Father making a clear dichotomy between the two of them. When interpreting scripture en light of contextual reasoning, you go to a few verses above a text, then a few verses afterward to see if the context is in keeping with your perception of the text. This is what should be done at all times when in doubt of understanding what a text states.

In closing in the following weeks this commonplace book will set forth the candor of the Gospel John as mentioned in the title.

One of my biggest fears...

A rather daunting NY Times piece about toddlers and iPhones. Particularly relevant to our recent conversations about the small (if any) difference these days between books, apps and games.

Ad Age Talks about Early iPad Magazine Editions

Interesting numbers here, and it's interesting to see how it's kind of hard to analyze this, seeing as it's all new, and that the success of iPad editions is contingent on the number of iPad owners. Duh.

Again, an older piece of info, but I still thought it was worth sharing:
Newsweek Graphic

eScrolls?

The Israel Antiquities Authority and Google just announced that they are digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls. Google really is everywhere.

Let's Not Show This to RR Donnelley...

Last Thursday, on our Book & Journal Publishing field trip to the RR Donnelley printing plant, the Donnelley sales executive said that the biggest threat he thought e-publishing could ever have to p-books and the plant was if it took over academic (textbook) printing, which is their most lucrative division of publishing clients.

I thought of him when I stumbled across this article from the Howard University newspaper, The Hilltop - 'E-Books Bring Digital Age to Popular Hobby'. I think it may be best to keep this to ourselves.

Per Our Angry Hitler Video Discussion

Hitler's Angry Reaction to the iPad.

XML: The Halfway Point Between Design and Programming

As someone with more of a design background who is trying to learn HTML, I found this interview that Tim O'Reilly posted on his blog today interesting. He and Bob Boiko discuss the blurring of the lines between designers, content creators/coders, and programmers.

The Future of Publishing Video

I just stumbled upon this. Pretty cool.

CNN Story: Will physical books be gone in five years?

The story hit CNN today, and my first reaction was disgust:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/10/17/negroponte.ebooks/index.html?hpt=T2

Then, I said, "I sure as hell hope not."

Google’s Newest Endeavors

This week, newspapers including the L.A. Times and The Washington Post ran interesting articles about Google’s new stake in an offshore wind farm project. Some of them noted that Google will also invest in driverless cars. Both of these items serve as further evidence of Google’s long-term strategizing and of the company's unique business model.

Google rolls dice on offshore wind farms

-- Heather Walrath  

JavaLab

Like my classmates, I've decided to make a blog to experiment with and learn my skill, which is javascript. Stop by Jenn's JavaLab if you want!

Page 159

I'll confess, I am a horrible blogger. Since the time I was 16, I've probably gone through five different blogs. I couldn't even be an angsty teenage blogger. But here I am, trying again.

For the small project for class and because I've always wanted to try, I created an online commonplace book and thought I would share what I find with y'all. (Though it's probably just a way to keep myself from abandoning this blog, too, if people are watching.) It's a baby, just two posts, for now but it will grow.

http://onefiftynine.wordpress.com/

E-Reading for Kids

I saw this commercial on TV the other day. More and more companies are incorporating e-reading into educational video game systems for children.

Is this is a good thing or does it take another step across the "reading versus game" line?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCt6d1FdVHk

Individual Project Blog About XML

I have chosen to do my individual project for this class on XML, specifically in transitioning my company's print material for better dissemination on the web and beyond. To document this, I've created a blog that I'll be updating from time to time as I make progress and find helpful resources. If you're interested in picking up the information I find, or if you happen to have a similar situation with your company, please feel free to follow along.

Journey to XML

I have a meager two posts so far, but as I ramp up research, I hope to share more!

Children's Books Apps

Here is the full article I mentioned yesterday in class. I'm still Internetless, but luckily there is a Starbucks on every corner. Anyway, I think its interesting considering how we discuss kid's books a lot in the changing face of the industry.

Sidenote: speaking of Starbucks and free WiFi...I saw this today about how at many places, including the Starbucks at 16 and K where I am currently sitting, say "Free Public WiFi" but it is actually a virus so don't click on it! Like I just did an hour ago! Here is the story.

Borders E-book Ad

Snapped a picture of this Borders ad I saw on Metro today. Anyone care to share their thoughts on the marketing angle? Is this guy supposed to be a pimp? Strikes me as bizarre, not clever.

Is it the end of children's books?

I came across this interesting New York Times article today.

"Picture Book No Longer Staple for Children"

From the article, it didn't seem like the children had a choice in the matter. I couldn't help but think about how this possible shift could again be affected by the e-book revolution.

What's happening to eBook prices...

An interesting article on Salon.com about what's happening to e-book prices now that publishers are setting the prices and not Amazon. The author also comments on some of the current cons of ebooks versus paper books.

If I can't access the file, do I still own the book?

Archiving eBooks

I came across this blog today and it brought up something I hadn't considered: as technology progresses, what happens to the e-books we purchased in (what will become) the older technologies? Will we still be able to access those books? One of the things I love about paper books is their very presence on the bookshelf. I may not have read them in years, but they are still as accessible today as the day I bought them. Not so for the box of audio tapes in my closet. It isn't the tapes themselves I have any fondness for, but the music they contain. So I'm willing to re-purchase music in a new format to regain access to it. In that case, it is clearly about the content. But I resist the same concept--even resent it--when it applies to books. Why?

“Books as Weapons” During World War II Subject of Author Discussion

I saw this as well.

How U.S. Publishers Won Hearts, Minds and Wallets of Allied Nations’ Readers

The book’s author, John B. Hench, will discuss and sign his work on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at noon in the Mary Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by the Center for the Book, is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Darnton is speaking at the Library of Congress on October 15

I saw this and thought some of you might have interest.

Harvard University Library Director to Make “The Case for Books”

Robert Darnton to Discuss and Sign His New Book

An intellectual pioneer in the field of the history of the book and director of Harvard University’s Library,Robert Darnton will discuss and sign his new work: "The Case for Books: Past, Present and Future" (Public Affairs, 2010) on Friday, Oct. 15, at noon in the West Dining Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Kids Like E-Books, Parents Do Not

I found this article on the Huffington Post website today and I thought it was interesting considering all the discussions we have had about children's books being on e-readers. This article states that kids want to read e-books, while 80 percent adults would rather still read a physical book.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/29/kids-like-ebooks-parents-_n_743010.html

I also think it is interesting that J.K. Rowling does not want to have the Harry Potter books be available as e-books. The article says "she prefers her work to be read on paper."

Traditional Textbooks vs. The iPad

While reading the news this morning, I discovered details about a plan between several Virginia schools and Pearson to launch an iPad-based social studies program.

As participants in the first program of this type, seventh and ninth graders will rely solely on Apple’s iPad instead of traditional textbooks throughout a 12-week period. According to a Mac Observer article, students will be able to use four U.S. and world history apps designed by Pearson to create their own customized textbooks, play interactive games related to class lessons, and take tests.

What do you think about this plan? Would you have enjoyed using an iPad instead of a traditional textbook? I was always a complete history nerd to begin with, but I do think that using the iPad, supplementing the written material with games and quizzes along the way, would have made the experience much more engaging and memorable.  

As this project progresses, it will be interesting to track the results in terms of how learning is impacted, but also to see how other more logistical concerns are addressed. For example, given the high cost of the iPad, is it really feasible for a school district to consider providing one to each student? What types of accountability issues does this create, in terms of students damaging or losing the devices, not to mention cheating? How will their peers, who don’t necessarily have access to iPads and have to go on using traditional textbooks, react? Will there come a time when students are required to purchase iPads for class, the way many of us were once required to purchase graphing calculators?

I guess only time will tell.

-- Heather Walrath

(Photo Credit: Pearson)

Authors Feel Pinch in Age of E Books

This is a really great article from the Wall Street Journal about the economics of e book publishing, for anyone interested.

Little Anecdote For You Guys...

Something happened the other night that I thought I'd share with you guys, since it's relevant to our recurring overarching conversation about e-books v p-books (not a huge fan of that term, by the way. Is it too entrenched to coin a new one? Something to think about).

So my boyfriend is a computer programmer and a graphic designer, and if it ain't code or a book about code, he ain't readin' it. I've tried lots of approaches to changing this. I got him a copy of Candide with a really cool comic-book type cover, I got him a Murakami novel since he'd translated some Murakami for a class once, I got him a book about the same subject as his undergrad thesis...etc. But he never made it past the first few pages of anything I got him, preferring instead to build his O'Reilly library and read PHP guides online.

Recently, he bought an iPad, and so far it's been quite the love affair - he brought it home after his first day with it at his office and said he already couldn't imagine doing his job without it. I was so focused on playing with the beat-making apps that I didn't even notice he'd downloaded a Kindle app, as well as a couple of other e-readers.

The other night I was sitting out on our porch when he came outside holding his iPad, looking very solemn. I asked him what was up, and he said, "Here, I wanted you to read this," and handed me his iPad.

What I was looking at was his Kindle reader, opened to Dave Eggers's first book, And You Shall Know Our Velocity. He had highlighted this little passage that he wanted me to read. I read it, and said, "This sounds pretty good."

"It really touched me," he said, sounding kind of surprised at himself.

So, here we are, y'all. Hard evidence that not only can a person be truly touched and affected by something they've read on an e-reader, but that e-readers allow a person be touched by a novel that hasn't cracked one open since college. Food for thought!

Free E-book of the 1906 Chicago Manual of Style for Download

Of all places, I learned about this via a tweet from Roger Ebert's Twitter account, @ebertchicago:

http://twitter.com/ebertchicago/status/25819640387

The University of Chicago Press is offering a free e-book download of a facsimile of the 1906 Chicago Manual of Style. According to Ebert, it's available today only, so be sure to get it while you can!

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ebooks/free_ebook.html

You have to enter your email address to receive a download link, and download Adobe Digital Editions if you don't already have it on your computer. I followed all of these steps on a Windows-based machine and had no problems.

It's obviously a cool thing for anyone who is interested in old editions or editing, but there's even a little treat for any typography nerds (like me!) around page 125 where they display various type specimens and ornaments that were in use at the time.

Celebrate Reading!

Happy Banned Books Week, everyone!

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

Discussing "The Shallows" Chapter One-HAL and Me

We are continuing our discussion of The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr. Check out what has already been discussed in the Prologue.

*Spoiler Alert—I’m about to give away the ending of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stop reading now if you don’t know how the movie ends!

“Dave, my mind is going.” Those are the words HAL 9000 (Hueristically programmed ALgorithmic computer—aka the sentient computer of the spacecraft in the movie) speaks as his memory chips are shut down by the surviving member of the crew. Carr likens this to what has been happening to his own brain as the technology he’s owned begins to change the way he thinks.

His main points:
• As technology has evolved, our consumption for the next machine, the next breakthrough, the next gadget has driven us to read things faster, understand less and remap our brains to process the written word in a completely new way.
• This is happening to everyone {except for the group of people who do not use the internet , something I will comment on later.}
• People know they are sacrificing something important, but they are also unwilling to go back to way things used to be.
• Carr quotes Joe O’Shea, a former student body president at Florida State University as saying college students today are “skilled hunters” online—as soon as they find the pertinent phrase, quote, etc., they move on to the next document.
• This has led to professors despairing that anyone is reading whole books anymore.
• Ultimately, the Internet has made our brains “hungry” for information all the time—even when we are away from it, we feel like we have to check email or see a news headline. Essentially, the technology has changed our brains.

Carr makes some interesting points in this chapter. Comparing his brain to HAL right off the bat definitely sets a certain spooky tone. Let’s not forget that when 2001: A Space Odyssey came out, the big “reveal” that the computer was the villain was revolutionary.

I think there are some things that are spot on about Carr’s conclusions: I do find myself always wanting the next gadget, the next whiz-bang thing that is supposed to make my life simpler, more connected, easier to control. And yet…what it’s really done is made me more connected at times when I really don’t want to be connected to anyone but my family.

The one area that I really wish Carr fleshed out more in this chapter were the people who do not have access to the Internet on a daily basis. He has one line about this and then moves on. But I would like to know if these people are also thinking differently…because the people around them are doing so. It also makes me wonder if there is once again a division of populations happening and how that will impact education, work , and general interactions.

Next week-Chapter Two-The Vital Paths. If you know something about brain chemistry, philosophy and psychology, this is the chapter for you!

E-Reader Review

I found this article posted on the Huffington Post Books today. It compares all the different reading apps you can get for the iPad and seems pretty useful.

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100915/finding-the-best-way-to-read-books-on-an-ipad/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Gender Issues in Publishing

Though not strictly related to e-publishing, an article in today’s PublishersWeekly examines why publishing is now a primarily female-dominated field and just how this affects the industry. Do women dominate the field because they typically grow up reading more than men do? Does the lower entry-level pay base deter men? Are “causes” such as these really legitimate, or are they merely self-perpetuating stereotypes? How does a lack of male perspectives affect what gets published and how it's marketed, if at all? These and other fascinating questions are considered.

Where the Boys Are Not

-- Heather Walrath

Goodbye, Cruel Words

An entertaining column from Sunday's Washington Post about poor editing in newspapers and on the news here.

E-books Do Not Change Publishers Protocol

The once slow paced facet of publishing, electronic books are now growing steadily in the market place. It is a great debate on whether or not e-books will surpass cloth or physical print copies of books. The incline of e-books sales is a telling sign of where the industry is headed. There were several questions posed by Professor Arnie Grossbaltt on just that fact. He wanted to know should publisher actively look at e-books differently. Such as considering the key function list given in reading of figure 1.3 in John Thompson’s book Books in the Digital Age in regards to digital publishing. The questions asked: What, if anything is missing from this list; are there any activities that no longer apply? With respect to the list of value-add activities for traditional print publishing, what areas are most affected by a transition to digital publishing? Can you rank or score the value-add areas by degree of impact from the transition to digital publishing? Consider your responses above in light of different market segments. How would your ratings above change if you were focusing on each of the market segments below in turn: trade publishing, scholarly publishing, reference publishing, professional publishing, and educational publishing?


In respect to the six key functions of a publisher formulated in Thompson’s book Books in the Digital Age there is no add -value activity missing for digital publishing transition . Here brings in the conundrum of e-publishing things have to be looked at in different terms. All activities need to be looked at carefully though transition has happened. Whether a physical or electronic book a book is still a book. Now things are done cheaper because of low overhead for manufacturing costs unlike with physical book. Though all protocol is the same key functions switch places for e-publishing.

Undoubtedly the add value list is changed, but for a solvent use for e-publishers. Content development most definitely is most changed. Content development step number three is less valued due to the fact the, “an author is in excellent condition and needs very little input” (25). But, the determining factor is if the original gatekeeper (i.e. acquisition editor of original publisher) do enough to make book a viable e-copy. It would be less creating content, but cultivating content to adhere to electronic guidelines. The point of sale would be different once turned into an e-book it less intermediaries to get book to last point of the publishing chain as shown in figure1.1 (20). This would then differentiate marketing strategies. Ranking the functions are as follows 1. Content Acquisition 2. Financial 3.Management 4. Quality Control 5. Development of Content 6 Sales and Marketing. The position change only because the cost of and e-book cost is more on the front of the publishing process that is why more management is needed. Taking in account subsidiary rights and production process of e-book. All different types of publishers use different models of key publishing functions.


In reference to all other areas of publishing such as these: trade publishing, scholarly publishing, reference publishing, professional publishing, educational publishing add value list are fortified more in various parts. Take trade publishing for instance in financing it is books more front end of the publishing process (pre-press cost). Trade publishing is on the high end of giving higher advances to authors and quality production exclaims Thompson. Where as in college textbook the more money put in to content development, “ moreover, major college text book publishers have relatively high overhead costs, since they commonly support large sales forces, among other things.” The publishers of college text draw on big number of prints to solidify investments and make GPM. Scholarly publishing has low cost for manufacturing which it makes it more profitable on returns. All other publishing market segments such as reference publishing, professional publishing, educational publishing, will most definitely be changed as well. As Thompson states, “While the basic economics of book publishing are common to different sectors of the industry, the details vary great deal from one type of publishing to another” (27). So whether e-publishing or any other publishing schema the key functions stay same it is where publisher put dollars that change. It could be in acquisitions or marketing, the add value list is still sufficient for any book life cycle.

Pandigital® Novel 7-in. eReader

(Anyone heard of this?)

Here's a quick snapshot of a different kind of e-reader, the Pandigital® Novel 7-in. eReader. It brags being lightweight, having an SD slot, and a color screen.

It does, however, have that backlit LCD screen that makes reading in sunlight difficult.

Out for Work Conference (September 25-26, 2010)

For those of you who are looking (or looking again) for a job, there's a national conference for LGBT professionals and their allies. Workshops, forums, and lectures, as well as mock interviewing and instant feedback. It's 45 bucks for an individual rate for current students, recent grads, and grad students, including all conference materials and meals.

http://www.outforwork.org/conferences/2010/national/default.asp

There's also a session on building better resumes.

Best Buy Becomes One-Stop E-Reader Shop

The following Publishers Weekly article, which I also posted to Diigo, discusses Best Buy’s plan to start selling the Kindle, becoming a “one-stop shop” for consumers who wish to compare e-reading devices. The chain's offerings also include the Nook, iPad and Sony readers.

Best Buy to Sell Kindle In Stores, Enhance E-Reader Displays

-- Heather Walrath

Focusing Strategies

I recently read an article on Gawker about how people have diminishing attention spans and focus. What I read of it was pretty interesting, and I think it is relevant regarding what we discussed tonight in class about how we read now. It also offers different strategies to improve. I thought the best part of the article was that it begins by saying, "Most people who click on this article won't finish reading it." Unfortunately they were right about me, I did not finish it.

http://lifehacker.com/5596964/how-to-rebuild-your-attention-span-and-focus

-Carrie

(For some reason, my user name is from a project I did in school a couple years ago- disregard that!)

Revolutionary Technology

I thought we all could appreciate and get a laugh out of this...

Something Called B-O-O-K

Article: Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Hardcover Books

This was mentioned in Dr. Faherty's class, but I'm not sure whether a link was circulated. It certainly applies to this class as well:

Kindle Device Unit Sales Accelerate Each Month in Second Quarter; New $189 Price Results in Tipping Point for Growth

Discussing "The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr, Prologue

Back in August, Dr. Grossblatt asked if anyone was interested in reading a relevant book on E-Publishing and blogging about it afterwards. I offered to do it for The Shallows-What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.

I volunteered to read The Shallows and lead the online discussion basically because I really do want to know—is the Internet destroying the way I read and taking away my joy in reading? I’m not sure this book will answer that question but maybe it will help preserve the excitement of reading by showing a new way to appreciate the written word.

Each week I’ll be posting on a chapter—Carr’s main points and then my personal takeaways from the reading. (All quotes are taken from The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, Copyright 2010).

Prologue-The Watchdog and the Thief
• The Medium is the Message—“in the long run a medium’s content matters less than the medium itself in influencing how we act and think.” Carr states that over the years critics have become so overwhelming focused on content that they have completely overlooked what the actual media platform itself is doing to the way people think and interact. He asks the question: are we in control of the medium or is the medium in control of us?

It is an intriguing thought to begin the book—when we take content out of the equation (and all of its various polarizing viewpoints) does the way we get that content influence the way we think and act. If we apply this question to digital publishing directly, how does a book or article impact us differently by reading it on different platforms?

I was thinking about this very question when we were discussing the books that influenced us during our first class. One of the books that influenced me most was called Where the Red Fern Grows. It was the first book I read that elicited a strong emotional response from me. I suddenly “got” why reading was such an amazing thing and became a life-long reader because of that book. I don’t think, at least with the way e-books are produced right now, reading this book on the Kindle or iPad would have caused as great as a response emotionally from me as it did in hard-copy form. Does a digital devise turn something off in my brain so that I'm not as emotionally involved in the stories that I'm reading on it? Hard to know but interesting to think about.

Next week: Chapter One- Hal and Me (If you've never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey this chapter may not make complete sense....)

Monday Monday

Hey all - a little Lit geek humor to get you through your Mondays...

http://betterbooktitles.com

See you all in class!

On the Frustrations of e-Book Shopping

I watched this podcast that Dr. Grossblatt posted, and I completely resonate with the frustrations faced, and I recently had a discussion with the publisher of one of my journals, Soil Science, and the editor-in-chief, about the advancements, including e-reader access to the journal articles.

With the short attention span that most humans have (e.g., me) and in the way everything these days needs to be fast, immediate, and most important, intuitive, e-book shopping should be just as easy as shopping for clothes: We're familiar with the shopping cart icon, our eyes magnetize to the keywords "checkout" and "view my cart" and the like, and so, as a consumer, the inability to be able to find a link to checkout or to purchase an item may result in loss of business. A user should be able to find what he or she is looking for (especially if the site claims to have it) and not look elsewhere. Having to go to the iTunes store, as in the clip, is the result of a failure on the Yale University Press Web site gurus.

Keeping the Consumer on the Web Site
One of the strategies that companies have used is when linking sites, always code the link so that it opens into a new browser window rather than the present browser window, so that the consumer (purchaser) does not have to find alternate means for getting what he or she wants (even inadvertently). It should be a one-stop shop.

Enabling Easy Access to Content
The Web site in the video clip was on the right track by showing both the ability to acquire an e-copy of the otherwise unavailable book and the price. The comment on the e-price being just as expensive as the hard copy may suggest that the hard copy has more value (even though you'd get the copy in the mail in at the very least 1 day versus immediately electronically). What does that say about what we value more--speed, price, tangibility of a book in one's hands.

With Soil Science, we've recently started e-copies for electronic readers (http://journals.lww.com/soilsci/pages/default.aspx). I think it's set up well, but the icon for e-reader, for example, could probably be made bigger and more readily seen. E-copies are extremely important for us, and the target link of "NEW! Articles on your e-reader" is informative and prevents frustrations for making a purchase. There's even a cute little video that shows you what's up, how to get it, and what's compatible. It's interactive and dynamic and leaves the listener with a link. See the video here: http://journals.lww.com/soilsci/_layouts/1033/oaks.journals/whatsnew.aspx

Increasing the Speed of Acquiring Deliverables
Take, for example, how Amazon now has a PassPhrase for easy checkout with a preselected method of payment, shipping location, etc. Also, many sites have teamed up with PayPal so you don't have to create a new log-in and such. Those who are familiar with bugmenot.com know it is a good (albeit often unreliable) source for already-created log-ins, which are useful for sites that require user IDs/passwords before proceeding. I'm convinced that the faster the process, the more likely for return customers.