I thought we all could appreciate and get a laugh out of this...
Something Called B-O-O-K
Monday, September 13, 2010
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
Kindle Device Unit Sales Accelerate Each Month in Second Quarter; New $189 Price Results in Tipping Point for Growth
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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....)
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...
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.
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.
Friday, September 10, 2010
E-Publishing & Book Fairs
With preparations underway for this month’s National Book Festival, which will take place Sept. 25 on the National Mall, I’ve found myself pondering the entire concept of book fairs in general.
As a child, one of the biggest highlights of the new school year was going to the annual book fair set up in our small elementary school library, where I eagerly scanned the tables in search of the one special book that most struck my six-year-old fancy. In retrospect, it’s clear that events like these largely contributed to what would become a lifelong love of reading.
Have book fairs played a role in your life, whether as a child or as an adult? Do you see e-publishing as a threat to these types of events?
-- Heather Walrath
(Graphic Credit: National Book Festival)
As a child, one of the biggest highlights of the new school year was going to the annual book fair set up in our small elementary school library, where I eagerly scanned the tables in search of the one special book that most struck my six-year-old fancy. In retrospect, it’s clear that events like these largely contributed to what would become a lifelong love of reading.
As electronic publishing continues to increase, what effect will this have on traditional book fairs, like those I remember so fondly? In all honesty, I just can’t imagine my childhood experience having been reduced to merely sitting at a computer screen and clicking through a long list of titles, without the joy of actually feeling each book in my hands as I passionately debated the literary merits of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Have book fairs played a role in your life, whether as a child or as an adult? Do you see e-publishing as a threat to these types of events?
-- Heather Walrath
(Graphic Credit: National Book Festival)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
E-Publishing & Literary Journals
For some literary journals, at least, e-publishing has become their lifeblood. Just two years ago, the idea of mailing out submissions was exciting and couldn't compare with sending an e-mail. There was something about the tangibility of an envelope, prose or poetry on hard copy, and a 40-some-cent stamp. Now, it is just as exciting -- or I'm made to believe it is exciting -- that submissions can be transmitted online, saving that envelope, printout, stamp, trip to the post office, etc.
It seems like more and more literary journals are certainly heading in the direction of online submission managers, tiny and simple albeit effective powerhouses that enable editors to sort and weed out a slush pile with a few clicks of the mouse rather than opening physical envelopes, labeling submissions, and separating cover letters from manuscripts to yield blind submissions. Some journals, such as the prestigious Black Warrior Review (http://bwrsubmissions.ua.edu), allow only online submissions. Others highly encourage it.
I bring this up mostly because as we become more and more imbibed by the digital and electronic age, there is, similarly, more and more of a focus on doing everything via the Internet, kind of like how e-mail is almost always preferred to "snail" mail (as it is now the term to describe letters sent by the U.S. Postal Service).
This is kind of like the book "versus" e-book discussion we'd had in class. The question, then, is, will certain forms stop existing, eventually? Will regular books stop being published? Probably not. But the way the term "book" is perceived will likely evolve -- ABC books for children might show an image of a Kindle or iPad under "B" for "Book" (or, better yet, under "K" and "i," respectively, for "Kindle" and "iPad"). How do we resolve the co-existence and tug-of-war between e-books and print books?
From the perspective of someone having recently exited the creative writing field, those few literary journals that are online only were largely looked down upon (at least when I was in the program at ND). The high-end journals that had a print issue are what everyone vied for when sending submissions. A print version was equated with substance, with value, with something that can be brought to readings and panels rather than a printout of, say, a PDF.
In light of all that, I wonder whether certain entities need to exist first in print to build a foundation of initial value and credibility (such as a journal shifting from publishing actual copies versus publishing online only) before it can just exist online only. Given that so much is published online (any John or Jane can publish a blog, or Tweet, or whatever, that it's sometimes hard to separate out quality material from hogwash). Fromthefishouse (http://www.fishousepoems.org), for example, only appears online, and it is regarded as a valuable resource for oral poetry, but then again, most of the writers who appear on the Web site have appeared in prominent print journals. If the names of the big-name journals were omitted, would it still retain its esteemed status?
It seems like more and more literary journals are certainly heading in the direction of online submission managers, tiny and simple albeit effective powerhouses that enable editors to sort and weed out a slush pile with a few clicks of the mouse rather than opening physical envelopes, labeling submissions, and separating cover letters from manuscripts to yield blind submissions. Some journals, such as the prestigious Black Warrior Review (http://bwrsubmissions.ua.edu), allow only online submissions. Others highly encourage it.
I bring this up mostly because as we become more and more imbibed by the digital and electronic age, there is, similarly, more and more of a focus on doing everything via the Internet, kind of like how e-mail is almost always preferred to "snail" mail (as it is now the term to describe letters sent by the U.S. Postal Service).
This is kind of like the book "versus" e-book discussion we'd had in class. The question, then, is, will certain forms stop existing, eventually? Will regular books stop being published? Probably not. But the way the term "book" is perceived will likely evolve -- ABC books for children might show an image of a Kindle or iPad under "B" for "Book" (or, better yet, under "K" and "i," respectively, for "Kindle" and "iPad"). How do we resolve the co-existence and tug-of-war between e-books and print books?
From the perspective of someone having recently exited the creative writing field, those few literary journals that are online only were largely looked down upon (at least when I was in the program at ND). The high-end journals that had a print issue are what everyone vied for when sending submissions. A print version was equated with substance, with value, with something that can be brought to readings and panels rather than a printout of, say, a PDF.
In light of all that, I wonder whether certain entities need to exist first in print to build a foundation of initial value and credibility (such as a journal shifting from publishing actual copies versus publishing online only) before it can just exist online only. Given that so much is published online (any John or Jane can publish a blog, or Tweet, or whatever, that it's sometimes hard to separate out quality material from hogwash). Fromthefishouse (http://www.fishousepoems.org), for example, only appears online, and it is regarded as a valuable resource for oral poetry, but then again, most of the writers who appear on the Web site have appeared in prominent print journals. If the names of the big-name journals were omitted, would it still retain its esteemed status?
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