Category Archives: digital publishing

April 22, 2011   Michael   children's books, digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, graphic novels, Michael  
4

Publishing in nine months

As always, when Mike Shatzkin blogs, I read.  And today he put out some thoughts on the future of publishing–the near future, just looking nine months down the line for the next Digital Book World conference.  As usual, I think he’s got a really good grasp on the changes and challenges ahead, including territory restrictions for e-books, selling and marketing directly to consumers, and the decline of the brick and mortar stores.

He’s also bullish about something that’s yet to appeal to me, a staunch e-book reader: illustrated e-books.  I love e-books–I buy at least one a week–and I love illustrated books of all sorts, from graphic novels to coffee table books.  But I’m having a hard time imagining my favorite illustrated books living on my iPad.  That’s not to say that I can’t imagine visually-oriented material doing well, things like the Elements app, for instance.  And, I do think there’s going to be a lot of creative and interesting interactive e-books for kids.  I just think I might have finally hit my own “but-what-about-the-smell-of-books” moment.  I love my illustrated books!  I love showing them off on my coffee table and bookshelves (and so many other surfaces around the apartment).  I like paging through them when I have a free moment, just ’cause they’re there.  Is it possible that I’m becoming a luddite?

No.  I like my tech, and I like the attendant usefulness and ease of digital products.  I’m sure I’ll find the illustrated e-book or book-like-product that will wow me to the point of purchase, and then I’ll start snapping up more of them.  But there’s no way I’m trading in my The Making of the Empire Strikes Back.

April 05, 2011   John   digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, international literature, John, opinion  
11

eBooks in the EU

Looking around for book-related news this morning, I found this short piece in the New York Times (sigh—just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in) about how the ebook market in Europe hasn’t really taken off yet.

Frankly, I was a little surprised—not that I really thought all that much about European ebooks, but the whole ebook conversation often makes it seem like international borders are a thing of the past. Clearly, that’s not the case, especially since it sounds like the EU is where American publishers were a few years ago in terms of pricing models and how to deal with Amazon.

What’s more intriguing to me is that Europeans aren’t making eReaders available the way Amazon and Apple have pushed them on the American public. I just remember visiting Europe about 10 or 15 years ago, when cell phones weren’t yet ubiquitous in the States, and being shocked at how everyone seemed to have a phone to their ear—and how every advert seemed to be one pay-as-you-go plan or another. In that case, it took the US a few years to catch up on cell phone sales and usage. Yet now, it seems like we’re the ones ahead of the curve on eReaders.

Any thoughts as to the reasons for the discrepancy? Do you think it’s due to the scarcity of readers and titles as the Times reports (i.e., supply), or does it have more to do with European reading habits and tastes (demand)? I’d be particularly curious to hear from readers abroad about their experiences—surprisingly, the Times article avoids the selective anecdotes that usually inflate their publishing articles. Any stories to share?

March 10, 2011   Michael   digital publishing, e-books, Michael  
8

Understanding the e-book pricing issue

With the recent news that Random House was adopting the agency pricing model for e-book sales, I started hearing the, “What does this all mean?!” question from authors again.  When the switch to the agency model happened with the other “Big 5″ last year, I spent a lot of time discussing the differences between the wholesale and agency models of e-book sales.  I’ve sent authors articles that explain the differences and why it matters, both practically and philosophically.  But today, I came across the most succinct, lucid description I’ve seen, from former-agent Nathan Bransford.  The point of the blog post is to explain why you might pay more for an e-book than for a new hardcover–something that seems insane until you understand how both e-books and print books are sold from publishers to retailers.

So please take a look!  And if you have further questions, I’m happy to try to answer them.

March 08, 2011   Lauren   advice, digital publishing, future of publishing, Lauren, opinion, self-publishing  
6

She speaks the truth

If you’re the type to read publishing news, and you no doubt are if you’re here, then I’m sure you’ve heard all about Amanda Hocking’s phenomenal success as a self-published author.  She’s a 26-year-old millionaire, in fact, which I can’t say I don’t envy.

Much has been said about this by anyone remotely interested in publishing, and now Amanda herself has weighed in with an honest and surprisingly objective look at the realities of publishing and self-publishing that give a hint as to the sort of business savvy that has made this work for her.  I think Amanda’s words speak for themselves on so many of the topics at hand here, so I’ll just pick out the thing I think is most important for people to keep in mind, but I’d encourage you to hop over to her blog to read it in full:

Everybody seems really excited about what I’m doing and how I’ve been so successful, and from what I’ve been able to understand, it’s because a lot of people think that they can replicate my success and what I’ve done. And while I do think I will not be the only one to do this – others will be as successful as I’ve been, some even more so – I don’t think it will happen that often.

Traditional publishing and indie publishing aren’t all that different, and I don’t think people realize that. Some books and authors are best sellers, but most aren’t. It may be easier to self-publish than it is to traditionally publish, but in all honesty, it’s harder to be a best seller self-publishing than it is with a house.

As an agency, we’re pretty bullish about the digital future of publishing (even if many of us are also really, really, really attached to books as objects and unwilling to believe we could ever abandon them entirely in favor of our Kindles).  We work with some wonderful authors who keep pushing out the edge of the digital frontier.  We also talk about where things are headed and how to help our clients in this transition on a near daily basis, and we’ve been putting in the work to make sure that whatever happens, our authors won’t get left behind in the dust.

But that said, it’s a mistake, as it always has been, to think that self-publishing is as simple as bypassing the gatekeepers who wouldn’t know a good book from a hole in the ground to go straight to the masses of consumers.  Certainly amazing books are missed by the traditional publishing industry for myriad reasons—some of them simply human, others institutional flaws—and don’t think that agents and editors, who go to bat daily for books that won’t always make it on the shelves, aren’t keenly aware of that.  But publishing a book isn’t a one man job, however simple the upload tools might make it seem.  Editing, copyediting, cover design, marketing, distribution, and many more issues exist beyond the writing of the book (no easy task!) that need time and care and energy and experience.  Self-publishing is easier than ever before from a technical sense, but succeeding at it, like succeeding at just about anything in life, takes a tremendous amount of hard work, a willingness to get (and pay for) the work you can’t do yourself, and at least a little bit of luck.

Congratulations to Amanda and others like her who were told no and found a different path to success.  And congratulations are due also to those authors who the HuffPo won’t be calling millionaires any time soon, but who, through hard work and ingenuity, have found an audience for their books.

Of course, all this makes me curious about Amanda’s books, which I haven’t read yet but plan to check out.  With the number of copies she’s sold and the amount of press she’s had in the last week, some of you must have read her, right?  Any recommendations?  Any thoughts as to why she’s gotten where she has?

January 12, 2011   Miriam   adaptation, digital publishing, future of publishing, Miriam, technology  
10

Apps-ing

As you all know by now, we’re a forward thinking lot here at DGLM.  And, we have been especially intrigued by the possibilities that the new technologies present for our clients and their projects.  The notion of being able to help our authors develop apps based on their books or on research and other information that doesn’t make it into their books for whatever reason, but which would have value in this format and provide an additional revenue stream for them, is an exciting one.

This piece about the success of Disney’s book apps makes it clear that this particular apps market is about to explode.  The question is what category of books make for good apps?   Conventional wisdom thus far says lifestyle and how-to books, children’s books, and textbooks.  But, what would an adult fiction or narrative non-fiction app look like?  What are some of the more unorthodox uses and approaches?  My sense is that pretty much anything goes in this world.  It’s all about how to implement.

Is this something you guys have given any thought to?  Are any of you exploring this for your own work?

November 15, 2010   DG&B   digital publishing, future of publishing, Jane, opinion, publishers, selling  
13

Time doesn’t matter

by Jane

So, this week I talked with a number of editors in our business who are complaining about recent poor bookstore sales and it caused me to consider again how our industry is changing and how I wish publishers would begin to “rethink.”

Traditionally, books are launched and shipped in a certain season and then, in subsequent seasons, these books are considered “backlist” and hopefully continue to sell (with virtually no support from the publishers). So, if the book doesn’t “take off” in its first few weeks, the publisher literally abandons it and moves on to the next one.

The beauty of this new “electronic publishing age” is that books are always there and available. And they can easily continue to be publicized and promoted during the course of the year with very little additional cost and effort. Publishers, in the acquisitions process especially, are totally losing sight of this phenomenon and they certainly aren’t taking advantage of it.

If a novel, say, which contains a story line about breast cancer and also takes place in a highly trafficked summer vacation area is published in March, there is the initial publicity for the book. But then there can be a solid push in May or June because of the location of the story and then again in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. And this can go on year after year. The novel doesn’t just have one season.

I am currently trying to sell a book with a graduation market; but it is also a great gift title. Publishers are passing because they say that there are too many books aimed at the high school or college graduate, but to my mind that is limited thinking. Why not take advantage of the enormous marketing ability of the internet and not only publish this for that graduation market but also for September when kids leave for school and for Christmas? And what about birthdays? Why just limit the publication to a single event?

Time simply doesn’t matter any more in our business. Backlist can become front list again at a moment’s notice. If only publishers would realize this. I think they simply don’t take the time to consider the inherent possibilities that electronic publishing affords and that, I’m afraid, does matter.

What do you think?

November 11, 2010   DG&B   bestsellers, digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, Michael  
7

The Times it is a-changin’

by Michael

While it was certainly inevitable, since the Times seems to love to add to its bestseller lists (14 and counting!), last night’s news about the addition of an e-book bestseller list came as a bit of a surprise. It’s interesting to note that in the announcement, Janet Elder, editor of news surveys and election analysis, says that the Times has been creating the e-book tracking system for two years. That’s serious investment in time and money on their part. They also mention that they’ll be partnering with RoyaltyShare, a company that tracks all sorts of digital downloads and actually got its start in the music business.

It’ll be interesting to see what this list looks like when it debuts. How similar will it be to what’s selling well on the Kindle platform? Will we see more clearly the effects of the agency model on e-book sales? Will the exclusion of certain publishers from Apple’s iBookstore hamper their sales? And how many books will appear both on the e-list and the hardcover or non-fiction lists? How many children’s titles will show up on the e-list? Will a Harry Potter-sized smash force the creation of a children’s e-list? Could I possibly ask another question?

Seriously, this is a major development in e-book publishing, and I eagerly await the publication of that first list. Do you, as readers and writers, care?

October 28, 2010   DG&B   digital publishing, fun, future of publishing, Michael, opinion  
4

Travel

by Michael

Now that I live on the West Coast, I do a lot more traveling than I used to. Previously, I’d go to a couple of conferences a year, travel for the holidays and vacation, and that’s it. Between Labor Day and Christmas this year, I’ll be taking six trips to three different locations, so I’m suddenly paying more attention to travel news, books and apps.

The New York Times yesterday ran a review, of sorts, on travel apps, the gist of which is: books are still better than apps. And, in fact, they recommend that the iPad is actually a better travel companion that the iPhone, if you want the right app for the job. This surprised me a bit, considering my previous blog post about the usage of the iPad. But it makes sense: more screen real estate can be a huge advantage, not just because it can display more information, but because it’s much easier to navigate. But the lesson learned here isn’t that books are better travel companions or people should take their iPads everywhere they go (not everyone is me!). Rather, the book publishers and their app developers need to work harder to make the travel app experience a better one. From the review, it seems like the fixes could be quite simple. And, as apps mature, I think we’ll see that the apps can actually do a better job of showcasing guidebook information on the fly.

But until then, I’ll still carry my beat up, dog-eared guidebooks when I travel. How else would I have ever found the Mütter Museum? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist linking to it!)

via PWxyz

October 19, 2010   DG&B   digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, John, opinion  
8

Five years?

by John

If you’re like me, you’re probably getting tired of the whole ebook/print debate. But even so, I had to take note of this assertion from Nicholas Negroponte, founder of One Laptop per Child, on CNN that not only will physical books disappear, but that they’ll be gone in five years.

Five years? Really? To be fair, while Negroponte appears to mean this statement generally, his evidence rests firmly on his work in Africa, where he sees ebooks following the ubiquity of cell phones in developing nations. And indeed, if a society with no access to or history with any book format is suddenly given the choice between a bunch of dusty old tomes or a laptop with thousands of titles, the winner seems obvious.

But again—five years? While I’m sort of impressed by the sheer brazenness of Negroponte’s prediction—this is the first time I’ve seen an actual expiration date for the printed book—it does seem a bit hard to swallow, for any number of well-discussed reasons. I guess the only true way to test Negroponte’s theory is to check back with him on October 2015 and see what formats we’re reading. But then again, maybe Negroponte’s talking head days will be over in, oh, 2 ½ years? Maybe CNN will be gone in 4? The internet in 3 ¼?

October 14, 2010   DG&B   digital publishing, e-books, future of publishing, Michael, opinion  
4

The medium is the question

by Michael

I was very taken by this article I read on mocoNews.net yesterday. It features an interview with Scott McDonald, SVP of Market Research at Condé Nast, who talks about the results of the surveys of iPad users. Some of the results were a bit surprising: people spend more time with the iPad version of the magazine that a print one; most people leave their iPad at home, making it more of a personal computer than a mobile device; people didn’t understand what in the magazine was interactive or how to use it.

This interests me for several reasons. First, hearing that the device is not a mobile device for most people changes how developers and content providers should be thinking about their material. How you craft your material for someone on the go is very different from what you’d make for someone sitting at home. For instance, it seems that location-based apps or features aren’t as necessary on the iPad, whereas on mobile devices, they’re pretty much required. Travel publishers, it seems would be better off spending their time developing their material for the small screen than the big one. I think that’s actually pretty big news as we all consider what the future holds for “content providers.”

The other part that really stood out was that people didn’t know how to use the interactive features and ads, and they need to be taught how to interact with them. As publishers begin thinking about how to add value to e-books through doohickeys and gizmos, this is something they need to keep in mind. We know that e-book readers are not all techies and kids, and publishers should think very carefully about their audiences as they consider “enhancing” books. I know I’ll be thinking about it as we discuss new avenues for our authors.

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