What will they think of next?
Well, keep asking and we might keep getting new answers. The latest, and maybe not so unexpected is the integration of print and video material. The article that appears in Publisher's Weekly describes it as the following:
"In an experiment testing consumers’ interest in integrated print and video content, Simon & Schuster has partnered with multimedia start-up Vook to create a quartet of titles that melds print and video. The fruits of the partnership are four vooks—titles the West Coast company describes as neither book nor e-book—available as apps via the iTunes store and as web-based editions at both simonandschuster.com/aboutvook and vook.com."
For the complete article go to:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/ and search on Vook.
It almost sounds like something Mr. Spock would have invented.
Showing posts with label Publishers Weekly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Publishers Weekly. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Read a good book lately?
One of the ironies about being a writer is not having as much time to read and when I do it's mostly non-fiction. So, when I do get the chance to curl up in bed with a work of fiction that I enjoy, it's one of the best pleasures in the world.
The book I'm reading know is titled Conscious Loving - The Journey to Co-Commitment - A way to be fully together without giving up yourself.
I actually bought this book sometime ago but am just now getting around to reading it and wishing that I had read it sooner. Hard to tell if events in my life would have unfolded any differently over the past decade but this book certainly is full of some wisdom I could have used along the way. Still, I guess we take things in when we're ready to take them in.
Allegedly, more people these days want to write a book than read one. Of course, if they truly realized just how much work it takes to write they wouldn't be so quick to declare such a thing.
I'm just hoping that people will start reading more and more. I suspect that people really are still reading, it's just that they're reading more of their material online or via an electronic device and therefore I'm not sure we're measuring it properly.
Publishers Weekly had an intriguing headline today - Lookout Kindle, Here Comes CellStories.net. It's a very interesting read. Here's the link:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6687027.html?nid=2286&rid=##CustomerId##&source=title
It's going to be interesting to see how the premise of this article and cellstories.net plays out. I'm definitely going to be watching and reading. Hope you will be as well.
The book I'm reading know is titled Conscious Loving - The Journey to Co-Commitment - A way to be fully together without giving up yourself.
I actually bought this book sometime ago but am just now getting around to reading it and wishing that I had read it sooner. Hard to tell if events in my life would have unfolded any differently over the past decade but this book certainly is full of some wisdom I could have used along the way. Still, I guess we take things in when we're ready to take them in.
Allegedly, more people these days want to write a book than read one. Of course, if they truly realized just how much work it takes to write they wouldn't be so quick to declare such a thing.
I'm just hoping that people will start reading more and more. I suspect that people really are still reading, it's just that they're reading more of their material online or via an electronic device and therefore I'm not sure we're measuring it properly.
Publishers Weekly had an intriguing headline today - Lookout Kindle, Here Comes CellStories.net. It's a very interesting read. Here's the link:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6687027.html?nid=2286&rid=##CustomerId##&source=title
It's going to be interesting to see how the premise of this article and cellstories.net plays out. I'm definitely going to be watching and reading. Hope you will be as well.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Publishers Weekly Morning Report
Two things caught my attention today on the PW morning report:
- What President Obama took on vacation to read
- The announcement of Oprah’s pending announcement via twitter of her next pick for her book club.
What author wouldn’t love to be on either one of these two’s reading list!
Most of us aren’t so lucky as to be in the situation of having one of these two famous individuals pick up our work and instantly provide international attention. So, how do the rest of us get noticed? How do we get the word out on our own works of fiction or non-fiction so that lots of people will notice.
Well, that’s always been a struggle for most authors and lately it’s not limited to the less published authors. I know writers with more than a dozen books published that still have to go out and pound the pavement at bookstores, conferences, libraries, and just about any venue where they think their book will find an audience, especially a paying one.
Other things we do for exposure - mostly with our clothes on - is to participate in blogs, leave comments at blogs, conduct interviews, be interviewed, hand out free bookmarks, talk to book clubs, participate in panels at conferences, and so much more. Anyone who has been to some of the larger writers conferences know that there is a wide range of promotional items that authors have to chose from but often at great expense and not necessarily with a great return on the investment.
So, let’s see how creative writers can be without losing their financial shirt. I’d love to see what others are doing to expose themselves - legally - to expand their readership.
In the meantime, for more information on how to access or sign up for Publishers Weekly reports visit the following website:
www.publishersweekly.com
- What President Obama took on vacation to read
- The announcement of Oprah’s pending announcement via twitter of her next pick for her book club.
What author wouldn’t love to be on either one of these two’s reading list!
Most of us aren’t so lucky as to be in the situation of having one of these two famous individuals pick up our work and instantly provide international attention. So, how do the rest of us get noticed? How do we get the word out on our own works of fiction or non-fiction so that lots of people will notice.
Well, that’s always been a struggle for most authors and lately it’s not limited to the less published authors. I know writers with more than a dozen books published that still have to go out and pound the pavement at bookstores, conferences, libraries, and just about any venue where they think their book will find an audience, especially a paying one.
Other things we do for exposure - mostly with our clothes on - is to participate in blogs, leave comments at blogs, conduct interviews, be interviewed, hand out free bookmarks, talk to book clubs, participate in panels at conferences, and so much more. Anyone who has been to some of the larger writers conferences know that there is a wide range of promotional items that authors have to chose from but often at great expense and not necessarily with a great return on the investment.
So, let’s see how creative writers can be without losing their financial shirt. I’d love to see what others are doing to expose themselves - legally - to expand their readership.
In the meantime, for more information on how to access or sign up for Publishers Weekly reports visit the following website:
www.publishersweekly.com
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The romance genre thrives in bad economic times
Everybody seems to be suffering during these tough economic times. Everyone except the romance publishing industry. Giants of the romance publishing industry like Harlequin and Silhouette - Torstar is the parent company of both with - are doing very well.
For more information on the company go to:
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Harlequin-Enterprises-Limited-Company-History.html
Publishers Weekly has routinely covered the romance publishing world including Harlequin’s 60th year celebration:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6644217.html?q=harlequin
There’s even a national organization that represents the romance writing industry - Romance Writers of America (RWA) of which I am a member. This organization tracks statistics to include sales, number of titles, market share compared to other genres and more. One statistic is “Of those who read books in 2007, one in five read romance novels. (AP-Ipsos Poll).”
For more information on RWA and the market research conducted go to:
www.rwanational.org
So, what does this really tell us? The romance genre of publishing has always enjoyed strong sells. Oh, sure, there have been the subgenres that have boomed then struggled such as Chick lit, and the action/adventure romances, but even those have not completely gone away. They still have enough of an audience to keep them around. But it’s the more traditional romance that has endured. Whether you weave it into a paranormal, a historical, a futuristic/fantasy, or anything else, we all seem to crave that traditional romance where one man and one woman find each other and just know that being together will make their lives richer.
We like to escape, especially when times are tough. Romance offers an emotionally rewarding way to escape and there’s something for everyone. From inspirational to paranormal to erotic the many flavors of romance can delight any reader; and despite its critics, romance opens doors to more than escapism. Readers often comment on the richness of the writing when the story is set in another place and/or time.
So, forget the bad times - grab a romance and enjoy.
For more information on the company go to:
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Harlequin-Enterprises-Limited-Company-History.html
Publishers Weekly has routinely covered the romance publishing world including Harlequin’s 60th year celebration:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6644217.html?q=harlequin
There’s even a national organization that represents the romance writing industry - Romance Writers of America (RWA) of which I am a member. This organization tracks statistics to include sales, number of titles, market share compared to other genres and more. One statistic is “Of those who read books in 2007, one in five read romance novels. (AP-Ipsos Poll).”
For more information on RWA and the market research conducted go to:
www.rwanational.org
So, what does this really tell us? The romance genre of publishing has always enjoyed strong sells. Oh, sure, there have been the subgenres that have boomed then struggled such as Chick lit, and the action/adventure romances, but even those have not completely gone away. They still have enough of an audience to keep them around. But it’s the more traditional romance that has endured. Whether you weave it into a paranormal, a historical, a futuristic/fantasy, or anything else, we all seem to crave that traditional romance where one man and one woman find each other and just know that being together will make their lives richer.
We like to escape, especially when times are tough. Romance offers an emotionally rewarding way to escape and there’s something for everyone. From inspirational to paranormal to erotic the many flavors of romance can delight any reader; and despite its critics, romance opens doors to more than escapism. Readers often comment on the richness of the writing when the story is set in another place and/or time.
So, forget the bad times - grab a romance and enjoy.
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