Publishing Evolution #84: Writer Communities & Author Websites

Exercise 1: Have you contacted your favorite authors or gone to their websites? Do you like knowing more or less about them? Search for your favorite author. Do they have a website or blog? Can you interact with them via web?

When you lead a book club discussion, it is important to add value to the group by bringing in additional information about the author, time period, locale, literary form, etc. One valuable place to find a lot of this information is on the author's website. Knowing more about an author's personal life, education, prior works, geographic location, even "pets", can bring new insight to the book under discussion.

On several occasions, book club participants have e-mailed the author via his/her website, and received responses that they shared during the discussion. This includes author like Robert Kurson (Shadow Divers), Dave King (The Ha-Ha), and Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) who responded directly, as well as less-approachable authors like Jeffrey Archer (Eleventh Commandment) whose office staff replies.

I don't have just ONE favorite author, but I have many of them that I like a lot. For purposes of this exercise, I will look up Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, as well as other books. In the Events section, I found out that he will be in Houston on April 27, at Murder by the Book at 12:30pm and at Brazos Book store at 7:00. I suppose these will be just sales events. I wish he would be appearing at a library or a lecture hall where I could hear him speak, rather than just wait in a long line for a signed book. Besides the events calendar, the website has lots of promotional stuff about his many books, audio excerpts, video interviews, and links to print articles about his work.

McCall Smith is a fascinating character! Besides writing perfect books from the viewpoint of a "traditionally built" Botswana woman, he has been a professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh and Vice Chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the UK. What a mind this man must have!

Exercise 2: Does the idea of a book being published based on popular vote give you more or less faith in the material?

A large popular vote might give me more confidence in the material. After all, this is what the New York Times Bestseller list is all about. People in that case vote with their wallets.

Readers' tastes are so different, though, that just a high popular vote is not enough for me to tell if I will like something. This is true with books, but even more so with movies. Having free access to a wide variety of choices is the American (and the library!) way.

Publishing Evolution #83: Paper to Pixels (or e-ink)

Exercise #1: Do you prefer paper or pixels? Is getting the material faster on the computer or is reading in a paper form more important to you? Why?

I still prefer paper to pixels, but I have only had a cell phone and a laptop to compare. I have not tried to read a book on a Nook or a Kindle, although I am very tempted by them. A number of my book club participants are now using e-readers for their books. I see them get online and order books each time we announce a new selection at the end of a session. These same folks are among the most loyal book club fans, though, so even though they aren't boosting circulation by checking out paper copies, they still keep coming to the library for "social networking."

Sometimes getting the material fast is important. I once bought a paper copy from Amazon that I needed to teach a class. Someone borrowed it and I had to prepare for the next day's session. It turned out that for $.99, Amazon would give me access to the e-book version of the book I had bought in paper. I was able to get it online in minutes and read what I needed. It wasn't a great reading experience, but I was very glad to have the option.

Exercise #2: Does price influence how you get your books or is it availability? Would you pay the same price for a digital book as you would for a paper copy?

Price primarily influences what I buy, but format and the availability can be important on occasion. I would not want to pay the same price for a digital book as for a paper copy, because I don't think the cost of each is the same for the publisher.

Exercise #3: Visit iFiction and look at what it offers. Do you like the idea of preview and then pay?

iFiction did not appeal to me. The titles are almost all science fiction and fantasy that I don't read. A group of the books are written by the person who created the iFiction site, so his motives are obvious.

Preview and then pay could rule out some really good books. I just recently read "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is one of the best books I ever read, but it took at least 100 pages to get rolling. Based on the "preview, then pay" model, I might never have bought/finished the book. Also, I don't have lots of time to read samples, hoping for a winner. I'd rather spend my time reading good reviews or talking with fellow readers about what they have liked.

Publishing Evolution #82: Print on Demand

Exercise #1: Visit each of the websites listed above and see what they offer. Is it higher or the same as traditionally published books? Look at some of their published books. Have you read any of them? Would you?

It is not encouraging that the once-independent companies, AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, and Canada-based Trafford Publishing are now all owned by Author Solutions Inc. This explains why most of the websites have a very similar look and feel to them. Prices range from $399 to $13,999, and each company has a series of packages. Most of the low-end packages include no images, no copyright, no "complimentary" copies, no sophisticated publicity or marketing. The high-end packages still seem to include some gimmicks, like book-signing "kits", marketing "kits", and other things that still sound like do-it-yourself options.

As the WriterBeware article notes, "When researching POD services, it’s important to remember that you are a consumer buying a service, not an author contracting with a publisher. As with any consumer service, the sales pitch is not intended to benefit you, but to motivate you to buy."

Several years ago, I purchased a copy of the "Happy Minimalist" by Peter Lawrence. Peter used to be a customer at our library until he moved to California. It is a very interesting book, but the topic is probably not one that would have caught the interest of a traditional publisher. Peter had it published through XLibris, and they did a good job with it. I quoted some sections of it in an earlier post on this blog, on 9/6/08, in the iHCPL module on Going Green.

Before I purchased Peter's book, I read a review of it in "Foreword" magazine, which is described as "Reviews of good books independently published." At the time, I felt that "Foreword" was a good way to sort out the wheat from the chaff of self-published materials. The books included there look good for the most part. However, with this module, I took a closer look at the magazine.

It seems that rather than "independently" reviewing good books, authors pay for their reviews, just as they paid to have their books published. The publisher, Clarion, described their Review-For-Fee Service in this way: "A qualified, respected review is one of the best marketing tools an author or publisher can have for a book. With today's growing number of published books and dwindling newspaper review sections, it's harder than ever to get a review. Clarion provides a professional review, guaranteeing the same quality and word length you see in ForeWord Magazine reviews. "

Exercise #2: What do you think of self publishing? As a reader, do you prefer books that have gone through the traditional route and have the confidence of a company’s financial backing, or do you not care how the book got printed, you’re just glad it did?

As a branch librarian, I am increasingly being solicited by local authors to buy their self-published books. Most of them look very good, but most are not well written. The lack of a good editor is obvious.

If the book has any merit at all, we try to give local authors a break. We invite them to present a talk on their book at the library. The Barbara Bush Library Friends assist them in selling their books at the program, and having a signing. Before we offer the invitation, we ask for the book to be added to the HCPL catalog. That way library customers could read the book without having to purchase it. Having someone interested in their book, having the opportunity to sell copies, and having the book added to a library seems to be a big boost to a local author. We feel that this is part of our role as a community library.

There are so many books on the market that I prefer books that have gone through the traditional route. I think you can have more confidence that the book will have valuable content, will be well-edited, well-illustrated, and professionally reviewed.

I am enough of a '60s "hippie" though to not totally trust the establishment. Sometimes people have good messages to tell, but can't get a hearing through the mainstream channels. I am glad that there are options out there for anyone who wants to be heard.

The Future of Media #81: Get Out Your Crystal Ball

Which of the developments listed above do you think will have the most influence? Is there a new technology you have been following that you think will have more effect? Discuss it in your post.

I have not followed new developments in technology, so I am a poor predictor of what will have influence in the future. I agree that newspapers as we know it are disappearing. Movie theaters are disappearing. Television networks are disappearing. Some kind of Internet-based combination of it all will probably take their place, but what will determine the winner is what can make money for someone. Commercials and print ads and lobby popcorn won't pay the bills any more.


Predictions about the future are a big part of the SirsiDynix Institute's webcast by Helene Blowers of the Columbus Metropolitan Library called "From Libraries to Lifebraries." She mentions three trends that will have major impact on traditional libraries: 1) the rise of the e-book; 2) the increase in mobile communications (60% of the world's population have cellphone subscriptions; smart phones exceed laptops and PCs as wi-fi connection devices); and 3) the disappearing of print (especially newspapers). I recommend that all HCPL staff watch this webcast as a motivator for embracing change. The most important slide for me was the "Extinction Timeline," predicting when various aspects of modern life will become insignificant in people's lives. Newspapers are on the timeline with a date of about 2049, but LIBRARIES are on the timeline with a date of about 2019!
Are you an early adopter of every gadget?

I consider myself more of a "middle" adopter of new technology. I want to make sure something will "catch-on" before I jump in. I also want competitors to move into the market and bring the price down. I would probably be faster to get new things, except for the high price tag. For example, my bulky TV works too well to just junk in favor of a sleek new high-definition flat panel TV.

Do you have fond memories of technologies from the past? What is your favorite media gadget or which outdated format do you miss the most? Describe it in your post.

Following the developments of technology has been a wild ride. I have been around long enough to have witnessed first-hand most of the evolution of computers. My first direct contact was loading punched cards coded in the Fortran language into a mainframe computer that filled a large room. My first remote access was via paper punched tape on a teletype machine. Our first home computer was an Apple II. That is probably my favorite memory, learning to use that machine with my kindergartener son. This was followed by a range of IBM desktops (with the Intel 8088, 80286, 80486) and then a series of Dell Laptops. I love my laptop, and can't imagine being without it.

My current most favorite media gadget, though, has to be my iPhone. It is mobile and brings so many "gadgets" together through its apps: e-mail, e-book reader, camera, GPS maps, calendar, Internet, game machine, alarm clock, etc. If that is what the future will look like, bring it on!

The Future of Media #80: Movies

1) Use one of the film sites above to find a free full-length film (you’ll probably have the best luck with Hulu, The Auteurs, or IMDB). Watch a little of it. Would you watch an entire film on your computer or do you still prefer watching DVDs on your TV?

I selected "Ghostbusters", an old classic on Hulu, and had no trouble watching it. I chose it because my son often quotes from it. Since I didn't remember many of the parts I was curious to see it again. I also had forgotten that it starts out in the New York Public Library with the old card catalog.

I didn't mind watching the movie on my computer. In the past, I have often watched DVDs on my computer. A difference is that with "streaming" you often get glitches even with a fast connection. In some locations, like the Barbara Bush Library, it would currently be impossible to watch something that needs to be "streamed." Another difference is that Hulu's version stops periodically and makes you watch a commercial.

This whole post is quite thought-provoking. In the past, we kids had to walk across town to the old movie theater to see a film. The advent of videotapes and video players let us watch them at home. Blockbuster outlets became huge, and crowds hung out there very weekend. Their only real competitor was the public library, where you could actually get videotapes for FREE, although not the latest and greatest. Now the movie theaters are closed, and Blockbuster stores are headed the same way. Surely the video/DVD section of the public library is not far behind. Maybe we should stop putting money into it?

Even many of the library staff subscribe to Netflix, and the mail contains many disks each week going back and forth. Others, like my son, are more sophisticated, and have Netflix tied into their big flat screen HDTV. He can pull up a seemingless endless array of new and old films to watch whenever he wants.

BTW, related to post #79: Ghostbusters must be one of the classic early examples of product placement. Egon eats a big box of CheezIts early in the show, and then a bag of StayPuft marshmallows is unpacked from a grocery bag. [I never noticed this on first watch, but it would have provided a BIG HINT about the movie's eventual villain.] When Sigourney Weaver opens her fridge, it is loaded with Coke and Perrier and Kraft dressing. I wonder how much money the movie earned from this kind of arrangement even before it hit the theaters!

2) Find a trailer for an upcoming film. Would you use these sites to keep up on current film information?

I discussed "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak with two book clubs, and both were very intrigued by the fact that the book was going to be made into a movie. None of us could imagine how a film could do justice to that very poetic and creative book. So I searched for some trailers of the forthcoming movie.

On the Apple site, I found podcasts for the book, but no movie trailer. I didn't find a trailer on the IMDB site either. A general Google search led to several YouTube clips. One seemed like the official trailer. Others were homemade -- one by a bunch of teens, and another by a family of young kids.

IMDB has proven very useful for movie reference in the past (e.g. casts, dates, awards, etc.). The addition of trailers should make it even more useful.

3) Write a blog post about the experience. Would you consider using any of the fee-based services to get the movies you want at home? If so, which one would work better for you and why?

I seldom use anything that is fee-based. I might be tempted to subscribe to NetFlix via the mail. It's interesting that most of these TV and movie services allow you to watch alone in your home. The social experience of going to the theater is lost. Now that I think about it, though, the theater experience makes me think of gum on the seats and floors sticky with spilled drinks or slippery from greasy popcorn. Hard to miss that...

The Future of Media #79: Television

Exercises:
1) Visit Hulu, tv.com, or one of the other TV sites. Search or browse the site to see if your favorite show is listed. Are you able to watch full episodes online? What coverage is available?

Visiting Hulu was dangerous. There are so many ways to waste time, and now I have another great one! I searched for "Grey's Anatomy", a show I really like but often miss because I work the night that it is on. I watched two whole episodes while I was supposed to be doing this iHCPL exercise. It seems like the last five episodes shown on TV are online here through hulu. Another 136 episodes have clips of several minutes shown.

My problem is: I like to do other work (like using Quicken for my personal finances) on my laptop while watching TV. If I have to watch TV on my laptop, that defeats the purpose. I think it would be a better plan to learn to use the DVR on my TV. That way I can record what I miss while at work, watch it later on TV, and still do other work on my laptop.

However, knowing how to find lots of these shows is useful for reference purposes at the library.

2) Have you ever watched a TV show on your cell phone? If so, did you like it? If not, are you interested? Why or why not?
I never before watched a TV show on my iPhone. I tried to watch one through hulu.com, but can't do it because the phone does not have Flash installed. To get access through ATT would cost me another $10 per month, and that is just too much for how often I use it.
Because of this exercise, I loaded the free app for tv.com on my phone. Then I was able to watch some longer clips of "Grey's Anatomy", but I did not see any full episodes there.
It was "OK" to watch on my phone, but not great. Somehow seeing the show on a 2" by 3" screen with phone speakers doesn't quite measure up to seeing it on a 50"+ screen with SurroundSound like my son owns. Kind of spoils you for anything else.

3) Are there any streaming programs or user "channels" that you watch? Have you ever posted videos to a site on a regular basis?
My husband watches a lot of streaming TV from Romania on the Internet. It does require a fast connection. Before cable, it was impossible to watch. The image was always breaking up.
I looked at some of the live photo cams, but did not see anything I would be interested in following with that level of interest.
I have made several videos for work and personal use, and posted them to YouTube.

Searching #78: Videos

1. Search for a particular video using both Truveo and Blinkx. Look for any similarities or differences in the results, and write about them in your blog.

Well, this training has just paid for itself! I used Truveo to search for samples of one of the videos we hoped to make at our branch: How to Buy a Print Card.

What I found was a video called "Printing at Freeman: Buying the Print Card."
With just a little editing to change the branch name, this video will be perfect to post on our branch web page. It was posted as of January 15, 2010, so I can only assume that is why I have not heard about it before.

I'm glad I used Truveo for this first. Blinkx did not give me this result at all, even when I searched for it by exact name.

2. Go to HCPL’s YouTube channel and take a look around. Discuss in your blog ideas for how your own branch video could add to the mix of searchable video content on the Internet.
If I hadn't found the Freeman video with the Truveo search, I would have found it by looking at HCPL's YouTube channel. It shows the video above, as well as three other related items involving printing from the computer; dealing with the print release station; and adding value to a print card.

It is strange for me that the seven Barbara Bush videos do not show up on the HCPL YouTube channel under the link for "All." You have to clink on the "Uploads" link to see older HCPL list. You can see the Barbara Bush playlist by searching another way.

The Freeman self-help videos are posted too low on the Freeman site, and won't be readily noticed by customers. If the unnecessary "Locations" box on the upper left of the Freeman branch page was deleted, links to the videos could be posted there that would be more helpful to customers.