Entries tagged with “book publishing” from Tools of Change for Publishing
iPhone App Outperforms Most Print (Computer) Books This Holiday Season
Andrew Savikas
January 7, 2009
| Permalink
| Comments (20)
|
Listen 
Conventional wisdom suggests that when choosing pilot projects, you pick ones with a high likelihood of success. It's hard to argue that iPhone: The Missing Manual was a reasonable choice for testing the iPhone App waters. But while we knew it would do well, we've been quite pleased with just how well:
- If the iPhone App by itself had been a book, it would be a top 10 seller in BookScan for Computer Books this holiday season, based on just 17 days of sales
- The print version appears to have been unaffected, retaining a solid position in the top 3 for Computer Books in BookScan
- A full 1/3 of those buying the app are outside the US, mostly in countries where the print book is not readily available
There are certainly some who don't care for the book-as-app approach, preferring the library model (where one app enables reading multiple titles). It's also clear there's substantial customer interest in both options, and we strongly believe that offering a variety of options and letting customers choose is the right approach. This is a time for experimentation, and we'll be doing quite a bit more of it (format, pricing, content) in the digital -- and especially mobile -- space in the coming months.
Book Publishing's Scale Issue
Mac Slocum
December 9, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
In a post looking at the future interplay of content, gatekeepers and consumers, David Nygren touches on a key issue for large book publishers: scale.
Mega Publishing Conglomerates Go Bye-Bye: Or at least they will look very different than they do today. Their scale is not sustainable. The partial implosion we saw in the publishing industry last week was just the beginning. The profit margins that will come from publishing will not be great enough to satisfy shareholders who expect revenue growth of 7%+ annually. No can do.
But there will still be major publishing houses that handle the superstars, the sure (as you can get) bets. That is what they do best, after all. But for the vast majority of readers, the big houses will not longer be the gatekeepers. Good. [Formatting included in original post.]
Publishers Rush Economic Crisis Books
Mac Slocum
October 10, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
The Economist says book publishers are rushing to cash in on the economic turmoil bubbling up across world markets:
Like any good bank in the pre-crash days, some publishers are splashing out to secure talent. Penguin's American arm has been particularly eager, bagging four inky-fingered "stars" in the past month, reportedly at a cost of over $2m in advances.
The Economist notes that long publishing deadlines may prevent book publishers from capitalizing on the current flush of consumer interest (and worry), especially if the situation stabilizes. But traditional publishing's burden is Web publishing's gain: Beet.TV says The Wall Street Journal's impeccably timed Web redesign coincided with record traffic, and there's been a surge in interest for NBC, BBC and Reuters Web properties.
TOC Recommended Reading
Mac Slocum
August 7, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
Listen
What's Really Killing Newspapers (Jack Shafer, Slate)
Other institutions do far better jobs at issuing social currency these days. What is Facebook but the Federal Reserve Bank of social currency? And it's all social currency you can use! Like cocktail chatter, a Facebook posting--be it a link, a list, a photo, or travel plans--conveys the message, I am here. Listen to me. A well-executed Facebook presence, like a superb pontification at the bar or a great phone-in to sports talk radio, demonstrates one's status within one's existing social network. If skillfully wielded, a Facebook page can increase a person's status by attracting "cooler" or more influential friends. These days, you can't raise your status more than a bump by carrying the Wall Street Journal under your arm.
The Plight of Politico -- And Everyone Else (Ezra Klein, The American Prospect)
A year-and-a-half after launch, [Politico is] getting 3.5 million unique visitors per month and 25 million page views. And yet not only is it unprofitable, but 60 percent of its revenues come from advertising in the 27,000 circulation print version. In other words: Politico got the online readership it dreamed of, but it hasn't come even close to figuring out how to monetize it.
Secrets of book publishing I wish I had known (Mark Hurst, Good Experience)
Publishers and bookstores are in it for the money. But you, the author, can't be in it for the money - it doesn't pay enough. You should write a book because you believe in it. And that's the trouble: what you love isn't necessarily what publishers believe will sell. If you can find a topic that you love and that will sell in the market, well then, go forth and type. You're one of the lucky ones. [Emphasis included in original post.]
Books and Ebooks Will Find Their Place
Mac Slocum
June 30, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
Publishers Weekly editor Sara Nelson offers a measured, middle-of-the-road response to ebook worriers and enthusiastic analysts:
... just as there are certain books you would rather listen to than read (and vice versa) and some movies you'll rush to the theater to see, there is room in the world for another way to enjoy written narrative. Put it another way: there will always be books you can read in pixels, and others you'll still want to read in the bathtub.
Linking Books with the Web-Way of Thinking
Andrew Savikas
May 18, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
I spent most of this morning reviewing several O'Reilly books in Adobe Digital Editions that we've converted into EPUB format -- we've been working to get our heads fully around the spec, and figure out how to best fit some our content into the constraints of the ebook medium. And the more time I spent scrolling and clicking through the books -- a very Web-browser-like experience -- the more I realized how frustrating it was that the books don't take full advantage of something we take for granted on the Web: outbound hyperlinks. The constraint sword cuts both ways (at least for now).
I can't really blame the authors -- they wrote their manuscripts for print, after all. And there's much we as the publisher can do to retrofit at least some links prior to distributing books in a digital form.
But this issue is a great example of the changing nature of book content, something nicely described in a great post from Martyn Daniels (link via Peter Brantley) about digital text and non-linear thinking:
We have long promoted that ebook readers and the current conversion of 250 pages of text into 250 pages of digital content is transitional. The challenge is not just to adopt the technology but adapt it to do things differently, exploit its true potential, learn from the experience and move on to the next step change. Merely taking today’s content and converting it into digital content follows the logic that digital is merely just another format or manifestation and that it will be read the same way. This is the greatest challenge to many genres: travel, reference, religion, art and design, craft etc, who can do things differently in the digital world and must not be drawn into mere replication.
That's very much in line with Thursday's post on the AAP's EPUB stance: publishers must begin making the transition from creating books to be consumed primarily in print with ebooks as an afterthought, toward designing books intended to remain digital throughout their lifecycle -- in particular, adding new value that leverages the potential of digital content. Of course, that also means that sometimes they won't be building "books" at all -- but instead whatever does the job best (here's Tim O'Reilly on the subject):
The failure to think about what job your product does for the customer, rather than the tools or approach you've historically used to do that job, is the reason why many established companies fail to make the transition when there is a technological change. Hence the old saw, "If the railroads had realized they were transportation companies, they'd be airlines today." (Well, maybe yesterday, as the airlines are suffering their own business transition. Maybe they'd be Fedex/Kinko's today. Or Google/Skype.)
Martyn's point about transitional forms is a critical one, and a simple example illustrates Tim's point about the transition: Encarta on CD-ROM was a transitional format from printed encylopedias to Wikipedia. Note that's three completely different players: Brittanica sold encyclopedias; Microsoft sold software; readers were looking for comprehensive general reference, not encylopedias or software.
We're experiencing this acutely at O'Reilly, as more of our audience finds the information online they once sought in our books. We've historically sold books; readers are looking for answers, information and instruction. We've found other ways to do those "jobs" and remain relevant, but it's not an easy transition.
BISG Study: Publishing Experimentation Catching On
Mac Slocum
May 12, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
Results from a Book Industry Study Group (BISG) study on publishing experimentation were shared last week at a BISG event. Of particular note: 69 percent of surveyed trade publishers and 77 percent of nontrade publishers said their experiments resulted in new products.
With a majority of respondents already engaged in experimentation, the focus for many now turns to harnessing innovation and ideas. From Publishers Weekly:
[Michael] Shatzkin advised publishers to have a formulized process for encouraging experimentation and companies should put one person in charge of the process. That person, Shatzkin said, shouldn't come from the IT department, but rather should be someone from the publishing side with a background in business who understands the needs of the marketplace.
A Look at Book Publishing's Opportunities in Digital Marketing
Peter Brantley
May 9, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (1)
|
Listen
Richard Bawden and Mark Harding from KPMG discuss future scenarios for book marketing and product enhancement:
With virtual worlds like Second Life and social networking destined to splinter into hubs focused on shared interests, publishers and retailers are in a strong position to leverage people's love of books ... Publishers must also consider how books on screen can enhance the reading experience, with sound and vision adding extra dimensions. Think of the crunch that the snow could make as Lucy walks through the wardrobe and enters Narnia for the first time, offering extra sensory pleasure to younger readers.
Experiences like these will trigger behavioural shifts from generation to generation and will bring on the slow decline of traditional business models. If publishers choose to embrace innovation and lateral thinking, such experiences can prompt new revenue streams which will sustain their businesses. If, on the other hand, they choose to deny the digital future or fail to prepare adequately, they will hinder growth.
Use Publishing Experiments as a Guide
Mac Slocum
May 9, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
Kevin Anderson's recent post on the future of newspapers reiterates the importance of digital experimentation -- a vital topic that extends well beyond newspaper publishing:
The difference between the late 1990s and now is that cost of editorial experimentation has dropped almost to zero in some cases. Creative use of freely available web tools can achieve most editorial goals, and it can be used as a guide for future development. Out of all of the things you could do, it will help you understand what you must do.
(Via contentious.com)
Glimmer of Positivity in Media Industry Analysis
Mac Slocum
May 6, 2008
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
Listen
A handful of recent media industry reports inject a small but noticeable degree of optimism into their examinations of the current business landscape.
Lauren Rich Fine of Kent State University tells the The Economist that adaptation could guide certain types of newspapers through the industry's rough transition:
Ms Fine also points out that although all newspapers are being buffeted by the internet, their ability to respond will probably depend on whether their audiences are national, metropolitan or local. The first category can afford to invest in distinctive international or business coverage, while the last can prosper by becoming “more intensely local”. But she fears for the big metropolitan newspapers, which may find themselves trapped in the middle.
Fine's analysis doesn't benefit medium-sized papers, but the prospect of success at large and small papers is a shift from typical declarations of "all" newspapers dying.
On the broadcast side, NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman says TV shows will need to exist on multiple platforms to succeed, and variations across formats have to be distinct. From TVWeek:
"Around our new offerings there will literally be shows that end on air and the last scene will continue online," Silverman said at the recent TelevisionWeek Upfront Summit.
Rather than feebly slapping Band-Aids on the established system, Silverman's comments suggest an acceptance -- and an embrace -- of the industry's position. This is a perspective shared by Wired editor Chris Anderson, who, in a recent talk, said the media industry needs to examine the current environment and then find ways to add value. From Journalism.co.uk:
"... we need to do something that the internet has not either not already done or done too well, that may be original reporting, maybe it's investigative reporting. Maybe it's long form narrative; maybe it's the packaging of stories with photography and diagrams ... That's basically our mission, I think, to figure out where the market failure is in the amateur internet and there in lies the commercial opportunity for us to do something that still has value and which people will pay for, either directly or in terms of their attention, which can be monetised through advertising.
On first glance it would seem that newspapers and broadcasters are in a different digital realm than book publishers, but as we've seen time and again, a development in one part of the media landscape often pops up elsewhere. There's also much to be said for a positive outlook in an uncertain environment.
- Stay Connected
-
TOC RSS Feeds
News Posts
Commentary Posts
Combined Feed
New to RSS?
Subscribe to the TOC newsletter. 
Follow TOC on Twitter. 
Join the TOC Facebook group. 
Join the TOC LinkedIn group. 
Get the TOC Headline Widget.
- Search
-
