Comments on: The book of the future http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:55:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: I’m from New York: show me at infotainment rules http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-298888 I’m from New York: show me at infotainment rules Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:00:14 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-298888 [...] And those are just a few of the people who are thinking about books in the traditional way, as discrete entities in themselves. There are also the folks who want to enable people, through social networks and digital technology, to reimagine, mash up, or otherwise “unbundle” books (see this discussion and others at BuzzMachine). [...] [...] And those are just a few of the people who are thinking about books in the traditional way, as discrete entities in themselves. There are also the folks who want to enable people, through social networks and digital technology, to reimagine, mash up, or otherwise “unbundle” books (see this discussion and others at BuzzMachine). [...]

]]> By: infotainment rules » Blog Archive » when copyright is a good thing http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-87962 infotainment rules » Blog Archive » when copyright is a good thing Sun, 09 Jul 2006 23:27:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-87962 [...] In the conversation about the coming digital revolution in books, I argued that many authors will want to keep their books whole—not to cling to copyright for its own sake but rather because sometimes it is the integrity of the work that makes a particular book exceptional: it is of a piece, and every word is essential to making it what it is, so altering it takes something away from the work. Books like that exist. Let’s say J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime. Others will have their own examples. So too with films. Whether you’re colorizing them to get eyeballs not used to black-and-white or chopping them up to make them Palatable for the Pious, you’re destroying their integrity. [...] [...] In the conversation about the coming digital revolution in books, I argued that many authors will want to keep their books whole—not to cling to copyright for its own sake but rather because sometimes it is the integrity of the work that makes a particular book exceptional: it is of a piece, and every word is essential to making it what it is, so altering it takes something away from the work. Books like that exist. Let’s say J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime. Others will have their own examples. So too with films. Whether you’re colorizing them to get eyeballs not used to black-and-white or chopping them up to make them Palatable for the Pious, you’re destroying their integrity. [...]

]]> By: infotainment rules » Blog Archive » university presses on the ropes http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-74774 infotainment rules » Blog Archive » university presses on the ropes Wed, 21 Jun 2006 01:11:56 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-74774 [...] Sounds familiar, no? [...] [...] Sounds familiar, no? [...]

]]> By: r-echos » Blog Archive » The book of the future http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-62550 r-echos » Blog Archive » The book of the future Sat, 03 Jun 2006 14:33:42 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-62550 [...] The book of the future [...] [...] The book of the future [...]

]]> By: Andy http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-62522 Andy Sat, 03 Jun 2006 12:40:42 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-62522 Interesting stuff. "Blooks" seem to be showing more potential now especially as more people have access to the internet and more and more stuff moves online. Why not read online? Interesting stuff. “Blooks” seem to be showing more potential now especially as more people have access to the internet and more and more stuff moves online. Why not read online?

]]> By: infotainment rules » Blog Archive » serendipitous discoveries http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-60933 infotainment rules » Blog Archive » serendipitous discoveries Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:38:38 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-60933 [...] Reason’s Jesse Walker joins the Set Books Free ™ club by calling for libraries to open their stacks. [...] [...] Reason’s Jesse Walker joins the Set Books Free ™ club by calling for libraries to open their stacks. [...]

]]> By: Steve Clackson http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-60884 Steve Clackson Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:45:31 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-60884 Very interesting post! You may be interested in this. Steve http://sandstormauthor.blogspot.com/2006/05/sand-storm-slaying-dragon-open-letter.html#links Very interesting post! You may be interested in this. Steve
http://sandstormauthor.blogspot.com/2006/05/sand-storm-slaying-dragon-open-letter.html#links

]]> By: Tom Evslin http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/05/31/the-book-of-the-future/#comment-60413 Tom Evslin Wed, 31 May 2006 13:48:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1586#comment-60413 <a>hackoff.com</a> in blook form has been an experiment in non-traditional fiction publishing. At the very least, the "blook" version helped find readers for the dead-tree version. But in some ways the blook version was better than the tradition version. For example, the faux company website was fun and links in the blook were live. Many people did read it all the way through online or subscribed to the podcasts. On the other hand, disappointingly few people participated in the wiki. There were less comments on the blook site (not counting spam) than on my regular blog. Many people used the online edition as a way to try before buying but decided that they'd rather read a murder mystery on the beach than on the screen. As in your post above, tool development was important and happened as a result of user feedback. For example, RSS posts usually appear latest first which is not what the new reader of a mystery wants when he or she subscribes. We found we not only needed to flip the order but also let the reader or listener control the pace of serialization. In the end it's about choice. I don't think the traditional form of book for fiction will disappear soon. However, I do believe that an online edition will become a sine qua non. hackoff.com in blook form has been an experiment in non-traditional fiction publishing. At the very least, the “blook” version helped find readers for the dead-tree version.

But in some ways the blook version was better than the tradition version. For example, the faux company website was fun and links in the blook were live. Many people did read it all the way through online or subscribed to the podcasts.

On the other hand, disappointingly few people participated in the wiki. There were less comments on the blook site (not counting spam) than on my regular blog. Many people used the online edition as a way to try before buying but decided that they’d rather read a murder mystery on the beach than on the screen.

As in your post above, tool development was important and happened as a result of user feedback. For example, RSS posts usually appear latest first which is not what the new reader of a mystery wants when he or she subscribes. We found we not only needed to flip the order but also let the reader or listener control the pace of serialization.

In the end it’s about choice. I don’t think the traditional form of book for fiction will disappear soon. However, I do believe that an online edition will become a sine qua non.

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