Comments on: Exploding books II: Person v. paper http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/ by Jeff Jarvis Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:50:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Andrew http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-373859 Andrew Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:32:49 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-373859 Another site giving us on-demand content from authors and devising new ways to promote titles is www.BookVideos.tv Another site giving us on-demand content from authors and devising new ways to promote titles is http://www.BookVideos.tv

]]> By: ivajoj http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-349728 ivajoj Sun, 13 May 2007 00:58:41 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-349728 Hi My Name Is ivaril. Hi My Name Is ivaril.

]]> By: NIGELBEALE.COM NOTA BENE BOOKS » Blog Archive » Authors breaking free of paper http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-106009 NIGELBEALE.COM NOTA BENE BOOKS » Blog Archive » Authors breaking free of paper Tue, 08 Aug 2006 01:54:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-106009 [...] More interesting stuff from Jeff Jarvis on Harper Collins’s new audio content with and around authors and books, and publishers making videos trailers authors to promote them. [...] [...] More interesting stuff from Jeff Jarvis on Harper Collins’s new audio content with and around authors and books, and publishers making videos trailers authors to promote them. [...]

]]> By: Sugar Rush: Quick Links for August 5th, 2006 - from The Zero Boss by Jay Andrew Allen http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-104245 Sugar Rush: Quick Links for August 5th, 2006 - from The Zero Boss by Jay Andrew Allen Sun, 06 Aug 2006 02:16:10 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-104245 [...] Jeff Jarvis has even more thoughts on why dead trees suck. [...] [...] Jeff Jarvis has even more thoughts on why dead trees suck. [...]

]]> By: pdf http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-104149 pdf Sat, 05 Aug 2006 21:11:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-104149 >There are plenty of books I don’t want to read but I do want to know what they say, hear some of the ideas in them. Book reviews help answer that need. Unless the reviewer decides to completely misrepresent the author's ideas in order to hammer him/her politically, which happens quite a bit. >There are plenty of books I don’t want to read but I do want to know what they say, hear some of the ideas in them. Book reviews help answer that need.

Unless the reviewer decides to completely misrepresent the author’s ideas in order to hammer him/her politically, which happens quite a bit.

]]> By: Francis http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-104049 Francis Sat, 05 Aug 2006 17:24:25 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-104049 Manual trackback to my post <a href="http://www.di2.nu/200608/05.htm" rel="nofollow">HarperCollins are Cowardly Wusses</a> Jeff Jarvis has a post where he praises Harper Collins for bravely copying a small part of amazon.com. The fact that Jeff (and others) are willing to praise such limited signs of adaptation to the internet age is a sing of how broken the publishing industry is. Thanks to Apple and lots of demand, the audio (and now video) publishers are relaizing that they can make decent money in online sales and many are offering entire songs for download free as a way to entice punters to buy the album (or see the band at a concert or...). Manual trackback to my post HarperCollins are Cowardly Wusses
Jeff Jarvis has a post where he praises Harper Collins for bravely copying a small part of amazon.com. The fact that Jeff (and others) are willing to praise such limited signs of adaptation to the internet age is a sing of how broken the publishing industry is. Thanks to Apple and lots of demand, the audio (and now video) publishers are relaizing that they can make decent money in online sales and many are offering entire songs for download free as a way to entice punters to buy the album (or see the band at a concert or…).

]]> By: Steve Lesak http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103922 Steve Lesak Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:19:05 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103922 To the extent that the authors' AV material mimics an interview on, say, the Bob Edwards Show on XM, or the interview w/ Mel Brooks on the 'Blazing Saddles' DVD I'm all for it. The radio interviews w/ the various authors are a handy way to hear about a book and it's content. Also, even if one doesn't buy and read the book, some of the info from the interview 'sticks' which is a nice side benefit. So now I'll pop in a CD or go on the Internet and listen and perhaps look on my computer. This would be convenient, but is really a continuation of what we have now. The main problem could be that mediagenic attributes might become as important as writing acumen. I doubt that. Vana White, of Wheel of Fortune fame, fell flat in her movie debut. Talent matters IMO. Thomas Jefferson is reputed to have had a bad stutter so his promoting the 'Jefferson Bible' would be an uphill slog now-a-days though. To the extent that the authors’ AV material mimics an interview on, say, the Bob Edwards Show on XM, or the interview w/ Mel Brooks on the ‘Blazing Saddles’ DVD I’m all for it.

The radio interviews w/ the various authors are a handy way to hear about a book and it’s content. Also, even if one doesn’t buy and read the book, some of the info from the interview ’sticks’ which is a nice side benefit.

So now I’ll pop in a CD or go on the Internet and listen and perhaps look on my computer. This would be convenient, but is really a continuation of what we have now.

The main problem could be that mediagenic attributes might become as important as writing acumen. I doubt that. Vana White, of Wheel of Fortune fame, fell flat in her movie debut. Talent matters IMO.

Thomas Jefferson is reputed to have had a bad stutter so his promoting the ‘Jefferson Bible’ would be an uphill slog now-a-days though.

]]> By: Exbiblio Blog - The Story of a Startup » Blog Archive » Publisher mesh paper with digital http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103917 Exbiblio Blog - The Story of a Startup » Blog Archive » Publisher mesh paper with digital Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:08:54 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103917 [...] Jeff Jarvis, one of the most widely read bloggers, talks of “exploding books” and says “authors are breaking free of paper.” Jarvis is perhaps a little bit too hasty to write the old-fashioned book off just yet (see Penguin’s best selling performance). Another way of looking at this is to say that paper is not “dead wood”, but is finding a new lease of life by becoming integrated with the digital world. Posted in All, Future of Paper | | Other posts by Hugh [...] [...] Jeff Jarvis, one of the most widely read bloggers, talks of “exploding books” and says “authors are breaking free of paper.” Jarvis is perhaps a little bit too hasty to write the old-fashioned book off just yet (see Penguin’s best selling performance). Another way of looking at this is to say that paper is not “dead wood”, but is finding a new lease of life by becoming integrated with the digital world. Posted in All, Future of Paper | | Other posts by Hugh [...]

]]> By: The Zero Boss http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103765 The Zero Boss Sat, 05 Aug 2006 06:37:39 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103765 "I’m afraid that will just further reward the writers who are good at self-promotion over those who write well and beautifully." Why can't writers have BOTH talents? “I’m afraid that will just further reward the writers who are good at self-promotion over those who write well and beautifully.”

Why can’t writers have BOTH talents?

]]> By: Imagethief http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103714 Imagethief Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:12:30 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103714 <strong>Saturday PR blog/CNET 20: Chinese bloggers smack Dell</strong> Note: As this is a PR blog as well as a CNET blog, it's published in its entirety here. Cross posted... Saturday PR blog/CNET 20: Chinese bloggers smack Dell

Note: As this is a PR blog as well as a CNET blog, it’s published in its entirety here. Cross posted…

]]> By: Mark http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103551 Mark Fri, 04 Aug 2006 23:41:52 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103551 I don't agree with any of your posts about books (today or previously), especially when it comes to fiction. I for one am frightened by your and Kevin Kelly's "notion that authors may make their money from performance over print, that books become — like CDs for some acts — the value-added that sells the tickets." I'm afraid that will just further reward the writers who are good at self-promotion over those who write well and beautifully. I value the work of a great writer, and happy to honor them with my dollars. This extra stuff is great, but it's the extra stuff and it will never replace the work. That said, I did like your *gesture* for the Hays Festival. Great collection of audio downloads. I don’t agree with any of your posts about books (today or previously), especially when it comes to fiction. I for one am frightened by your and Kevin Kelly’s “notion that authors may make their money from performance over print, that books become — like CDs for some acts — the value-added that sells the tickets.”

I’m afraid that will just further reward the writers who are good at self-promotion over those who write well and beautifully. I value the work of a great writer, and happy to honor them with my dollars. This extra stuff is great, but it’s the extra stuff and it will never replace the work.

That said, I did like your *gesture* for the Hays Festival. Great collection of audio downloads.

]]> By: Amy Stewart http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103521 Amy Stewart Fri, 04 Aug 2006 22:20:55 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103521 That's a good point about the shyness factor--and also, not every author has access to the technology and equipment to do things like videos or podcasts. It's getting easier all the time. I managed to put a video together for my last two books only because I have a brother in the film industry. One unindended benefit: it not only helps sell the book to readers, it also helps sell the book to sales reps and other people at the publishing house. A good three-minute video can help a sales force "get" a book better than the best-written catalog copy. That’s a good point about the shyness factor–and also, not every author has access to the technology and equipment to do things like videos or podcasts. It’s getting easier all the time.

I managed to put a video together for my last two books only because I have a brother in the film industry. One unindended benefit: it not only helps sell the book to readers, it also helps sell the book to sales reps and other people at the publishing house. A good three-minute video can help a sales force “get” a book better than the best-written catalog copy.

]]> By: The Zero Boss http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103436 The Zero Boss Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:50:30 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103436 The thing is, authors who are NOT John Updike <em>already</em> have to sing for their supper. They have to tour the nation, hitting half-a-dozen or more bookstores a month, giving readings and connecting with existing and potential customers. An author who can give a convincing performance of his or her work has a powerful marketing tool at their disposal. A year or so ago, I saw Ayun Halliday read from her book JOBHOPPER, and was entranced. Halliday has a performance arts/acting background, and she uses every drop of that talent to sell her work through store appearances and stints on NPR. I imagine those performances do more for her sales than any other factor. For many authors, I think there's a shyness factor involved. We love to write and to publish, but prefer to remain behind the printed word. It takes a lot of gumption and self-confidence to read one's own work aloud. I'm about to podcast Chapter 3 of <a href="http://thezeroboss.com/2006/07/31/chapter-2-the-podcast/" rel="nofollow">my book</a>, and am only now becoming comfortable with the process. (I've found that having a bottle of wine next to you is a wonderful crutch.) Great series of posts, Jeff. Keep 'em comin'. The thing is, authors who are NOT John Updike already have to sing for their supper. They have to tour the nation, hitting half-a-dozen or more bookstores a month, giving readings and connecting with existing and potential customers.

An author who can give a convincing performance of his or her work has a powerful marketing tool at their disposal. A year or so ago, I saw Ayun Halliday read from her book JOBHOPPER, and was entranced. Halliday has a performance arts/acting background, and she uses every drop of that talent to sell her work through store appearances and stints on NPR. I imagine those performances do more for her sales than any other factor.

For many authors, I think there’s a shyness factor involved. We love to write and to publish, but prefer to remain behind the printed word. It takes a lot of gumption and self-confidence to read one’s own work aloud. I’m about to podcast Chapter 3 of my book, and am only now becoming comfortable with the process. (I’ve found that having a bottle of wine next to you is a wonderful crutch.)

Great series of posts, Jeff. Keep ‘em comin’.

]]> By: Eoin Purcell http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/04/exploding-books-ii-person-v-paper/#comment-103432 Eoin Purcell Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:35:50 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1855#comment-103432 It seems a little like the circle turning here. Didn't Dickens tour America and Europe meeting large crowds and (I think) profiting? And Twain surely toured England and America! Back to the future it seems on that point at least. Eoin It seems a little like the circle turning here. Didn’t Dickens tour America and Europe meeting large crowds and (I think) profiting? And Twain surely toured England and America!
Back to the future it seems on that point at least.

Eoin

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