One of my new year’s resolutions is to try to catch up on the technology as it relates to books, their promotion and sales. Thankfully, in 2010 Caribbean publishers began to be more aware of the possibilities of e-publishing and using the Internet for promotion and sales. Frankly, as a writer, I am looking forward to increased royalties from this new thrust.
One of the ways of keeping up with the changes is to subscribe to newsletters and blogs which give information on what is happening. Everybody seems to have a blog these days - publishers, agents, writers- you name it: OR/AND they are on Facebook and Twitter ( among other social media). Information overload!!!! One has to choose carefully which to follow.
A very useful newsletter I subscribed to in 2010 is publishing perspectives. com. The articles update the reader on activities and trends in the publishing industry - worldwide.
Here’s a teaser from this page
Imagine the future of books not as physical objects, but as relational databases…
- Autobiographies, written in semi-real-time as the authors live their lives
- Massively multi-reader “Choose Your Own Adventure”-like role-playing books where everyone’s choices shape the story
- Serialized novels, like David Copperfield, only infinite and with alternate story lines
- Recipe books that keep growing and puzzle books that always have more puzzles
- Multimedia automobile manuals that self-update by pushing recall warnings and maintenance reminders out to you and to mechanics around the world, who then share their fix-it tips with each other and with everyone else
- Textbooks where student annotations, highlights, and notes are more valuable than the original text, so much so that students can monetize their contributions
- Series of technical books built with shared chapters: an update to a chapter in one book automatically updates every book in which that chapter appears
I am fascinated by the possibilities for the future of writing. What do you think?
Remember to vote for my book A Goatboy Never Cries at http://www.bookindustryja.com/children_chapter_book_nominees
Thanks for reading my blog in 2010. A happy and prosperous new year to all
Fascinating! Fascinating reaction from me also as I observed me. At first, outright rejection, as in 'this is all too much again'. Then by the time I get to textbooks where students' annotations are the most important asepct, I'm intrigued. By the end, I'm ready to consider the entire article again. The power of the word, or the imagination, to change one's mind. The fact is things are changing and will change. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteNice blog/posts! I'll be glad to read some of your works in the future! I'd like to know do you think every author should strive to create new creatures, the classical, öld like vampires, elves, dwarfs, wizards with sharp hats, fairies, etc. are too ordinary already? That's why I try some new in some of my books (Tale Of The Rock Pieces, The Opposite Of Magic, Kids'Funny Business, etc (weightless korks, glowing, living balls, Brown faces, fiery men, one-eyeds, night fruit, rock pieces, fish-keepers, etc...), do you think I'm right?
ReplyDeleteDo you use sites like zazzle.com, cafepress. com, fiverr? They could be a good way to promote your works and to help "remove" stupidity in the streets like headlines on t-shirts, fridge-magnets, cups, etc: My Boyfriend kisses Better Than Yours, FBI - female body inspector, etc. Not everything we see and think of should be about sex, right? It would be much better if there were more nice pictures of mythical creatures, good thoughts, poems from fantasy genre, etc? I'm allanbard there, I use some of my illustrations, thoughts, poems from my books (like: One can fight money only with money, Even in the hotest fire there's a bit of water, etc). Best wishes! Let the wonderful noise of the sea always sounds in your ears! (a greeting of the water dragons'hunters - my Tale Of The Rock Pieces).
Thanks. I agree. Bring on the new creatures.I am a fantasy lover.Look forward to reading your work.
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