Bonus Material: Book Buzz from the Social Media-o-Sphere

By Hannah Johnson

Welcome to Book Buzz, our look at the publishing news that is circulating on the blogosphere, Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

First on the radar over the last few days is, of course, the Kindle. Rumors are flying that Apple is on the offensive against Amazon and plans to launch its own. Some readers wonder whether this might be the Kindle’s end – some are calling it a Kindle Killer. Today, the Financial Times confirmed that Apple “is racing to offer a portable tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season,” and says it will be a lot like an iPod Touch, only much larger.

All this comes on the heels of Amazon’s deletion of George Orwell’s 1984 from the Kindle store, an incident which sparked more controversy about Amazon’s alleged control over the publishing industry.

As we tweeted: Amazon had better do some damage control and fast. Apple is a truly beloved brand, particularly among techies. If Amazon turns itself into a villain now, they will be truly #@$*ed.

Comic-Con concluded on Sunday. It must have been among the most tweeted about events of the year, with many hundreds of Tweets posted each hour. Among the most retweeted posts were the ones describing how the creators of the TV show Lost offered new clues and teasers. Con organizers also released an iPhone app to help fans and attendees navigate the event – something every event organizer would do well to imitate.

Book marketing just got more interesting. Author Simon Kernick used Photoshop to insert Dan Brown’s name onto the cover of his new book, which ignited a stream of Twitter and news items about Kernick. GalleyCat has a great overview of the situation as does Twitter. The incident even sparked a Simon Kernick Photoshop contest. As the saying goes, all PR is good PR, right?

About the Author

Hannah Johnson

Hannah Johnson is the publisher of international book industry magazine Publishing Perspectives, which provides daily information and news about book markets around the world. In addition to building partnerships with international cultural and trade organizations, she works with the Frankfurt Book Fair to organize and support a number of its overseas initiatives. Hannah has also worked as the managing editor for an online media company, The Hooch Life, focused on craft distillers and cocktail experts. Prior to that, she worked as a project manager for the Frankfurt Book Fair’s New York office, managing various business and marketing activities.