By Siobhan O’Leary The seventh annual DLD conference is underway in Munich and one book that is sure to land in the spotlight is the German edition of The Facebook Effect by journalist and author David Kirkpatrick. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TuFkupUn7k Publisher Carl Hanser Verlag has teamed up with DLD Media to publish the German edition of the book (Der Facebook-Effekt), which bears both …
Publishing Intel from RAND Corporation
By Daniel Kalder SANTA MONICA: For over 60 years now the RAND Corporation has carried out research and analysis for governments, organizations, and institutions around the world. Famously, it was the work of Dr. Herman Kahn — a RAND employee –- that provided the seed for the military doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (Kahn was lampooned by Peter Sellers in …
Polish Up Your Crystal Ball: Make a Prediction, Win a NookColor from Kirkus
To kick off the new year Kirkus Reviews is running a Facebook contest to see who can come up with the boldest predictions as to what will happen in publishing in 2011. The writer coming away with the most “likes” on their post by January 18 will walk away with a new NookColor and nine runners-up will receive a $50 …
“The Kids Get It, Even If You Don’t”: Transmedia Storytelling in the Classroom
Editorial by Ian Harper MINNEAPOLIS: The National Education Technology Plan in the US has prescribed a wholesale technological transformation for education. Yet, adults — parents and teachers alike — often fear what’s “out there” on the Internet, whether “they” are bullies, predatory stalkers or pornography. This has made educators reluctant to embrace sharing technologies in the classroom. As a result, open …
Memoirs: The Yin to Twitter’s Yang
Franz Wisner, author and founder of Story-Driven Ink—a new online writing workshop—on why he’s bullish on the future of the memoir. Editorial by Franz Wisner I just returned from a funeral, one in a long string. This one mirrored the others — a bunch of somber-faced mourners, huddled in a room, cradling fermented beverages, mourning the death of our beloved. Oh, memoirs. …
Could Social Media Replace Some Books?
By Edward Nawotka In today’s thoughtful editorial by Franz Wisner, he argues that the immediate, fragmentary nature of most writing on the Internet and social media needs to be complemented by full-length narrative — one constructed over time and after much reflection and deliberation. Do you think this is true? Could social media ultimately replace some books? (Newspapers, magazines? That’s …
Authors, Social Media and the Allure of Magical Thinking
Editorial by Daniel Kalder So anyway, I’ve got a great idea. Times are hard for publishers, therefore publicists should write books. No, really: they know what’s hot better than anyone. So they should write — maybe Harry Potter knock — offs like Percy Jackson, or political hate books on the villain of the hour. It doesn’t matter — just write …
We’ve Passed 1K Fans on Facebook!
By Hannah Johnson We’ve reached a whole new level of social media, readers. Over 1,000 people “like” Publishing Perspectives on Facebook! Thank you to all our supporters, readers, Facebook “Likers” and Twitter followers for making Publishing Perspectives a lively place to learn about international and digital publishing. If you haven’t already, you can join Publishing Perspectives on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn …
Friends Without Benefits: Cell Phone Novel Publisher Figment On Building Social Networks
By Jacob Lewis This is the story of how one Internet startup decided not to be a social network. It begins with the phenomenon of Japanese cell phone novels, where teens, by the millions, are reading, writing, and sharing fiction on their cell phones. Their stories are tangled tales of love triangles — the kids who write these stories often …
So Many “Friends,” So Little Friendship: Authors Discuss Mingling Social Media, Self-Promotion and Real Life
• Today, authors are compelled to constantly self-promote, but the practice isn’t always pleasant or appropriate. • What happens when the intimacy of the typically quiet writer’s life, and the nature of real friendship, blends with the public persona of our professional selves online? By Rachel Aydt “My original goal with Facebook was to use it as a marketing tool,” …