Bloggers on Publishing
if:book
Undoubtedly one of my favorite blogs of all time. What better place to discuss the future of publishing than the blog of the Institute for the Future of Publishing?
“Please Discuss” by Bob Stein
“In an as yet unpublished manuscript, historian Marshall Poe writes: ‘A book is a machine for focusing attention; the Internet is machine for diffusing it.’”
- My Thoughts: The comments are always spectacular. This blog is beautifully intellectual and the readers’ opinions are always just as valuable as the authors’.
“Trying to think a bit outside the box or at least change my conception of the box” by Bob Stein
“There’s endless talk these days about ebook readers, Kindle and all its e-ink cousins, and future tablets from Apple and other phone makers. There’s nothing wrong with the fact that these devices are all designed to emulate the experience of reading printed material, but this is a starting point not the end point. The forms are going to evolve in ways we can’t imagine and they may not be best served by 2-D paper emulators. Reading this description of new functionality in Microsoft’s XBox, I started wondering whether as game box evolves into an all-purpose “entertainment hub” which is thoroughly integrated into major social networks, whether it might extend it’s reach to host new forms of (social) reading.”
- My thoughts: It’s not called if:book for nothing. I love that the future of publishing isn’t limited to only the paths we expect the industry to take.
Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent
A literary agent’s blog, but an observant literary agent’s blog. Lots of good publishing news and commentary.
“E-Book Pricing and Publication Debate Erupts” by Nathan Bransford
“We have ourselves an e-book debate going on. The whole to-do was started by a Wall Street Journal article about independent publisher Sourcebooks’ decision to delay the e-book publication of Kaleb Nation’s BRAN HAMBRIC until at least six months after the initial print publication.”
- My thoughts: Branford isn’t afraid of straying over the 500-word “recommended” limit for bloggers in order to get a full story to his readers, but he’s also not too wordy to read. I find myself wanting to have a conversation and thinking that I’m glad there are sensible people out there who are still figuring out the whole e-publishing game. Even if he does love the Kindle.
Joe Wikert’s Publishing 2020 Blog
As O’Reilly’s General Manager & Publisher, it’s no wonder that Wikert’s posts are engaging, well-connected, and purposeful.
“Slate on Book Industry Napsterization” by Joe Wikert
“Picture 1 Slate’s Jack Shafer suggests publishers will bring about a Napster effect if they force Amazon to raise ebook prices. I found myself agreeing with Shafer on some aspects of his article while totally disagreeing with him on others, so let’s look at it piece by piece.”
- My thoughts: Two pricing blogs (Bransford and this one) back-to-back may be too much, but not only does it emphasize that there is a definite struggle going on in the market. I love that Wikert doesn’t shy away from dating us against the development of the iPod in the music industry’s timeline. And I love that he admits so freely that we haven’t got it all worked out yet. And I love that I still feel like there will be an industry when I wake up tomorrow.
