I think it's appropriate to talk about the future of publishing for our last post. It's usually one of the first questions out of people's mouths after I tell them what my degree will be in.
The future of publishing, the way I see it:
Publishers
As long as this recession and economy keeps swirling down the proverbial toilet, consolidation with big houses is going to keep on happening. More people doing multiple jobs, contract and freelance work will probably be a short term business solution for many publishers. For content, people are writing now more than ever, so I don't think that's ever going to be a problem.
Small publishers are what's happening right now, but there are significant hurdles in the way. Small publishers need to get web savvy in a friggin' hurry. If your company is run from your home, you better commit to marketing on your computer at least an hour a day. Building community and engaging your customers and market are what is going to fuel success. Small presses now have the exact same access to everything the big houses always have. It's just how you use it that determines interest, revenue, and profit.
POD and e-books are going to totally explode. It's already happening. It sort of scares me that Amazon has a POD system, BookSurge (under their already huge umbrella) in the marketplace. That sort of synergy has always rubbed me the wrong way, but in the same breath, how brilliant of an idea is that? Have your independent press/self-published book printed here--if you need editing, design, etc., they have that too!--then have them distribute it physically and online, have it up on Amazon (probably correctly if you work directly with them), and immediately available. Amazon continues to amaze and disgust me. It's hard to hate them, because they help spread literacy (yes, this is what I tell myself), and they're the only living successful business right now. Their business model is based around selling books, and it has grown into something pretty amazing with the Kindle, BookSurge, and their smart, savvy way of bookselling. I know they sell many other things at Amazon, but for books, that's how I see it.
So, POD will thrive, voices will be heard, and those bad memoirs will sit in someone's basement. Everyone wants to be an author, and have their friends listen to them read an excerpt from something that has their name on the cover.
Access
To me, everything revolves around access. How do we get books? In the next 10 years, yes, everything will be digital. There won't be such a focus on print, and we're already at a point where we want a handheld computer to figure out our lives. E-books are where it's at. It's already in high momentum to dominate. Sales are up, Google and Amazon have their eyes on it, and you know when those two get involved, it's happening. There will become a time when of iPhone and "Kindle-esque" sorts of readers will be like a Blackberry or something, and be totally streamlined and integrated. I'm sure they're working on it as we speak. Print will still be around, though. People like to hand things out, feel them, and mark in them. I think textbooks are hard to turn digital, but then again, we already use track changes for most of our editing purposes now.
Once Posh Spice, Paris Hilton, or Angelina Jolie gets a Kindle it'll be like wildfire. Everyone will be doing it.
Literacy
As I've said before, I have a strong fear that America will fall into this strange void of dumbness, for lack of a better word. Like the movie Idiocracy. But more and more, I feel there is hope for us numbskulls. More people are interested in magazines, more information is being communicated over the net, and people are finding it easier than ever to stay informed with current events. Blogging is not reporting, but those who are committed to it, can spread their message/agenda/voice far and wide. I think the technological freedom in publishing is going to be very positive.
But then, I'm a starry-eyed grad student who'll do anything for a job in her field of study.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Where the Sidewalk Ended, and Imagination Began
The first book I remember that really changed my life was Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. I believe I was 8 when I read it, but before I could read these treasured poems myself, my Dad read them to me as a child. My father was a 5th grade teacher, and his favorite book to read to his class was The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl, so these poems suited his style. He was a fantastic reader, and looking over poems like Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, Smart, and Sick (my personal favorite) I'm reminded of my dad's cadence, the way he would make the whisper part of Sick raspy, and how he would cheerily utter, "Goodbye, I'm going out to play." I would giggle with him after dinner, or on a rainy afternoon we'd make a blanket fort, and he'd read to me. Dad loves limmericks and rhyming, and has always written funny, silly poems for special events, retirements, and birthdays.
I would sit there, listening, hearing the delicate phrasing, and an image of the scene would appear. Before I flipped the pages one day, I already knew what Sylvia and Peggy Ann looked like; I could see Peggy Ann acting out, pointing to her ailments, overreacting, and then trotting out the door on a Saturday. I began to imagine what this town looked like, and where the end of the sidewalk would be placed on a map. The town always reminded me of Portland, where my aunt lived back then. The events that occured in Where the Sidewalk Ends could never happen in small-ville Kelso where I was--it was far too boring.
When I finally read the poems from my childhood, they felt even more alive, more vibrant, and now the drawings flowed with the story, and created lively images, metaphors, and allusions in my head. I feel I have a fairly active, if not over-active imagination, and being read to simply fueled this notion. Reading it later helped me see the words, the lengths of phrases and sentences, where the comma went, or why he stopped the sentence where he did. His language was always so alive, full of youth, and contained a phenomenal amount of detail.
It changed the way I viewed poetry, writing, and how I relate to words today.
I would sit there, listening, hearing the delicate phrasing, and an image of the scene would appear. Before I flipped the pages one day, I already knew what Sylvia and Peggy Ann looked like; I could see Peggy Ann acting out, pointing to her ailments, overreacting, and then trotting out the door on a Saturday. I began to imagine what this town looked like, and where the end of the sidewalk would be placed on a map. The town always reminded me of Portland, where my aunt lived back then. The events that occured in Where the Sidewalk Ends could never happen in small-ville Kelso where I was--it was far too boring.
When I finally read the poems from my childhood, they felt even more alive, more vibrant, and now the drawings flowed with the story, and created lively images, metaphors, and allusions in my head. I feel I have a fairly active, if not over-active imagination, and being read to simply fueled this notion. Reading it later helped me see the words, the lengths of phrases and sentences, where the comma went, or why he stopped the sentence where he did. His language was always so alive, full of youth, and contained a phenomenal amount of detail.
It changed the way I viewed poetry, writing, and how I relate to words today.
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'm No Sucka
I've only fallen victim to an e-marketing campaign when it actually benefited my bills. Somehow, Verizon Wireless found my email address. I really don't know how. I've never, ever given it to them...probably should look into that one... Anyhow, once, they sent an email telling me I was going over my text message plan, and if I added X package, I would save Y dollars. It made sense. I called them, and changed it within the week. I thought that was reasonable. Appreciated, even. I would rather spend $60 on a plan that fits me, than pay $120 including overages.
Until the last couple of weeks, I never really paid attention to how many newsletters and email stuff I get that isn't personal. Here's a list: NPR Movie, Book, and Music email--I have to have these; very important to me, Sallie Mae, Credit Report site, Ticketmaster, 94.7 NRK, two musicians, Verizon, Stuffwhitepeoplelike, a clothing boutique, and a couple of others that aren't that interesting. It's kind of amazing how little of thought I gave this until now, or how often I find myself saying, "Yeah, I do need to have regular updates about this!" I have now been cognant of what letters I actually read, and which just get deleted immediately.
A little note on Ticketmaster: They are a relentless failure with their e-marketing campaigns. They try to give me ticket and tour updates on the one band I've bought tickets for through them this year online, and they are always incorrect with their information, or the venue they're trying to sell me tickets to is nowhere near a realm of possibility for me to attend.
Until the last couple of weeks, I never really paid attention to how many newsletters and email stuff I get that isn't personal. Here's a list: NPR Movie, Book, and Music email--I have to have these; very important to me, Sallie Mae, Credit Report site, Ticketmaster, 94.7 NRK, two musicians, Verizon, Stuffwhitepeoplelike, a clothing boutique, and a couple of others that aren't that interesting. It's kind of amazing how little of thought I gave this until now, or how often I find myself saying, "Yeah, I do need to have regular updates about this!" I have now been cognant of what letters I actually read, and which just get deleted immediately.
A little note on Ticketmaster: They are a relentless failure with their e-marketing campaigns. They try to give me ticket and tour updates on the one band I've bought tickets for through them this year online, and they are always incorrect with their information, or the venue they're trying to sell me tickets to is nowhere near a realm of possibility for me to attend.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wonder Google
When I was 16, I found out out about the hottest, newest thing: Hotmail email! Everyone who was anyone had it. At the time, I was running AOL ("You've got mail!"). Naturally, being the sheep I was back then, I signed up for it. I wanted my whole name, but, as I've found, there is another Natalie Emery out there, who was much faster on the uptake for trends than I was. I settled for a mish-mash of my name with my softball number jersey. This email has since died after I went to college, but I checked it religiously. Now, I only use that email for sites where I'm required to enter an email address, which I'm sure they'll slap into a database to be used for spam later.
Right now, because I have an email for this class, I have three email accounts that I check regularly. Constantly, in fact. And since I've been in charge of the marketing group this year, that means that you have access to nearly every single one of Ooligan's inboxes. It's massive. It's challenging just to keep up. Granted, I'm not supposed to check all of these, but I'm involved in External Promotions, there's a 42 email specific inbox, an Oregon at Work blurb inbox, and many, many more. I don't check those inboxes very often, but it seems that when I don't for a spell, something has come up that I have to scramble to reply to.
But I do love, love, love my Gmail accounts. They make it easy to do everything there, and in the madness of webmail's thousand email addresses at Ooligan, it's nice to know that everything is under one roof. My calendar, some documents of my choosing, and I can label emails in a very organized fashion. Color-coded, even! Google has never ceased to amaze me, and I hope they never will.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Ooligan to Release Oregon at Work
In April, Ooligan Press will release Oregon at Work: 1859-2009, by Tom Fuller and Art Ayre. The authors, a former KGW television reporter and state economist collaborated on the book as the state department of labor's official contribution to Oregon's 150th birthday celebration. Oregon at Work follows Oregon's past from the Oregon Trail pioneers to Nike and Intel.
Oregon at Work looks at timber, farming, banking, construction, technology, and commercial industries, as well as women's emerging roles in the labor force. The book includes personal stories from decendants of pioneers, immigrants, and laborers who have contributed to Oregon's cultural fabric.
An official launch party will take place on April 8th in Salem at the capitol building's rotunda.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Superbowl Marketing
I'm a baseball fan. I grew up watching the Mariners (don't get me started about recent years). As a 14 year-old, I remember waiting outside the King Dome for a peek at Alex Rodriguez. I played competitive softball all my life. The World Series should be a religious holiday, in my opinion.
But football, especially the Superbowl? Pssht. I always say, "I'm rooting for the commercials". In years past, I watched Michael Jackson and Coke commercials in 3D, seen the "Superbowl Shuffle" by the Bears, and been inundated by the barrage of Budweiser commercials with horses, and tree frogs.
This year, I was shocked!
With the economy in the proverbial tanker, marketers and advertisers have probed the "penny pincher" or out-of -work market to the full degree. I've never seen Monster or Careerbuilder.com have such an immediate audience! They each (mostly, careerbuilder.com) had imaginative ads, that made relative sense to their market. Ads now need to be much more creative than in the past.
Gone are the days when Michael Jordan can twirl a basketball on his finger in order to sell some Wheaties. This generation is different. We want to check things out before we will totally commit to a brand or product. That's why, I think I saw so many websites featured in the commercials this year: Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, nfl.com, nfl.com/play, and yes, cash4gold.com! Before you buy, you can check it out and choose whether to utilize their services/products or not.
This year, because the ad rates for Superbowl were so expensive, they offered a one-second ad. It was Miller High Life. It was a guy standing in front of a bunch of casks saying, "Miller High Life!" with a big grin. One second! That probably cost them somewhere around $300,000.
Most of the big ads were synergy propelled from new movies coming out of production studios owned by GE/NBC, which was disgusting. But when you have a mass market event, with hundreds of millions of viewers, and have the money, it can be worth your while.
I guarantee people without income or are laid-off will go to careerbuilder.com to see if they can save them from being called a dummy and screaming in the car before they go in to work. Although times are tough in the U.S. right now, there are places that thrive in times like these, and companies who can figure out how to connect in creative and sensitive ways, will flourish.
I still like those Clydesdale's Budweiser commercials, though. They always do such a good job...
But football, especially the Superbowl? Pssht. I always say, "I'm rooting for the commercials". In years past, I watched Michael Jackson and Coke commercials in 3D, seen the "Superbowl Shuffle" by the Bears, and been inundated by the barrage of Budweiser commercials with horses, and tree frogs.
This year, I was shocked!
With the economy in the proverbial tanker, marketers and advertisers have probed the "penny pincher" or out-of -work market to the full degree. I've never seen Monster or Careerbuilder.com have such an immediate audience! They each (mostly, careerbuilder.com) had imaginative ads, that made relative sense to their market. Ads now need to be much more creative than in the past.
Gone are the days when Michael Jordan can twirl a basketball on his finger in order to sell some Wheaties. This generation is different. We want to check things out before we will totally commit to a brand or product. That's why, I think I saw so many websites featured in the commercials this year: Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, nfl.com, nfl.com/play, and yes, cash4gold.com! Before you buy, you can check it out and choose whether to utilize their services/products or not.
This year, because the ad rates for Superbowl were so expensive, they offered a one-second ad. It was Miller High Life. It was a guy standing in front of a bunch of casks saying, "Miller High Life!" with a big grin. One second! That probably cost them somewhere around $300,000.
Most of the big ads were synergy propelled from new movies coming out of production studios owned by GE/NBC, which was disgusting. But when you have a mass market event, with hundreds of millions of viewers, and have the money, it can be worth your while.
I guarantee people without income or are laid-off will go to careerbuilder.com to see if they can save them from being called a dummy and screaming in the car before they go in to work. Although times are tough in the U.S. right now, there are places that thrive in times like these, and companies who can figure out how to connect in creative and sensitive ways, will flourish.
I still like those Clydesdale's Budweiser commercials, though. They always do such a good job...
Direct Sales: The Extension of Marketing
Direct sales will always be a part of a marketing/sales strategy. Although the revenue may not be a significant part of the total, it plays a significant role. First, it allows publishers to see who really cares. Who is coming to your site, and who is responding to your marketing. If you have the software to track who is visiting your site and if they subscribe to an e-newsletter, or purchase a book, you have an automatic database for follow-up contact, or to try to sell them another title.
Does it matter? I think, yes. I think it's worth the time and energy to set the stage for someone to really respond to your publishing program, writers, and offer an "exclusive" chance for people to know what's to come. It allows fans to feel "more connected" to your publishing/authors/brand.
I'm not sure publishers can expect to see direct impact on their sales, but that isn't the point. Readers have so many ways to connect to writers and publishers with technology these days. If publishers don't have avenues to have some kind of communication with their most loyal of readers, they'll find somewhere else to do so. It seems that if they don't have some way for that dialogue to occur with readers, they'll lose another marketing opportunity. The Amazon Way of "If you like this, you'll surely like this".
The real reason publishers do this, is to keep track of who is responding, and to keep needling away at niche markets. Like this YA vampire novel? Well, next month, we're releasing another YA novel, not vampires, but WITCHES! Keeping people segmented, and pinned to a niche has worked well for many publishers and companies.
Does it matter? I think, yes. I think it's worth the time and energy to set the stage for someone to really respond to your publishing program, writers, and offer an "exclusive" chance for people to know what's to come. It allows fans to feel "more connected" to your publishing/authors/brand.
I'm not sure publishers can expect to see direct impact on their sales, but that isn't the point. Readers have so many ways to connect to writers and publishers with technology these days. If publishers don't have avenues to have some kind of communication with their most loyal of readers, they'll find somewhere else to do so. It seems that if they don't have some way for that dialogue to occur with readers, they'll lose another marketing opportunity. The Amazon Way of "If you like this, you'll surely like this".
The real reason publishers do this, is to keep track of who is responding, and to keep needling away at niche markets. Like this YA vampire novel? Well, next month, we're releasing another YA novel, not vampires, but WITCHES! Keeping people segmented, and pinned to a niche has worked well for many publishers and companies.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Newspaper Opinions
I've been trying to find out what's going on at the Seattle P-I lately, and it appears from their Facebook group the P-I Pirates, which I'm a part of, that the tone is optimistic. Not much news to report on the actual subject, but I'll keep my ear out. I think it's a facinating saga, myself.
Whatever the outcome, there has been an enormous amount of outreach, well-wishers, and supporters from the Seattle community and all over the country. Some people are ready for the P-I to fail, and many people believe print meda is dead or don't trust it. After searching around Seattle websites, I found a comment by someone who obviously works in the paper industry, or has a fantastic working knowledge of it. This was in response to The Stranger's coverage of the P-I sale. I simply can't summarize. It makes very valid points about writing, reporting, and editing.
"Where are all you dillwads going to get your news? From your precious blogs? From your navel? Print or online makes no difference -- if you don't have a newsroom full of dedicated reporters, then you get s%@#. Who do you think is going to investigate the corruption in the King County Police Department? Remember that? Should we just "get Jesse" over at King 5. Not. In the real world, outside our Puget oasis, reporters get killed and stuff. Do you really think some blogger sitting around in his jammies is going to get the real dirt on gang violence? Or corruption in the mental health system? You need a team of hard workers with lots of support. The Stranger is great, but journalistically, it reads like the staffers' shoe leather takes them as far as Cafe Presse and back.
Daily papers usually make it to your door during earthquakes and storms and power outages. They usually have high standards (commerce secretary, anyone?). And they let you happen upon stories you might not otherwise see. (Is there a term for blogosphere blinders? Screeching to the choir?) Just because papers are old media doesn't mean we shouldn't all have a stake in bringing them into the "new" world. All this hipster arrogance about how the papers "asked for it" doesn't really help democracy keep rolling. You all owe a lot to the news crews of the world who crank out the copy you link to and bitch about.
Why don't we all pull together our trust funds, buy some of this cheap office space, stick the P-I globe on top and call it the People's Independent. Then everyone can take turns working there, covering the glitz and the tedium and putting out an awesome daily (or hourly, if you prefer). Then, when you take the bus to a new spa in Tacoma, or an art opening in Georgetown, you can do a little news gathering along the way. But you'll have to answer to an editor and to readers who know your name.
(That said, I think the Stranger should make like big media and buy a helicopter. Call it "Sky Queen.")"
One more thing: on the P-I staff's FB page, there have been postings about new jobs, and links to workshops to learn new online skills. Here's the thing about the whole "The internet made me lose my job!" complaint that keeps swirling around: Writers and reporters write about and cover this stuff every day; did they not see the industry swinging in that direction? It seems sometimes that we aren't as savvy as we should be in this business.
Whatever the outcome, there has been an enormous amount of outreach, well-wishers, and supporters from the Seattle community and all over the country. Some people are ready for the P-I to fail, and many people believe print meda is dead or don't trust it. After searching around Seattle websites, I found a comment by someone who obviously works in the paper industry, or has a fantastic working knowledge of it. This was in response to The Stranger's coverage of the P-I sale. I simply can't summarize. It makes very valid points about writing, reporting, and editing.
"Where are all you dillwads going to get your news? From your precious blogs? From your navel? Print or online makes no difference -- if you don't have a newsroom full of dedicated reporters, then you get s%@#. Who do you think is going to investigate the corruption in the King County Police Department? Remember that? Should we just "get Jesse" over at King 5. Not. In the real world, outside our Puget oasis, reporters get killed and stuff. Do you really think some blogger sitting around in his jammies is going to get the real dirt on gang violence? Or corruption in the mental health system? You need a team of hard workers with lots of support. The Stranger is great, but journalistically, it reads like the staffers' shoe leather takes them as far as Cafe Presse and back.
Daily papers usually make it to your door during earthquakes and storms and power outages. They usually have high standards (commerce secretary, anyone?). And they let you happen upon stories you might not otherwise see. (Is there a term for blogosphere blinders? Screeching to the choir?) Just because papers are old media doesn't mean we shouldn't all have a stake in bringing them into the "new" world. All this hipster arrogance about how the papers "asked for it" doesn't really help democracy keep rolling. You all owe a lot to the news crews of the world who crank out the copy you link to and bitch about.
Why don't we all pull together our trust funds, buy some of this cheap office space, stick the P-I globe on top and call it the People's Independent. Then everyone can take turns working there, covering the glitz and the tedium and putting out an awesome daily (or hourly, if you prefer). Then, when you take the bus to a new spa in Tacoma, or an art opening in Georgetown, you can do a little news gathering along the way. But you'll have to answer to an editor and to readers who know your name.
(That said, I think the Stranger should make like big media and buy a helicopter. Call it "Sky Queen.")"
One more thing: on the P-I staff's FB page, there have been postings about new jobs, and links to workshops to learn new online skills. Here's the thing about the whole "The internet made me lose my job!" complaint that keeps swirling around: Writers and reporters write about and cover this stuff every day; did they not see the industry swinging in that direction? It seems sometimes that we aren't as savvy as we should be in this business.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Goliath vs. The Rest of the World
I am in utter awe of Amazon's dominance. I believe they have the most successful business model going right now...obviously. That isn't saying I agree with them, or even like them as a company.
As a complete force in the marketplace, for authors, this is a fantastic time to get published, and get your book out there. It may not sell, it may have no market, and only go so far as the author's mum, but it's out there. It's relatively cheap! The sparkle and dreams of their name on a book is something any author drools over while typing. There are some very successful books that have been self-published, like Kremmer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, and many from the list Marty gave us at the beginning of the quarter, including Age of Engage, which had many powerful endorsers. Both of these titles have a very specific niche, though. Again, the long tail of marketing has proven it can be done.
For readers, this is also a dream come true. It's like the Fred Meyer of the Internet: one stop shopping. Want a Kindle? Done. Need a vacuum? Check. Oh, wait, have use for a print book? Well, they can take care of that, too. They have figured out that if you have everything on one site, people will scroll around and then say to themselves, "Hey! I can get a sweet baby stroller and a book on where to take said stroller!" They take retail goods at wholesale rates, add a percentage plus postage and handling, and there you have a significant profit margin. And around the holidays, they were offering free shipping. No wonder the Christmas season went so well.
For publishers, unfortunately, I feel this is perhaps a good thing as well as a bad thing. First, I don't like that any schmuck from Nowhere, USA can write his memoir that no idiot would even try to read. It seems to undermine the hard work that professional publishers have been doing for years. Manuscripts may be poorly edited, have no marketability, and therefore, will sit in a pile of wasted paper in someones basement. It is also driving quality authors who may have an online following, to believe they could publish themselves. But it isn't all bad for small publishers. If you have a good relationship with Amazon, you could build a little marketing army online, and write several reviews, have people read them and respond, and work that way.
I think of the movie, Idiocracy sometimes when I think about Amazon and their stranglehold on American literacy. Offering anyone the means to publish themselves seems to assault the nature of literature. Editors have a specific role. The Chicago Manual of Style exists for a reason. People in America value quality writing, and well-written prose. Without those people in the industry trying to keep grammar, syntax, and style valued, what happens to the nature of literacy? Will the English language start comprising of usages like "lol," "omfg," and "ttyl"?
I shudder at the thought.
As a complete force in the marketplace, for authors, this is a fantastic time to get published, and get your book out there. It may not sell, it may have no market, and only go so far as the author's mum, but it's out there. It's relatively cheap! The sparkle and dreams of their name on a book is something any author drools over while typing. There are some very successful books that have been self-published, like Kremmer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, and many from the list Marty gave us at the beginning of the quarter, including Age of Engage, which had many powerful endorsers. Both of these titles have a very specific niche, though. Again, the long tail of marketing has proven it can be done.
For readers, this is also a dream come true. It's like the Fred Meyer of the Internet: one stop shopping. Want a Kindle? Done. Need a vacuum? Check. Oh, wait, have use for a print book? Well, they can take care of that, too. They have figured out that if you have everything on one site, people will scroll around and then say to themselves, "Hey! I can get a sweet baby stroller and a book on where to take said stroller!" They take retail goods at wholesale rates, add a percentage plus postage and handling, and there you have a significant profit margin. And around the holidays, they were offering free shipping. No wonder the Christmas season went so well.
For publishers, unfortunately, I feel this is perhaps a good thing as well as a bad thing. First, I don't like that any schmuck from Nowhere, USA can write his memoir that no idiot would even try to read. It seems to undermine the hard work that professional publishers have been doing for years. Manuscripts may be poorly edited, have no marketability, and therefore, will sit in a pile of wasted paper in someones basement. It is also driving quality authors who may have an online following, to believe they could publish themselves. But it isn't all bad for small publishers. If you have a good relationship with Amazon, you could build a little marketing army online, and write several reviews, have people read them and respond, and work that way.
I think of the movie, Idiocracy sometimes when I think about Amazon and their stranglehold on American literacy. Offering anyone the means to publish themselves seems to assault the nature of literature. Editors have a specific role. The Chicago Manual of Style exists for a reason. People in America value quality writing, and well-written prose. Without those people in the industry trying to keep grammar, syntax, and style valued, what happens to the nature of literacy? Will the English language start comprising of usages like "lol," "omfg," and "ttyl"?
I shudder at the thought.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Kiss Goodbye to a Missed Magazine
When I was 16, all the cool girls read the teen mag, Sassy. Unfortunately, I was not among this group, and didn't find out how amazing it was until a couple years later and found it shut down operations. Yes, the Sassy generation had grown up , leaving room for something a bit more mature. What I did fall in love with was Jane Pratt's next magazine, Jane. I was a subscriber of Jane for 5 years. Jane was geared toward an 18-34 crowd, and included style, music, fashion, and just the best, most engaging writing I had ever encountered in a magazine. The writers were encouraged to use their own voice, experiences, and opinions when writing, so the work always had an element of personality and interest. They reviewed good music, and the music editor Jeff Johnson has to be one of the most funny writers I've ever read. He was always right on in his reviews, and I always looked forward to reading his section. They'd even compile playlists, based around things like, "music to break up to" and "getting ready to go out."
I have stacks of this magazine; under my bed, in boxes. I found the covers cool, and the style portrayed was usually pretty trendy, but always had a realistic vibe if you wanted to attempt and mimic their suggestions. They walked you through the makeup process, and offered tutorials in the magazine and online.
They also understood that their readers weren't just fashion-obsessed trustifarians. There was a "Tech" section where they would review new cell phones, computers, and software. Also, there was a "Drive" section where they reviewed and wrote about cars, and near the end of its life, began a series of help sidebars, when they would walk you through how to change your own oil, and how to find good insurance. Sure, the features section included people like Lindsay Lohan by the end of its life, but that's how money is generated and what moves magazines off the shelf: celebrities!
I knew something was going on when they started putting Jane in plastic wrap, and slapping said Lohan on the cover. I imagine this began occuring because that's when Fairchild Publications merged with Conde Nast, the same company who pubishes Vogue, GQ, etc. I also knew something was going wrong when Jane Pratt, Founder of Sassy and Jane left the publication in 2005. The new editor was Brandon Holly, and it just wasn't the same. But the other troupe of writers I loved were still going strong. I thought I would take solace in that fact, and all would be well.
Then one day I came home from work to find a letter from Conde Nast telling me they would no longer publish Jane magazine, and a replacement magazine would fulfill my remaining subscription. I nearly cried. I had relied on Jane and her staff to tell me what books were cool, what music I'd like, and what fashion risks were worth trying. Never have I come upon a publication that had as communicative a relationship with its reader as Jane did. They published a section written by the reader called, "It Happened to Me." They published the worst of the worst letters to the editor, and always asked for more. Their home and design section even featured a lucky reader's cool apartment to get inspired from.
I miss it today with every bone in my body. Down to the very core of me.
You know what I got the next week? Glamour. I took personal offense to this replacement, and never opened any of the three I recieved. I've tried looking for a real replacement, and sometimes I find a good article in Elle, and Bust is always pretty cool. But I gave up hope in having a good, psuedo-alternative fashion magazine that doesn't think I'm a vapid source of income. I've settled with Nylon, which is as close as I can find to Jane (Although I hate that dumb Cory Kennedy! I wish she'd go away. She's one of those people who is famous for being famous. Annoying...). But sometimes, it's almost too hip for me. The style is too edgy, although their spreads are very nice.
I just miss my trusty Jane. *sigh*
I have stacks of this magazine; under my bed, in boxes. I found the covers cool, and the style portrayed was usually pretty trendy, but always had a realistic vibe if you wanted to attempt and mimic their suggestions. They walked you through the makeup process, and offered tutorials in the magazine and online.
They also understood that their readers weren't just fashion-obsessed trustifarians. There was a "Tech" section where they would review new cell phones, computers, and software. Also, there was a "Drive" section where they reviewed and wrote about cars, and near the end of its life, began a series of help sidebars, when they would walk you through how to change your own oil, and how to find good insurance. Sure, the features section included people like Lindsay Lohan by the end of its life, but that's how money is generated and what moves magazines off the shelf: celebrities!
I knew something was going on when they started putting Jane in plastic wrap, and slapping said Lohan on the cover. I imagine this began occuring because that's when Fairchild Publications merged with Conde Nast, the same company who pubishes Vogue, GQ, etc. I also knew something was going wrong when Jane Pratt, Founder of Sassy and Jane left the publication in 2005. The new editor was Brandon Holly, and it just wasn't the same. But the other troupe of writers I loved were still going strong. I thought I would take solace in that fact, and all would be well.
Then one day I came home from work to find a letter from Conde Nast telling me they would no longer publish Jane magazine, and a replacement magazine would fulfill my remaining subscription. I nearly cried. I had relied on Jane and her staff to tell me what books were cool, what music I'd like, and what fashion risks were worth trying. Never have I come upon a publication that had as communicative a relationship with its reader as Jane did. They published a section written by the reader called, "It Happened to Me." They published the worst of the worst letters to the editor, and always asked for more. Their home and design section even featured a lucky reader's cool apartment to get inspired from.
I miss it today with every bone in my body. Down to the very core of me.
You know what I got the next week? Glamour. I took personal offense to this replacement, and never opened any of the three I recieved. I've tried looking for a real replacement, and sometimes I find a good article in Elle, and Bust is always pretty cool. But I gave up hope in having a good, psuedo-alternative fashion magazine that doesn't think I'm a vapid source of income. I've settled with Nylon, which is as close as I can find to Jane (Although I hate that dumb Cory Kennedy! I wish she'd go away. She's one of those people who is famous for being famous. Annoying...). But sometimes, it's almost too hip for me. The style is too edgy, although their spreads are very nice.
I just miss my trusty Jane. *sigh*
Friday, January 16, 2009
Winners and Losers on the Web
In my search around the web for publishers sites, two stood out. Tin House Books, and, surprisingly, The Mountaineers Books. I tried to find sites that encapsulated the following criteria: navigational ease, number of audiences addressed, home page layout, and if I were a book buyer, would I keep searching past the homepage?
I thought Tin House did a great job of addressing pretty much everyone except children. The site was well laid out, they had a good sampling of books to sell, and it seemed authors would have an easy time finding what they needed in the General Info button. They're holding a writing workshop in July, which was easy to find, not buried under seven links. Everything is at the top of the page, not near the bottom. I think the site accomplished the task of addressing each audience well due to the nature of the way it was laid out. Sometimes publishers are tab-happy, and have everything on their site, like Chronicle Books, although I LOVE their stuff. Chronicle's site is great, but there is so much going on that it's almost overwhelming. The message on their site is so BUY, BUY, BUY, that for authors and writers trying to find information may not get to that portion of the page, because they push products, gifts, and calendars so aggressively.
So, I stumbled upon The Mountaineers Books, which is a run through The Mountaineers Club. What a fantastic job they did defining and addressing their niche market! It may not have all the flash plug-in software like 'ol Chronicle, but they did a better job addressing their customers through easy to find tabs, interesting related topics, and a cool book on the homepage (I have a thing for all things owl-y). There's an interesting video, product purchasing information, and links to Facebook and other nature-oriented organizations that have similar markets. I really think linking to other pages is important.
Then Jen told me to check out the atrocity that is Future Tense Books, which is having a launch party tomorrow for a pretty cool book, that got a pretty rad review in the Portland Mercury. Yet, I have no idea who the #@%! they are trying to address. The site is all black and has juvenile-looking graphics, and looks like it's built for buying books, but the book page is one huge list of author, after author, after author. There has to be a better way. Like, perhaps, organizing the books link under genre, or a link to your mission statement, or NOT USING BLACK AS A HOMEPAGE COLOR!!! I didn't get the sense that they cared who their audience was, as long as they had a website up so they could sell to this mystery market. The site was an overall turn-off and therefore, a loser.
N.
I thought Tin House did a great job of addressing pretty much everyone except children. The site was well laid out, they had a good sampling of books to sell, and it seemed authors would have an easy time finding what they needed in the General Info button. They're holding a writing workshop in July, which was easy to find, not buried under seven links. Everything is at the top of the page, not near the bottom. I think the site accomplished the task of addressing each audience well due to the nature of the way it was laid out. Sometimes publishers are tab-happy, and have everything on their site, like Chronicle Books, although I LOVE their stuff. Chronicle's site is great, but there is so much going on that it's almost overwhelming. The message on their site is so BUY, BUY, BUY, that for authors and writers trying to find information may not get to that portion of the page, because they push products, gifts, and calendars so aggressively.
So, I stumbled upon The Mountaineers Books, which is a run through The Mountaineers Club. What a fantastic job they did defining and addressing their niche market! It may not have all the flash plug-in software like 'ol Chronicle, but they did a better job addressing their customers through easy to find tabs, interesting related topics, and a cool book on the homepage (I have a thing for all things owl-y). There's an interesting video, product purchasing information, and links to Facebook and other nature-oriented organizations that have similar markets. I really think linking to other pages is important.
Then Jen told me to check out the atrocity that is Future Tense Books, which is having a launch party tomorrow for a pretty cool book, that got a pretty rad review in the Portland Mercury. Yet, I have no idea who the #@%! they are trying to address. The site is all black and has juvenile-looking graphics, and looks like it's built for buying books, but the book page is one huge list of author, after author, after author. There has to be a better way. Like, perhaps, organizing the books link under genre, or a link to your mission statement, or NOT USING BLACK AS A HOMEPAGE COLOR!!! I didn't get the sense that they cared who their audience was, as long as they had a website up so they could sell to this mystery market. The site was an overall turn-off and therefore, a loser.
N.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Up For Sale
The newspaper industry is a scary place to be these days. With the announcement by the Hearst Corporation of the 146 year-old Seattle Post-Intelligencer being put up for sale Friday, the fate of print newspapers appears sealed. The Pulitzer Prize winning paper San Juan Star closed its doors in August, The Chicago Tribune filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December, and The San Diego Union-Tribune cut nearly 30 newsroom positions and explored selling the paper earlier this year. Major consolidation of editing, design, and production offices within parent company papers are also on the rise. Then there's the unprecedented, massive layoffs and job cuts.
Scared, yet, journalists??
At the PI, if after 60 days they don't sell it, they will either close their doors, or become a web-only publication. If someone does buy the PI, one thing is certain: it will only exist online. The broker for the sale, who is based in New York City said, "It's clear that right now the overall marketplace for media is very challenging. The financing climate is very bad, and there have not been a lot of transactions recently."
Even if PI stays an online publication, it seems generating enough online advertising revenue to sustain costs is the biggest concern. The PI lost $14 million in 2008, and online ad revenue doesn't add up to much.
What's sad is the people who love their jobs and are fantastic journalists, like my friend Levi, who's a reporter there for the next 60 days. Even if a miracle did occur, of the 170 newsroom staff, far less would actually stay on.
PI Online blogger Monica Guzman said, "It doesn't feel real," she said. "You hear about the problems in the industry all over the country and you start to think, 'Well, nothing that bad has happened to us yet, so maybe it won't.' You know it's naïve. You know it's stupid. And then it happens."
Scared, yet, journalists??
At the PI, if after 60 days they don't sell it, they will either close their doors, or become a web-only publication. If someone does buy the PI, one thing is certain: it will only exist online. The broker for the sale, who is based in New York City said, "It's clear that right now the overall marketplace for media is very challenging. The financing climate is very bad, and there have not been a lot of transactions recently."
Even if PI stays an online publication, it seems generating enough online advertising revenue to sustain costs is the biggest concern. The PI lost $14 million in 2008, and online ad revenue doesn't add up to much.
What's sad is the people who love their jobs and are fantastic journalists, like my friend Levi, who's a reporter there for the next 60 days. Even if a miracle did occur, of the 170 newsroom staff, far less would actually stay on.
PI Online blogger Monica Guzman said, "It doesn't feel real," she said. "You hear about the problems in the industry all over the country and you start to think, 'Well, nothing that bad has happened to us yet, so maybe it won't.' You know it's naïve. You know it's stupid. And then it happens."
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Welcome to Marketing Shenanigans!
Welcome to the crazy-awesome adventures involving Ooligan Press marketing! I look forward to posting mind blowing content soon.
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