Is “Good Enough” Good Enough for You?
Over time, many markets become dominated by low quality, cheap, “good enough” products. How is this common evolutionary pathway playing out in the world of scholarly publishing?
“Content Nation” — Self-promotion in the Age of 2.0 Buzzwords
A 2.0 Publishing talk delivers little more than anecdotes, buzzwords, and a narrative that conflates technological, biological, and cultural evolution. Does “Content Nation” really deliver a new view of publishing? Or just a business model borrowed from Web 2.0?
Operation eBook Drop — Indie Authors Helping Soldiers
Operation eBook Drop has delivered hundreds of books to soldiers in less than a week. It says a lot about indie authors and the power of digital distribution.
New Technologies and the Need for Standards
It seems like a new e-reading device is announced every day. But each device has its own file format and its own unique interface. How can publishers be expected to develop products for such a fragmented market?
E-books: Tasting Blood in the Water
Sony, Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, AT&T, Verizon — a veritable who’s who of consumer electronics and communications has entered the e-reader fray. Do they smell blood in the water? Is it yours?
A Textbook Case of Missed Opportunities
Textbook publishers engage in a massive shoveling of content onto the iPhone. Will students dig it?
The Google Books Settlement–What Did You Choose?
The Google Books Settlement deadline is upon us. What did you choose?
Learning from Books — Lessons for STM Publishers
Mass-market book publishing is being disrupted more quickly than anyone expected. What lessons can we learn?
Retrofitting Scholarly Communications
As scholarly communication moves from its frankly printer-centric reality of today, publishers will be faced with many more rounds of improvement to their digital information. Is ePub an answer?
Summer Reading and Drinking
Pimm’s, the summer drink for the cultured literati.
Free Digital Textbooks Win in California
An initiative to see if free K-12 textbooks in math and science could exist, California tested the waters. The results have been released. They’re surprising, and may portend changes for educational publishers.
A Decade of “Crossing the Chasm” — The Mountain Has Moved
My copy of “Crossing the Chasm” is 10 years old. What’s changed? Are we crossing it fast enough?
Will Feudalism Fade from Knowledge Exchange?
Feudalism was a necessary step in social organization, but is it the end-state for academic organization? A number of related events this past weekend make me think not.
Deleting Books — A New Kindle Dilemma
Amazon demonstrates its ability to remotely remove content from the devices, creating an Orwellian stir with its customers.
Positioned to Fail the Future
If publishers of all types don’t invest in the next thing, they’re the only ones who will suffer. But the barriers are high, and new competitors may be better positioned to fulfill the future.