The Rhetorical Consequences of STM "Madlibs" — Saving [ __________ ] from [ ____________ ]
Instead of filling in the blanks of attribution with the same old agents, maybe we need to go beyond the usual suspects.
The Demand for Convenience — Attention Scarcity Reverses the Equations of Publishing
Convenience is a major driver of content usage. But what other changes are afoot that feed into this amorphous concept of “convenience”?
John Palfrey: Thoughts About the Future of Libraries and Learning
John Palfrey talks about digital scholarship, digital students, and the challenges and opportunities both provide. From the closing plenary of the SSP Annual Meeting.
What’s for Sale? Moving from Selling Content to Monetizing Attention
At some point book publishers will begin to copy the Netflix model of selling by subscription. This changes the nature of the business from one where products are sold to one where publishers attempt to monetize readers’ attention.
What Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA) Does and Doesn't Mean: An FAQ
Patron-driven acquisition — what does it mean? This FAQ deals with how PDA approaches books, journals, and libraries.
Throwing Down the Gauntlet: Moving from Ideas to Action
Making the right choices and the best decisions are crucial to future success. The SSP IN meeting is gearing up to help you meet these challenges. Here’s how.
What Upstarts Can Teach Established Presses
The strategies of established university presses can be enhanced by studying start-ups and slyly coopting some of their new and best ideas.
Creating a New University Press
The university press world is well established, but it is worth considering how one would go about a new press today. The key is not to do what the established presses do already, and do very well.
As Book Warehouses Vanish, Is It Time for Librarians to Stop Running Libraries?
Are librarians making the same mistake railroads made — forgetting their purpose to remain tied to their physical heritage?
Mobile Reading REALLY Comes of Age — An Information-packed Slide Deck Worth Viewing
The facts and context for e-reading show strong trends of demand and expectations.
Is Piracy Really the F**king Answer?
A viral book sensation’s obvious story may not be as obvious as some think, harder to replicate, and indicative of a strong counter-trend.
The Power of Curation — "The Drudge Report," Connectedness, Serendipity, and Simplicity
The Drudge Report provides a useful service and drives a disproportionate amount of news traffic. Could academics be disciplined enough to emulate it?
If You're Not Growing, You're Shrinking — The Asymmetrical Expense of Playing Defense
Big and defensive organizations often end up overspending on treading water, even as their core customers ride other waves.
"Beyond Bin Laden" — A Hint at a New Way Forward for Long-form Journalism
A new “instabook” about Bin Laden hit the Kindle store about a week after the events. What might this mean for that space between books and magazines?
Stick to Your Ribs: Can the Creativity of Social Persuasion Cure "Corporate Asperger's Syndrome"?
This week, we revisit the power of persuasion, and wonder out loud if perhaps publishers suffer from traits that hold back engagement.