Setting the Agenda: Key Issues for Scholarly Publishing
What are the key issues for scholarly publishing today? Setting the agenda for productive discussion.
Spam versus Targeting — Which Approach Will Define the Age of Abundance?
As spam defines one end of abundance, targeting enters to deflect the damage. Can they co-exist? Or will one become the defining trait of the age?
The High Cost of Low Prices — Why Incrementalism Online Could Be Fatal
Incrementalism is a tempting path forward, both familiar and seemingly safe. But the squeeze is on.
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”?
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.
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.
"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.
Brand, Context, and Containers: Publishing Into and Across the Digital Network
Established publishers don’t have the luxury of start-ups of ignoring existing operations, which makes it harder to fully engage with the Web. But an established brand can help create an extended marketing network.
Bike Sharing Comes to the Academic Library
At Cornell University, you can rent a bicycle from the circulation desk. Should the library be peddling a different brand?
Three Notices: The SSP Annual Meeting, PowerPoint Karaoke, and a New SSP Profile
Three announcements from the SSP, and only 2/3 involve the Hub . . .
Stick to Your Ribs — Why Publishers' Brands Matter
(Editor’s Note: Published just over a year ago, this post helped people from outside publishing houses understand some fundamentals of brand management and quality proxies. It’s as clearly written as anything you’ll ever see, and a gem from the archive.) […]
"Stick to Your Ribs" Posts — Introducing a Feature for Posts With Enduring Quality and Great Taste
A new feature for May — the weekly “Stick to Your Ribs” post will serve delicious favorites from our deep archives.
Slicing and Dicing — Do Distinctions Between Users' Technologies Make Sense Anymore?
Does thinking about technology as something new and different gerrymander strategies and initiatives in unhelpful ways? Maybe we need to accept that the future has arrived for our users.