Another Missed Opportunity for Bookstores — Hardware Lessons from the E-Reader Space
Traditional bookstores are missing a huge e-reader opportunity, proving that, sadly, they are not the customer-focused retailers they once were.
The Editorial Fallacy
In a disruptive publishing environment, publishers cannot rely on a purely editorial strategy, as many of the issues now facing them are not editorial in nature.
The SSP IN Conference — An INfernal Event!
It appears that the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) will be holding another “IN” meeting next month over my strenuous objections as a long-standing member of the society. My objections are not concerning SSP holding a Fall meeting – indeed, the autumn is my favorite time of the year to repair to a fine club, properly provisioned with brandy and cigars, to discuss the affairs of the society with other learned gentlemen. ather, my concerns are regarding the topic of the meeting. “IN,” I am told, stands for INnovation, INspiration, and INteraction. I am wont to think of a more unholy trinity of concepts and think “INfernal” is more apropos!
Leading Your Content to the Money — A New Equation for Selling Content to Consumers
Consumers have demonstrated a willingness to pay for targeted, virtual goods and services. Why are publishers still trying to foist low-value generalized content off to them?
The Old Spice Guy Celebrates Libraries and the Words They Contain
The over-preening Old Spice Guy likes libraries, and celebrates them in a short, funny video. Too bad a parody from BYU is even better.
Impact Factor Inflation: When an Increase is Actually a Decrease
Journals that fail to keep up with background Impact Factor inflation may actually be losing ground.
Stage Five Book Publishing — How to Go Beyond “Sustainability” and Into “Viability”
Book publishing is evolving in stages, and when we get to Stage Five, where books are sold on a subscription basis, the fortunes of scholarly publishers will improve dramatically.
The Content Graph: How Brands, Trust, and Quality Can Network the Future of Online News
By realizing content links news outlets and creating a barter system, Scott Karp’s Publish2 offers an interesting approach to the “content graph” networked information has created.
The POD Booby Trap and the Lure of Open Access Books
Using POD (print on demand) as a means to support open access is not a viable business model.
The Latest “Library as Purchaser” Crisis: Are We Fighting the Wrong Battle?
More flames on the site licensing frontier, and why these battles are a sign of a fundamentally flawed — and possibly soon-to-be irrelevant — arrangement.
Trade Publishing and Ebooks: W(h)ither the Supply Chain?
The supply chain around trade publishing is “broken,” according to publishers. But are they what has broken?
PowerPoint Karaoke, the SSP Annual Meeting, and Dueling Presenters: Contribute to the Chaos
A sadistic challenge has been created for two presenters at the upcoming SSP Annual Meeting. Get in touch with your Marquis de Sade of PPT, and up the ante for us.
Lessons for Publishers: Listen, Learn, and Experiment
In less than a minute, essential advice for survival today and success tomorrow.
Thank You for the Webby Votes!
The Webby Awards’ People’s Voice competition is now over, and our little blog made a respectable showing, thanks to all your support.
Short Stories and Comics: Niche Markets with Core Lessons for STM Publishers
The failure of the traditional music industry has become the standard cautionary tale for content industries adapting to a digital era. But for scholarly publishers, many factors make the music industry a poor comparison. We have more in common with smaller niche markets. Watching their electronic experimentation and new business models may be more informative as we seek new strategies for presenting and selling content.