Innovation is Iteration: Thinking Next to the BoxCader, Michael
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9091-xpmid: N/A
An account of the process of constant experimentation that drives our industry-leading newsletters and web site; the lessons behind our entrepreneurial experiences that should be meaningful to many within book publishing; and suggestions for how publishers of all sizes can employ a similar mindset in getting closer to readers and leveraging their natural assets for success in today’s rapidly changing marketplace.
The StartwithXML Project: Understand the Point and Path to a Digital WorkflowShatzkin, Mike
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9088-5pmid: N/A
To pursue emerging revenue opportunities in the most cost-efficient way (or sometimes to be able to pursue them at all), book publishers are going to have to adopt a StartwithXML workflow. That means their content needs to live in an XML-structured document from the earliest possible moment, which could be “inception”, and carry within it metadata about the document structure, the content itself, and the rights to all components. The tools exist to do this, but the organizational challenges of changing workflows and inventing new procedures are daunting. This project explores the business case and the implementation challenges, including case studies of companies who have already begun to work this way.
The Identification of Digital Book ContentWeissberg, Andy
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9093-8pmid: N/A
This article analyzes current industry practices toward the identification of digital book content. It highlights key technology trends, workflow considerations and supply chain behaviors, and examines the implications of these trends and behaviors on the production, discoverability, purchasing and consumption of digital book products.
Using Company Blogs to Win over Decision MakersTeich, Annie
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9090-ypmid: N/A
Company blogs offer publishers a media platform to build online communities around issues of interest to customers and prospects. Web 2.0 represents the fundamental shift from “old” marketing where publishers engaged in one-directional push messaging and “new” marketing where customers and prospects are also creators of content and key messages in response to their individual experiences. Whether companies decide to participate in the online conversation or not, they and their products are being discussed. To maintain credibility and support their brands, publishers must engage their audiences online. Creating a company blog as the centerpiece of a Social Media strategy can be a meaningful investment in a publisher’s longevity.
Rallying Point: Lewis Michaux’s National Memorial African BookstoreEmblidge, David
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9075-xpmid: N/A
Michaux’s National Memorial African Bookstore, Harlem, NY, was the epicenter of black literary life and bookselling, 1933–c.1975. Michaux migrated from Virginia to escape farm work and his brother’s evangelical church, opting instead—despite the lack of formal education—to become a trafficker in ideas, through bookselling. A self-styled Garveyite, Michaux advised Malcolm X, though he never joined the Nation of Islam or advocated revolution. The bookshop—with a huge inventory of books about black experience and spearheaded by the charismatic bookseller (known as “The Professor”)—attracted a loyal clientele, championed famous writers and artists, and hosted international leaders (especially Africans). A rallying point for political speeches, often delivered in front of the store, in its period, there was no other black bookstore in America with Michaux’s influence.
Selling Translation RightsSmerillo, Deirdre
doi: 10.1007/s12109-008-9089-4pmid: N/A
Advancing technologies and new political landscapes have made the process of buying and selling translation rights more complicated. The translation contract is a complex document that varies from proprietor to proprietor. The article features a chart that is intended to serve as a framework for understanding the typical contract a publisher will be asked to sign when purchasing translation rights from an American proprietor.