Tools of Change for Publishing

Authors are always looking for an edge. In a world where thousands of new traditionally- and self-published books are released every month it's hard to rise above all the noise. We're launching Author (R)evolution Day at TOC NY in February is because we realize authors need better resources to understand marketing, publicity, discovery, and distribution. Rob Eagar is one of the speakers featured at Author (R)evolution Day. He's the founder of Wildfire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books. Rob is also the author of Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer's Guide to Marketing & Publicity. As a preview to his Author (R)evolution session in February I caught up with him to talk about some of the ways authors can stand out from the crowd. Key points from the interview include: Sell the solution, not the features -- Successful authors don't tell people what their book is about. Rather, they focus on answering the consumer's #1 questions, "what's in it for me?" Identify your strengths -- Some of us aren't comfortable in front of a camera. Others are far better writers than speakers. Forget about the areas where you might be weak. Focus your efforts exclusively on your strengths and use them to build your platform. Don't forget the website -- Recent research indicates that an author's website is more important than their presence on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else. Free resources are typically the most valued element of an author's website. It's also critical that your website act as the hub for community activity where readers can come together and share the experience. Be careful about focusing too much on Amazon -- Authors love to see how high they can drive their book on Amazon's bestseller list. Rob talks about a couple of recent examples where that has backfired though and led to blackballing from other retailers. Join us as we launch Author (R)evolution Day. Click the button on the right to register, use the discount code AR350 and you’ll get the best price available. This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.  

Our TOC theme this month is "legal" and I thought it would be interesting to have a conversation with Bill Rosenblatt covering a variety of topics in the legal realm. Bill is a recognized authority on intellectual property in the online world. He's also an author of the Copyright and Technology blog as well as the founder of GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies. Key points from the interview include: Copyright vs. Creative Commons -- As Bill says, "copyright law is a huge mess", and Creative Commons (CC) is a viable alternative. CC has never fully embraced the commercial content community though. CC also doesn't really make enforcement of IP ownership any easier. Libraries and sales vs. licensing -- I feel our industry is overcomplicating the library channel situation but Bill explains how digital content isn't subject to copyright but rather to whatever licensing terms are being offered. Bill feels libraries are "screwed" unless there's a change in the law. It doesn't help that libraries aren't accustomed to trying to operate like businesses. First-sale doctrine -- ReDigi is a great example of a company that's pushing the envelope on sale vs. licensing of content. Bill feels it's unlikely ReDigi will prevail in the current litigation to resell digital music. (See related TOC article here.) Piracy -- Bill points out that obscurity is indeed a bigger problem than piracy...until you become famous. He asserts that Lady Gaga doesn't benefit from piracy but I'm not sure I agree. After all, maybe future paying Gaga fans start off pirating a song or two before they get hooked. This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed the IDPF's Bill McCoy about the current state of EPUB. As I mentioned in that conversation, EPUB is the format used by pretty much every device not named "Kindle." But since the Kindle format is the most popular I wanted to get an update on it as well, so I managed to grab a few minutes with industry expert Joshua Tallent, founder and CEO of eBook Architects. Key points from the audio interview include: Beware of auto-conversions -- They tend to lead to the most common problems in Kindle-format books. Some hands-on work is required for just about everything except the most basic content formats. Amazon and EPUB -- They accept it on the content ingestion side but Joshua feels Amazon benefits so much from their proprietary format that it's unlikely they'll ever switch to a more open solution like EPUB. HTML5's role -- Yes, HTML5 is already used by KF8 and EPUB, but Joshua feels HTML5 will always require a container to define, manage and control the content and that HTML5 isn't a viable standalone solution, at least not in the short term. Enhancements required -- Fixed layout capabilities are at the top of Joshua's wish list but he also notes a few features of EPUB 3 he'd like to see implemented in Amazon's format. This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

Our TOC theme for August was platforms and we transition to the theme of formats in September. In a couple of earlier interviews we talked about the future of iOS and Android as publishing platforms. I also wrote a piece about how the ultimate winner isn't actually a platform at all. It's time to bring in an expert and tell us whether HTML5 really is the future of publishing, both as a platform and a format. I picked one of the smartest people I know for the job. His name is Sanders Kleinfeld and he's a publishing technology engineer here at O'Reilly. That's a fancy way of saying he knows digital publishing inside out. Sanders has worked extensively with HTML5 and is the author of our free ebook, HTML5 for Publishers. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: The biggest challenges today — Single-source files (where all updates are made in one place) and various compatibility problems are just two of the thorniest issues product teams currently face. [Discussed at the 1:25 mark.] HTML5 helps deal with those challenges  — HTML5-based content is much more likely to render properly across a variety of devices and the Javascript ecosystem makes it even more flexible and powerful.  [Discussed at the 4:43 mark.] EPUB3's "chicken vs. egg" conundrum — Publishers aren't likely to fully leverage EPUB3's capabilities unless more ereader apps support it and ereader app vendors aren't in a hurry because publishers aren't creating a lot of EPUB3-dependent content partially because reader app support is limited. [Discussed at the 7:10 mark.] EPUB3 vs. HTML5 — Sanders talks about an interesting example where the Nook was unable to properly render portions of the EPUB3 version of his ebook but the Nook's browser displayed the HTML5 version properly. [Discussed at the 9:25 mark.] What about portability? — The assumption is that an HTML5 solution requires a live web connection but local caching eliminates that problem. [Discussed at the 12:30 mark.] Native apps offer a slight advantage — We're likely to see more device features accessible via HTML5 but security concerns will probably prevent access to all the device's capabilities. [Discussed at the 15:25 mark.] How will the ebook landscape change in the next 2 years? — The distinction between ebook and app will become more pronounced where EPUB will address the former but HTML5 is the likely solution for the latter. [Discussed at the 18:10 mark.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdhys3bOsuw&feature=youtu.be This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

It's "platforms" month here at TOC and we covered the current state as well as future predictions for iOS in an earlier article. Now it's time to shift the focus to Android. It didn't take too long for me to figure out who we need to talk with about Google's OS. Brian Jepson is senior editor of Make books here at O'Reilly and he lives and breathes Android. Depending on who you ask you'll discover that Android is either crushing iOS or so splintered that it's having little impact on Apple's momentum. What does all that mean for publishers? That what I set out to learn in this conversation with Brian. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: Why should publishers care about Android? — iOS seems to be the only platform publishers and app developers are making money on. It's not just about making money though as engagement is important too. [Discussed at the 1:00 mark.] Nexus 7 as game-changer  — The price makes it a force to be reckoned with. Brian bought one and hasn't touched his Kindle Fire since. [Discussed at the 5:07 mark.] The problem with too many free apps — Unlike Brian's experience, I rarely need to pay for Android apps. That's great for consumers but might spell trouble for developers and their ongoing interest in the platform. [Discussed at the 7:01 mark.] Finally a platform for innovation — Samsung lost the first round in the legal battle with Apple but it's nice to see that Android devices are starting to do more than simply copy the functionality of iOS devices. The Samsung Galaxy S III phone is a terrific example. [Discussed at the 10:20 mark.] Evolution, not revolution — Don't look for radically new Android releases anytime soon. Brian feels Google learned their lesson with the dramatic (and in some ways, painful) shift from Gingerbread to Honeycomb and isn't likely to make that mistake again. [Discussed at the 13:50 mark.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caVh0YR8Kio&feature=youtu.be This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

We're focusing on platforms this month and Apple's iOS is still the one to beat. Android has momentum but recent reports indicate it's still not a serious threat to iOS, at least not on the tablet front. The much-rumored iPad Mini will only reinforce Apple's position and potentially eliminate consumer interest in other tablets. Is the iPad Mini for real? What does the future of the iOS platform look like? I recently sat down with John Brownlee, Cult of Mac's Deputy Editor to discuss. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: Will Apple ever be a player in the ebook space? — The iPad Mini will change everything. If the specs and pricing match John's predictions it will be hard to consider buying anything else on the low end.  [Discussed at the 1:00 mark.] Apple has always been about profit, not share — John provides an interesting contrast between Apple and Amazon. It's even more noteworthy considering the current DOJ situation and the debate over the wholesale vs. agency models.  [Discussed at the 2:05 mark.] The benefits of eInk, in a tablet — Apple has been one of the leading innovators with both displays and battery life. It's only a matter of time before they close the gap and produce a tablet that has all the benefits of an eInk device.  [Discussed at the 3:55 mark.] Native apps vs. HTML5 — It's not an either/or situation but it's still pretty easy to identify the shortcomings of a non-native app on the iOS platform.  [Discussed at the 5:18 mark.] Future of iBooks Author — Despite a lack of buzz John believes iBooks Author is another important long-term play for Apple. (I'm still skeptical, especially since this tool is only useful for Apple's platform.)  [Discussed at the 7:35 mark.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgYin3d8E2I&feature=youtu.be This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes.

As our industry shifts from print to ebooks we're discovering a wealth of new data to study. Retailers hold most of the cards for this data, but a startup named Hiptype is looking to change that. In the interview below, Hiptype's president and CEO James Levy (@jamtoday) talks about how their platform works and how it can lead to making smarter publishing decisions. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: What exactly is "data-driven" publishing? — It goes beyond simple sales stats and review information to understanding how the product is used; where readers spend the most time; and even though we don't like to think about it, how far they get before they abandon a book. [Discussed at the 0:43 mark.] Where sharing happens — The majority of content sharing with friends takes place in either the first 10 pages or the last 10 pages of the book. [Discussed at 3:00.] Why the first 50 pages matter — Almost a third of readers won't return to the book by page 50. 85% of readers who get to page 50 are likely to read the next 50 pages. Think about that the next time you release an ebook sample with only 10 or 12 pages. [Discussed at 3:15.] Low conversion of samples — Not only are there loads of unread samples sitting on most devices, but only 4% of all samples downloaded are ever read at all. [Discussed at 4:46.] Like "Google Analytics for ebooks" — That's probably the best analogy for Hiptype and, prior to Hiptype, the benefits analytics have provided websites haven't been available for ebooks. [Discussed at 5:50.] Will readers revolt against Big Brother? — Readers can opt out, and the data Hiptype gathers is all anonymized. [Discussed at 6:45.] New revenue streams — Subscription models, similar to what we're seeing with gaming and apps, as well as more promoted content are likely to become very common; reader data for these models will be extremely valuable to publishers and advertisers. [Discussed at 8:20.] "Make something that people want" — Hiptype is a startup that went through the Y Combinator incubator program, providing seed money and mentor advice as well as access to the alumni network. [Discussed at 13:37.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBlDl_rcsCE Data is an area everyone in publishing needs to learn more about. That's one of the many reasons O'Reilly launched the Strata conference. I highly recommend you follow all the data space news and developments on our Strata home page. Be sure to sign up for the free newsletter offered there as well. This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes. Related: Practical applications of data in publishing For publishing, sales info is the tip of the data iceberg Direct sales uncover hidden trends for publishers

The agency model has played a key role in ebook pricing models, and the DOJ's recent ruling has generated a large number of responses from the community. One of the more interesting ones was from Simon Lipskar, President of the Writers House literary agency. I invited Lipskar to participate in a TOC podcast interview so he could talk further about his letter to the DOJ as well as where he sees the ebook market heading. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: Agency model and ebook prices — Simon objects to the discount restrictions in the DOJ settlement terms, but he also believes the DOJ has "clearly misread the landscape of ebook pricing." [Discussed at the 2:15 mark.] Did agency drive prices up? — Yes and no. Yes, prices increased for the small list of titles the DOJ cited, but no, prices did not go up across the board. Further, many other factors are forcing ebook prices lower, despite the presence of the agency model. [Discussed at 1:34.] Another small snapshot shows lower prices — Although arguably no more scientific than the DOJ's approach, Simon compared ebook prices on the Amazon best-seller list to pre-agency levels and arrived at a different conclusion. [Discussed at 5:10.] The role of "market power" — In reality, the "big six" publishers don't have the same market power in the ebook world that they have enjoyed in the print world. [Discussed at 10:28.] Competition is driving prices down — The "explosion" of ebooks is having more of an impact on pricing than the agency model. [Discussed at 15:40.] Is price-setting by publishers a good thing? — It's unusual in the physical product world, but that aspect of the agency model makes plenty of sense in the digital world. [Discussed at 22:55.] "Distributed sales" is the future — Simon believes the underlying assumptions we have about how ebooks are sold will be changed as we move away from destination sites dedicated to ebooks. [Discussed at 33:03.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUfjxhbYtBg This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes. Related: DoJ lawsuit is great news for Amazon The state of ebook pricing Ebook pricing power is undermined by perceived value The anchor on ebook prices is gone. Now we'll see where they float More TOC Podcasts

This post is part of the TOC podcast series. You can also subscribe to the free TOC podcast through iTunes. We've been talking about pricing in July, and how could the conversation be complete without coverage of the free content model? Wattpad is a fairly new company that's built completely upon free content. In the following interview, I talk with Wattpad CEO and co-founder Allen Lau about how they're leveraging free content and how you might be able to as well. Key points from the full video interview (below) include: Sharing and discovery — The numbers are impressive, as Wattpad serves almost 10 million unique visitors every month who post their own content as well as read submissions from other community members. [Discussed at the 0:48 mark.] Connecting readers and writers — Publishers need to establish a direct relationship with their customers, and this is something Wattpad excels at. [Discussed at 1:34.] Paid content is not on the horizon — Allen doesn't want to rule anything out, but at this point, Wattpad is more focused on creating reader/writer connections, not charging for content. [Discussed at 2:10.] How can "free" benefit authors? Visibility and discoverability on Wattpad lead to a number of other benefits, including monetization elsewhere. [Discussed at 2:58.] How can a sustainable company be built on "free"? — Allen is a bit coy with his answer to this one, but it's clear Wattpad's goal is to build an enormous content platform first and the revenue will follow. [Discussed at 6:43.] The Margaret Atwood deal — Ms. Atwood clearly understands the rules of publishing are changing, and she appreciates the community benefits Wattpad has to offer. [Discussed at 8:30.] Wattpad's customer base is evolving — Like many new online services, Wattpad has its roots in the teen market, but that is rapidly changing. [Discussed at 10:12.] Don't fear "free" — Wattpad isn't some outlier the publishing industry can ignore. There are plenty of opportunities for any publisher to experiment with free and freemium content. Don't forget that we're competing for people's time, and much of that time is currently spent reading free content. [Discussed at 11:19.] You can view the entire interview in the following video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbILwdQga4g The future of publishing has a busy schedule. Stay up to date with Tools of Change for Publishing events, publications, research and resources. Visit us at oreilly.com/toc. Related: Kevin Kelly on how to sell free How Do Publishers and Authors Get Paid in a "Free" World? Want to succeed in online content? Get small, be open, go free Getting the content out there isn't enough anymore

In this TOC podcast, Demibooks CEO and co-founder Rafiq Ahmed talks about challenges in the ebook tools space and how his startup is handling pricing.

In this TOC podcast, Greenleaf Book Group founder and CEO Clint Greenleaf shares a unique perspective on working with and competing against Amazon. He also addresses the DOJ lawsuit and offers thoughts on the future of ereaders.

In this TOC podcast, Logos Bible Software president & CEO Bob Pritchett talks about the importance of customer engagement, building direct sales channels, and how to beat Amazon.

In this TOC podcast, medical illustrator Laura Maaske talks about creating digital imagery, the move from print to digital, and how publishers need to adjust their thinking.

In this TOC podcast, OR Books co-founder John Oakes talks about the importance of a direct to consumer channel and why OR Books has made it a priority.

In this TOC podcast, we hear from ReadSocial co-founder Travis Alber on why they're building their platform without tying it to your social graph.