Publishing Evolution # 84: Writer Communities & Author Websites

1. I have never contacted my favorite author or gone to their websites. I don't feel the need to know anything about them. I searched for my favorite author (I don't really have one) and this is what I came up with: Robert Ludlum died in 2001 yet he has writtem 12 novels since his death. Go figure? No website or blog for Ludlum either. I did not find a website for Maurice Sendak but he did tell parents to go to hell if they thought his book, Where the Wild Things Are, or now movie is too scary for kids. No website or blog for Sendak. So I looked at a more popular author Mary Higgins Clark. She has a website with a blog. Great advertising for your books. You could blog with Mary. I have no desire. Get a life.

2. I would have less faith in the material if the book was published by popular vote. This is not American Idol.

Publishing Evolution #83:Paper to Pixels (or e-ink)

Excercise 1. I prefer paper. I like to read a newspaper or hold a book. Call me old fashion but that is what I have always done and still like to do. Although the new iPad looks interesting.

Excercise 2. I would pay full price for a book I was really interested in. I think a digital copy should be cheaper since there is no paper or printing involved.

Excercise 3. I checked out the iFiction website. I like the idea of previewing a digital book before you pay but once again as in the previous post I did not recognize any of the books.

Publishing Evolution # 82: Print On Demand

Excercise 1. Printing costs increase in POD because there aren't any books in storage and printing occurs when it it is requested. I visited all of the websites to checkout some of the published books none of which I had read or observed circulating in the library. Did not see anything on the listed websites that appealed to me. I have read a book that was self published, Juliette Ascending, by Rosemary Poole-Carter. She came to the library for a author visit and I purchased all three of her self published books because they were about Louisiana (my adopted home state).

Excercise 2. I think self publishing is a wonderful idea. I don't really care how a book gets published as long as it is interesting to me.

The Future of the Media # 81:Get Out Your Crystal Ball

Excercise 1. For now I pick Blu Ray as having the most influence. I'm not sure that people are ready or have the equipment for only live stream but that will probablry be the next mainstream development. 4G, that is the technology that will have a big impact on everyone next. We will be able to access email and computer data from our phones and that will be all we need. I think Sprint offers a 4G phone right now.


Excercise 2. No, I do not have to have every new gadget as it comes out. You will not find me standing in line to have the next big thing or pay an outrageous price for it. I just got a DVD player 2 years ago. I can remember when Television first came out and when we got our first set. I still read the newspaper everyday. I sure hope they don't disappear. I don't text but I don't know what we would do without our cell phones.

The Future of Media # 80: Movies

Excercise 1. I tuned into Hulu to watch Seven Years in Tibet. I did not watch the entire movie yet I think this is something I would do under the right circumstances. I would prefer watching DVD's on my television but if I was on a plane or stuck somewhere to pass the time I could watch a movie on a computer. It was a good picture.

Excercise 2. I tried to watch the trailer for Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Apple Trailers but I had to download QuickTime so was unable to watch. I think this would be a great way to keep up with current films to watch the trailers on these websites although I did not recognize many of the films on this site.

Excercise 3. I would consider using Net Flix. My son used it and it seemed pretty simple to watch movies when you want and take as long as you want and not be penalized. The live streams would be OK but I don't think I'm ready for this. We have On Demand on our cable service and I've never used it. I never have the time. I am not the biggest movie fan. I think actors are way overpaid and consider themselves to important in our society. I mean really what do they really do? I think movies are hyped so much that when you do see them they really aren't that good.

Future of Media # 79: Television

Excercise 1. I have watched full episodes of The Office on Hulu. There are lots of my favorites on Hulu: The Daily Show , The Simpsons, The Today Show and The View for example. The coverage available on Hulu is mostly movies and TV.

Excercise 2. I have not watched a TV show on my cell phone. I can think of times in my past when I would have. For instance: Kids...waiting in line to pick them up from whatever activity, I would have watched a show on my cell phone.

Excercise 3. I have never posted a video to a site. I don't watch any live streams on a regular basis but I may start watching the puppies. I have seen live streams from the zoo, you know, pandas, giraffes, elephants things like that.