http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/youve-read-the-headlines-now-quick-read-the-book/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/youve-read-the-headlines-now-quick-read-the-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1029602 Mark Bloomfield Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:50:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/30/youve-read-the-headlines-now-quick-read-the-book/#comment-1029602 I sure don't see a gaping hole waiting to be filed. I think that there are a bunch of weekly magazines out there that offer the kind of timely coverage that breaking events merit. Books - and the article includes Ann Godoff's comment to this effect - offer a comprehensive and contextualized retrospective. Beside - I don't see any evidence that speed to market is relevant to driving unit sales in books. Accelerating schedules of books means less time for the author to engage their fans and motivate them to become advocates. I'm no luddite - I think that digital platforms are powerful delivery mechanisms. But I think that we're missing a big piece of the puzzle in this headlong rush to digitization and speed to market. A book is a physical manifestation of a deep metaphor - the container. The vessel of knowledge. They are powerful and permanent. They are the way people affiliate with the author and communicate to their friends about who they are. And that is why books (real ones you can hold) will remain part of our lives for a long time. I sure don’t see a gaping hole waiting to be filed. I think that there are a bunch of weekly magazines out there that offer the kind of timely coverage that breaking events merit. Books – and the article includes Ann Godoff’s comment to this effect – offer a comprehensive and contextualized retrospective. Beside – I don’t see any evidence that speed to market is relevant to driving unit sales in books. Accelerating schedules of books means less time for the author to engage their fans and motivate them to become advocates. I’m no luddite – I think that digital platforms are powerful delivery mechanisms. But I think that we’re missing a big piece of the puzzle in this headlong rush to digitization and speed to market. A book is a physical manifestation of a deep metaphor – the container. The vessel of knowledge. They are powerful and permanent. They are the way people affiliate with the author and communicate to their friends about who they are. And that is why books (real ones you can hold) will remain part of our lives for a long time.

]]> http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/youve-read-the-headlines-now-quick-read-the-book/comment-page-1/#comment-1029416 Karen Holt Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:01:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/30/youve-read-the-headlines-now-quick-read-the-book/#comment-1029416 Book publishers have a huge opportunity to step into the void with e-books that contain the kind of timely, but in-depth reporting and analysis that the best newspapers used to print, but can no longer afford to offer (even the ones that have managed to stay in business). Yesterday's six-part front page investigative feature could be tomorrow's ebook. Book publishers have a huge opportunity to step into the void with e-books that contain the kind of timely, but in-depth reporting and analysis that the best newspapers used to print, but can no longer afford to offer (even the ones that have managed to stay in business).
Yesterday’s six-part front page investigative feature could be tomorrow’s ebook.

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