On my blog at WeGrowMedia.com, I explore what it means for an author to build a community around their book, and how this value extends for decades, not just fiscal quarters. In the post, I explore three metaphors & examples: Why lovers carve their names into trees. How books get lonely, and how the digital… Continue reading The Isolation of Information
Category: books
The Perfect February Morning
Snapped a photo this morning that perfectly captures February in my eyes: gray with icicles and stark trees. A good day for curling up with a book…
The Piling Up of Media: Super-Users and Grazers
Every day, media is thrust into my life: Two newspapers on the driveway. Magazines in the mailbox… more than 10 subscriptions. RSS feeds in my RSS reader… about 100 subscriptions. This is before I look at my Blackberry, open Instant Messenger, surf a single website, think about the book on my nightstand, or even fathom… Continue reading The Piling Up of Media: Super-Users and Grazers
Yet Another Expensive Device to Carry: Amazon’s Kindle
The blogosphere is excited about the launch of Amazon’s new ebook reader called Kindle. There are may pro’s and con’s to the device, but I think Rex Hammock has a pretty sober look at the idea. From a user experience perspective, I don’t quite understand the idea of compartmentalizing our media activities. Why would I… Continue reading Yet Another Expensive Device to Carry: Amazon’s Kindle
Book Authors Meet the YouTube Generation
Joe Wikert points us to an interesting new service that shows how book authors can get into the online video market: “Here’s a cool little service I stumbled upon this evening… Bookwrap Central features video clips of authors talking about their book, what’s unique about it, what inspired them, etc.”
Google Integrates Books with the Web
Google Book Search launched some new features that allow people to more easily integrate them into their online lives: “To start, you can create your own personal collection on Book Search, and use it to help find just the right book from your collection for any occasion. Other people can view your library, so you… Continue reading Google Integrates Books with the Web
Libraries and Leafblowers
A funny thing is happening. While people debate whether the death of print is upon us, the argument itself is becoming irrelevant. Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article that underscores this. It profiles how libraries are changing to become “information commons,” places where there are fewer books, but more services, and greater access to… Continue reading Libraries and Leafblowers
Networked Books
The Wall Street Journal looks at the rise of “networked books“: “In a fairly radical turn, one major publisher has made a networked book available free online at the same time the book is being sold in stores. Other publishers have posted networked titles that invite visitors to read the book and post comments. One… Continue reading Networked Books
Free Digital Books
Google is now offering free digital books for download. There are quite a few limitations to the service so far, but the scale of what Google is doing behind the scenes with books is amazing. Their goal is to scan every book – collecting all the worlds knowledge. I am just glad that future generations… Continue reading Free Digital Books