Joe Wikert, General Manager & Publisher at O’Reilly Media, Inc., suggests that bookstores need to “Build functionality into their own mobile app that makes me want to go to their brick-and-mortar store.” But realistically what kind of bookstore is Joe talking about that can afford a mobile app?
Is Self-Publishing the Book Equivalent of Demand Media?
Demand Media is what most would describe as a “content farm”: It’s the equivalent of factory-farmed chicken. The content is created and put out as cheaply and quickly as possible, but the welfare of those involved and the nutritional content is questionable. I don’t want advice from that kind of content source. And yet I have a hard time not getting these sorts of results in my web searches. Parallels can be drawn between what’s going on in publishing and Demand Media’s invasion of the web content world.
Introducing BNC's WordPress Plugin for BiblioShare
A Book Algorithm that Works
Many businesses use algorithms to make product recommendations, including book retailers such as Amazon and Chapters. If your customer base is large and mostly online it’s an easy way to generate recommendations for a wide range of customers. But when it comes to books, the system hasn’t always served the customer well.
A Sneak Peek: CataList Title Detail Page
PressBooks: Web-First Workflow Just Got Even Easier
The Retailer Benefits of CataList
There is no question that moving to online catalogues will benefit everyone. The benefits for publishers and wholesalers may be more obvious, but booksellers will also have new capabilities in CataList that weren’t possible before. These are probably worth a closer look.
Tools of Change 2011: Overall Thoughts, Exciting New Projects, and Quotable Quotations
Last week I attended the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing 2011 conference .
This was my first year attending TOC and I loved it. If you’ve never been to TOC, it’s a whirlwind of a conference: workshops, keynotes, sessions, exhibitors, roundtable sessions, a startup showcase, and social events. I don’t think I blinked for three days, but it was a fantastic experience and I recommend it to any of you who can make it in future years.
There were also two projects that stood out for me. Here are the basics in their own words.
Our Futures in Publishing after the Digital Transition
Last week, James McQuivey, VP and Principal Analyst of Forrester Research, shared results and anecdotes from the Digital Book World/Forrester 2010 Publishing Executive Survey in a video (embedded below). The survey was about the attitudes and opinions of publishing executives regarding the digital shift in publishing. And although it revealed a great deal of enthusiasm for digital, there were some details about the transition that deserve a closer look.
BiblioShare Data Participants...Are You on the List?
The following list of publishers/distributors are all contributing data to, or working on getting their data into, BNC BiblioShare. Are you missing from the list? Have a look here and here and then get in touch with us at biblioshare@booknetcanada.ca to get on the list.
