Right now the progressive talk among publishers centers around pricing, ebooks, gadgets, branding and community/social media (in somewhat loosely connected terms). All important stuff, but we need to focus even more on choosers.
Choosers are people who share and recommends things to others, and they’re at the center of the evolving social web.
They decide what’s what sticks and what flops, where to go, what to read and—let’s not forget—what to buy. If you’ve ever shared anything online, then you’re a chooser, too.
If publishers want to save publishing, they need to start [Read more...] Want a Future in Publishing? Focus on Choosers
April 28, 2010 By 2 Comments
Right now the progressive talk among publishers centers around pricing, ebooks, gadgets, branding and community/social media (in somewhat loosely connected terms). All important stuff, but we need to focus even more on choosers.
Choosers are people who share and recommends things to others, and they’re at the center of the evolving social web.
They decide what’s what sticks and what flops, where to go, what to read and—let’s not forget—what to buy. If you’ve ever shared anything online, then you’re a chooser, too.
If publishers want to save publishing, they need to start [Read more...] How Will Publishers Humanize the Ebook?
April 13, 2010 By 1 Comment
The delectable scent of fresh pages, the curious art of the dust jacket, the weight of a title in our hands—how will the ebook ever measure up to its sliced-tree ancestor?
The immediate and obvious answer is it can’t—there is no nostalgic substitute for ‘curling up with our favorite (paper) book’.
But that’s certainly not an answer future readers will accept as we enter the age of digital reading.
Ebooks must offer a Proustian experience equal to if not better than that of traditional books. The publishers who pick up on this will be the ones who stay in business. [Read more...] Why The World Needs Less Copywriting
April 6, 2010 By 10 Comments
Update: this post has been updated to better reflect the author’s intent.
It’s no secret that copywriters can be exquisite with words. They’re downright crafty when it comes to selling the sizzle.
But what about social interaction? The thoughtful, unscripted dialog between company and customer that demands our humanity and rejects the skillfully manicured sales pitch?
Our blossoming social space demands true authenticity, and this leaves little room for traditional ‘hard sell’ copywriting. It’s actually more suitable for anti-copywriting: fearlessly engaging with others through natural, transparent conversation. [Read more...]