Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

Publishing

Writing Sex

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I'm taking an online class, via UCLA Extension, called Writing Sex. It's interesting. So far, I've learned that good sex writing revolves around good character development, and bad sex writing relies too much on cliches and the actual sex act. Does sex writing matter? Well, yes. Just like any other type of writing, it is used to convey a deeper meaning. Can it be thoughtful? … [Read more...] about Writing Sex

The Future of Publishing, According to Richard Nash

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Today in my Interactive Media class, we had guest speaker Richard Nash. Nash, former publisher at Soft Skull, is now launching a start-up company, Cursor, which is a social approach to publishing. Anyway, he was a very interesting speaker, so I’d like to share some of his thoughtful quotes. “Of all the media, games and books have the most in common with one another … [Read more...] about The Future of Publishing, According to Richard Nash

This Week in Publishing

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Here's what's going on in the publishing industry this week: It's JFK month. Makes sense, since this year marks the 50th anniversary of his election. On Monday The Perseus Books Group, along with NBC News, released a new iPad app, JFK: 50 Days. The app complements the new book, "JFK Day by Day," and it features 50 days of JFK's presidency, including rare footage from … [Read more...] about This Week in Publishing

Mistake Reports

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Found this online today and thought I'd share. It's a tumblr blog, I guess technically a micro-blog, entitled "Mistake Reports." Fairly entertaining, and I can see myself getting addicted to it, just like I got addicted to  FML (F My Life). … [Read more...] about Mistake Reports

What’s Happening in the Publishing World

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Every week for my Interactive Media class, I post links to current articles about what's going on in the publishing world. So here's a list of what's happening this week: First, here is an argument against the agency model for e-books. Annette Green writes about how, through the agency model, publishers are basically screwing themselves. Print versions of books are … [Read more...] about What’s Happening in the Publishing World

Blurb

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Self-publishing books, once considered almost taboo, or at the very least desperate, has evolved into something fun, easy, and even professional. Blurb is a perfect example of this. Based in San Francisco, the company recently had a pop-up store in New York City. Located at 60 Mercer St. in Soho, the store was open from Oct. 21-31, and allowed customers to take part in … [Read more...] about Blurb

Finally, an Optimistic Look at the Media

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That's basically how the mandatory The Case for Media Optimism panel was described to us NYU publishing kids. I was skeptical about how the panel last night would go. After all, for the past five years of so all I've heard is about the death of print, the death of journalism, the death of media, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised. The panel was moderated by David Carr, the … [Read more...] about Finally, an Optimistic Look at the Media

Even Writers Can Have a Reality Show

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Ok, maybe it hasn't gone that far yet, but there has been a breakthrough in the way novels are written and promoted. It's called The Novel : Live! and it involved 36 authors coming together for six days in Seattle and completing a novel. Basically, it's awesome. And to keep things interesting, after each 12-hour session, writers, fans, and on-lookers all got to partake in Happy … [Read more...] about Even Writers Can Have a Reality Show

The Social Network

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Yeah I saw The Social Network. I pretty much had to. I've been on Facebook multiple times a day, almost every day for the past five years, so you see, given my current addiction, I had no choice. It was a really well-done movie, and it's received a lot of critical acclaim. But looking at it from a publishing perspective, which is how I'm starting to see everything these … [Read more...] about The Social Network

Brooklyn Book Festival

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Yesterday I went to the fifth annual Brooklyn Book Festival, held at the historic Brooklyn Borough Hall and Borough Hall Plaza. All of the events were free, though some required tickets. I got to the festival later than I wanted to partly because I still get lost easily around here, and partly because the subway system on weekends is completely different from weekdays. So by … [Read more...] about Brooklyn Book Festival

What a LIFE

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I work at LIFE.com, which is the online version of what once was the most prestigious and iconic photojournalistic publication, Life magazine. It's a pretty sweet job. I have access to millions of photos, including some of the most famous photos of all time (think anonymous sailor kissing a nurse when WWII ended), all of which appeared in Life first. I've only been … [Read more...] about What a LIFE

Copy-Editing Tips

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There is a fine line when it comes to copy-editing and copy-reading. On the one hand, as a copy-editor, it is your responsibility to correct all grammar mistakes, make sure the writing flows, and fact-check. But on the  other hand, you also have to be mindful of the writer's style, and be courteous when making suggestions. Here are some suggestions as to how to be a polite, … [Read more...] about Copy-Editing Tips