Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

ebooks

Technology Trends in Publishing

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It seems like as we progress, all digital technologies are slowly converging, and it's really cool to witness. Joe Wikert wrote on DBW about 2016 trends, which included bots and automation, augmented reality, and vying for attention. Last month, The Bookseller reported on the first deal for a YA trilogy in virtual reality. The Fallow Trilogy by Amy Lankester-Owen is the … [Read more...] about Technology Trends in Publishing

8 Fun Trends in Reading and Publishing

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Our culture is changing, and it's exciting and fascinating to watch. In literature, what used to be taboo is now trending. According to Broadly, gay characters are gaining popularity in teen fiction. According to Broadly, it started in 2003 with David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy novel, though in the beginning it was still considered controversial. Now, according to author Simon … [Read more...] about 8 Fun Trends in Reading and Publishing

10 Things I Learned About Online Courses and Publishing from Udemy LIVE 2016

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Udemy LIVE conference, held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. For those who may not know, I've had a course up on Udemy for three years, teaching DIY authors who to format ebooks and learn enough HTML and CSS to make their ebooks look professional. With so many options for making ebooks these days (like hiring … [Read more...] about 10 Things I Learned About Online Courses and Publishing from Udemy LIVE 2016

A Brief Look at the State of Self-Publishing

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Less than a decade ago, self-publishing, or indie publishing, had a stigma. Indie authors in general were seen as authors who couldn't get past the gatekeepers, and they weren't good enough to be traditionally published, so they weren't real authors. Now, the stigma is for the most part gone. However, it's still hard to be an indie author, especially if you dream of being a … [Read more...] about A Brief Look at the State of Self-Publishing

Taking Stock of Industries Related to Book Publishing and How That Relates to the Future

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Book publishers can learn a lot from their media counterparts. As the world becomes more connected, the lines between these industries is getting blurred. Keeping on top of trends then can be really helpful, in terms of getting ideas of what can be done and what to expect in the future. Here are a few headlines from other forms of media that can help inform people in book … [Read more...] about Taking Stock of Industries Related to Book Publishing and How That Relates to the Future

Looking for Innovative Stories? Here’s a List of Ebooks, Apps, Websites, Games, and More

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Ebooks, or maybe I should say stories, come in all shapes and sizes: EPUB, apps, virtual reality, games, and more. If you want to see some exciting, innovative new forms of storytelling, check out this list (sure devices have some limitations and enhanced ebooks haven't exactly taken off yet, but there are ways to make ebooks great): Ebooks "A Digital Mozart Book That … [Read more...] about Looking for Innovative Stories? Here’s a List of Ebooks, Apps, Websites, Games, and More

Build An Interactive Holiday Ebook with CircularFLO

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Happy holidays! To those who celebrate Christmas, CircularFLO, which allows you to build interactive ebooks without coding, is giving away personalized, free interactive ebooks. You can get your copy at https://www.circularflo.com/download/xmas. Inside you'll find a drag and drop jigsaw puzzle, a hangman game, a matching game, and more. Plus CircularFLO is holding a contest … [Read more...] about Build An Interactive Holiday Ebook with CircularFLO

Ebook Creation: Fixed Format vs. Reflowable Ebooks

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I've been working on the second book in my How to Create Ebooks series, which will be focused on making fixed format ebooks. Fixed format ebooks work particularly well for children's picture books, though there are number of other useful ways to use the format. I came across a video on Lynda.com (full disclosure, I am an affiliate) recently that does a great job showing the … [Read more...] about Ebook Creation: Fixed Format vs. Reflowable Ebooks

What Games and Books Have in Common

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Games and books have a lot in common. They can be tools for learning, as well as avenues for entertainment (See the game/app Zombies, Run! for an example of a game that also motivates people to stay active). They can be physical and digital. And sometimes the lines between them can even be blurred. Because of all these similarities, there are a lot of book and game issues … [Read more...] about What Games and Books Have in Common

Reading Ebooks on Your Smartphone

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Smartphones have exploded in popularity in the last few years, and because so many people own smartphones, publishers are now thinking about how to best deliver digital content to the small screen. As a side anecdote, four years ago (2011) I was sitting in a marketing class at NYU, and the lecturer was telling us about how she read all five A Song of Ice and Fire books (you … [Read more...] about Reading Ebooks on Your Smartphone

What Rights Do Ebook Owners Have?

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Over the last few years, there has been a lot of discussion around the ownership of ebooks. The LA Times reported in 2012 about how ebook owners had few rights when it came to their ebooks. Instead of owning ebooks they purchased, they were merely licensing them: Unlike the owners of a physical tome, they won't have the unlimited right to lend an e-book, give it away, … [Read more...] about What Rights Do Ebook Owners Have?

805 Writers Conference: Self-Publishing Primer and More

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This past weekend, I was one of the speakers at the 805 Writers Conference, held in Ventura, California. 805 Writers Conference is an annual event for writers, and this year had a number of wonderful speakers who covered a wide range of topics, including adapting fiction for the screen, writing a non-fiction proposal, writing mysteries and thrillers, writing articles, how to … [Read more...] about 805 Writers Conference: Self-Publishing Primer and More

Guest Post: 9 Tips to Help Ensure E-Book Success

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By James A. Rose - InstantPublisher James A. Rose gives tips on how to be more successful when it comes to selling ebooks. Indie e-book publishing has exploded in the past five years or so and for good reason. It is the best method for new authors on a limited budget to introduce their book to as many potential readers as possible. Right from your home office you can upload … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 9 Tips to Help Ensure E-Book Success

Displaying Ebooks in New Ways

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It's not just ebooks that are disrupting. Technology that displays ebooks is changing, which has led to some potentially creative new ways to read books, or at least to look at them. On Publishing Perspectives, Bob Pritchett wrote about what needs to change in publishing, including the fact that the length of the book should not be tied to the genre, books should be able to … [Read more...] about Displaying Ebooks in New Ways

Writing and Sounds

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When it comes to writing, people don't always think about the sounds that are involved. But sound is one of the senses you can write about and explore, in both fiction and non-fiction. Live Write Thrive has a great post on sounds in novels, called "The Sound of ... Sound in Novels." It describes different types of sounds, such as natural sounds, which are part of the … [Read more...] about Writing and Sounds