Experimentation is how you learn but sometimes the lessons are tough ones. Long-form narrative may not belong on Twitter and after this week’s tweeting of a short story by Rick Moody through Electric Literature, we may not have to think about it for a while. Encouraged by the start-up quarterly whose “mission is to use new media and innovative distribution to return the short story to a place of prominence in popular culture,” Moody wrote the story specifically for Twitter “and used it as a source of creative inspiration” according to a release from EL. He comments “it really was […]
Marketing
Palin Supports Busing
Perhaps taking a cue from her former running mate, Sarah Palin will use a bus for at least part of her book tour, the AP reports, promising to include stops in cities that are not traditional book circuit stops. The wire service says her visits will include a Barnes & Noble store in Grand Rapids, MI and a visit to Fort Bragg army base. Starting November 18, Harper spokesperson Tina Andreadis says the tour will run at least through December 6.
Simon & Schuster Launches Their Own Electronic Galley Program
Simon & Schuster has expanded and remade the experimental GalleyGrab.com site they used earlier this year to elicit interest in pre-BEA physical galleys into their own electronic galley service for “reviewers and media, booksellers, and other key publishing trade contacts.” The service works on most non-Kindle electronic reading platforms, from Sony Reader and nook to computers–using Adobe Digital Editions and its DRM. And the electronic galleys “will expire on the book’s publication date.” Access is provided by “invitation”–S&S staff will send links to particular electronic galleys to selected contacts. The program begins with a galley of Free Press’s march release, […]
Harper Launches Vaynerchuk Vook–More Features, At 60% of Hardcover Price
Vook has partnered with Harper Studio and author Gary Vaynerchuk on their latest production, a version of the recently-published CRUSH IT! that may be the most natural pairing of book material and short videos. While the price point is higher than the inaugural Vooks released by Atria recently, at $11.99 the Vaynerchuk Vook offers the complete text of the book along with 17 videos for much less than the $19.99 book. And video is Vaynerchuk’s natural medium, from the Wine Library videos that built his reputation to his obscenity-sprinkled motivational presentations of his rise to success. Harper Studio associate publisher […]
Fans Compete to Help Launch Gathering Storm
In a further twist on viral marketing, the folks at Tor have just launched THE GATHERING STORM, the much-anticipated first installment of the posthumous completion of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, with the help of an army of ardent fans. Through the official Jordan web site Dragonmount, a call went out for “Storm Leaders” across the country to lead community outreach and fan gatherings in the 26 tour cities. Over 500 people submitted applications for about 100 positions. As publicist Dot Lin explains, “Before the event, they do online and ground outreach (Facebook, fliers, etc.) and during the event, […]
FTC Requires Bloggers, Posters, and the Companies Who Woo Them to Disclose Free Review Copies
The Federal Trade Commission officially revised its “guides” which govern endorsements and testimonials, aimed squarely at the universe of online and word-of-mouth recommendations. The new rules have all the clarity you would expect from an 81-page government document , and in many instances they are either opaque, noxious or just ridiculous (the FTC wants disclosure within tweets as well). The main point of essence for book publishers, and book bloggers and online reviewers, is the determination that “bloggers may be subject to different disclosure requirements than reviewers in traditional media.” They judge that “a blogger’s statement on his personal blog […]