books

media type="custom" key="28927466" align="right" The Future of Dead Trees: A Rambling Essay about Books and Online Publication
related: copyright, publishers, library, literacy flickr: [|books] recommended listening: [|future of the book] editing: [|tips for authors and publishers]

Good books are friends who are always ready to talk to us.

Wiki
bibliography cookbooks copyright guidebooks media publishers

New Titles
Invisible Planets [|Amazon.com]

Essay (editing)
Ron Mader: It's time to discuss dead trees - namely bound books - and the people who write them.

When Planeta.com started in 1994 book reviews were a big part of content. Links to Amazon.com followed with a modest - very modest - income from that source. But something happened in the past 20 years ... I moved several times and book collecting looked less and less appealing. So I started requesting fewer review copies, stopped purchasing and started a re-evaluation you're reading here -- how can Planeta.com best promote regional and topical bibliographies.

It's 2017. Instead of massaging text into a 1-dimension format, could we be more adventurous?

There are major changes ahead as to how books are presented Planeta.com and this wiki. The fact is I haven't been accepting print review copies for some time and have basically abandoned the traditional bibliographies. In the back channel (email) I am in contact with a number of authors who are seeking out the electronic options. This essay is aimed at the authors and publishers ready to make the leap. Gift me an app. Or better yet ... help promote my app (coming soon!).

Part Two
John's (Eurapart) view is that books are more than dead trees. The carbon footprint of a paperback book is on average 1kg of CO2e. The same book printed on recycled paper with every copy being sold comes in at 400g CO2e (all CO2 figures courtesy of "How bad are bananas - The Carbon Footprint of Everything." by Mike Berners-Lee). Mike also reasons that reading books made from dead trees to have the added advantage of reducing unsustainable behaviour because you can't drive or shop while reading an old style book.

A dedicated e-book reader device is not a satisfactory alternative, as the carbon footprint is around 50 kg CO2e. Meaning you'd have to read 100 paperback books (bought new and sent for recycling) before the paper savings exceed the paperback tally. Reading books through an App on a smartphone or tablet won't be as carbon intensive, but the electricity consumption of the device and the footprint of the Cloud Servers would still need to be considered.

It is often quicker to navigate a paper book than an e-book. You can gift them to your descendants, unlike digital books where you only buy a personal licence to read. You can borrow them from libraries with ease, in fact unless you are going to reread or reference a book many times, this makes for reasonably sustainable use of reading material. Finally, they can be read almost anywhere where there is light, including in the bath.

E-books have their advantages, but their supply seems to be almost exclusively through mega corporations. John would like to see more effective options for self publishing that allows the created e-books to be read on smartphones.

Books whether paper, stone or digital are a key resource for anyone interested in living and travelling on our small planet. Is Ron's decision not to review paper books depriving us? We can after all order any book from our local library?

Planeta
http://planeta.com/1609patrickching

Whatever you think, think the opposite https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-You-Think-Opposite/dp/1591841216

Hemingway Didn't Say That / Quote Investigator
http://quoteinvestigator.com http://quoteinvestigator.com/new-book [|"Hemingway Didn't Say That"] https://twitter.com/QuoteResearch

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Memory Code / Lynne Kelly
[] [] [] []

Horizon Guides
https://www.facebook.com/Horizon-Guides-1177267365648364/ https://twitter.com/horizonguides https://twitter.com/cynthiaord

Quotes
The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it. - [|Benjamin Disraeli]

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

You have to think like a 19-year-old, who doesn’t care about print. They want to read stuff on a screen, they want it to be interactive, and they want it now. - Don Peschke, [|Making a case for HTML5 investment]

Future library 2114 https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2017/oct/27/elif-shafak-joins-future-library-writing-piece-to-be-unveiled-in-2114

Flickr
[|books] [|Book Sale] [|e-publication]

Headlines
[|Are Apps The Future of Book Publishing? - Forbes]

Instagram
http://www.inquisitr.com/1844213/hot-dudes-reading-instagram-account-shows-hot-dudes-reading-actual-books-gains-300k-followers-in-2-weeks http://instagram.com/hotdudesreading

Libraries
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/nov/20/what-about-books-debate-about-henderson-libraries-

Digital Publications
http://www.vegasseven.com/digital

Cookbooks
I want to see more apps and collaborative wikis. The cookbook is quaint but as useful as a carousel slide projector.

Buzzword Bingo
App - Author - Blog - **Books** - Book Store - Cookbook - Dead Trees - E-book - E-zine - E-publication - Gift this App - Horse Shoes - Language - Library - Literacy - Potterville - Print on Demand - Publisher - Reader - Smartphone - Subscription - Two Way Communication - Updates - Upgrade - [|Wikivoyage]

Textbooks
http://www.wired.com/2016/05/textbook-industry-tries-hook-prof

April 23 World Book Day
[|#DíaMundialdelLibro] http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-book-day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Book_Day http://www.un.org/en/events/bookday

Innovation
[|Book Glutton] - We believe firmly that people want to read, annotate and discuss, right there, immersed in the text. That’s the best time to talk about a book. We also respect the solitary side to reading: people should have the chance to tune out the community. We wanted it to be attractive, too; to be an //experience//. It was designed for the laptops people carry to their coffee shops, and meant for the network, not the desktop.

Recommended Listening
[|Future of the book] - For many of us, the future of the book is here already: there's the Kindle, Google books, reading on your iPhone. We don't know which technology is going to be most popular in the future, but Bob Stein thinks these gadgets are just the beginning of a transformation of the book. Bob Stein is the director of the Institute for the Future of the Book, which is based in London and New York.

[|E-books: The future of publishing?] - E-books are relatively cheap and you can download and carry around dozens of them on one compact, light-weight e-reader. But will e-books supersede the old print versions? Some industry insiders think a third or more of book sales will be digital within a few years. So what will that mean for local bookshops and publishers?

[|The future of publishing in the e-book era] - A Melbourne company has developed new technology to help independent booksellers thrive in the brave new world of e-books.

[|The Imaginarium of EW Cole] - Cole's Book Arcade was a massive three-storey bookstore in the heart of Melbourne that opened on Cup day in 1883. But this was a bookshop with a difference. It had a fernery, a wonderland with funny mirrors, a music department, a lolly shop, a lending library...there were secondhand books for sale, a Chinese tea salon, even a live monkey display! The arcade was the embodiment of one man's vision and humanitarian ideals: Edward William Cole.

 ===[|Why are audio books increasingly popular?] ===  More and more people are listening to audiobooks, but who are they, what are they listening to, and why do they prefer audio to traditional books? We devote the full program to this expanding way of consuming books.

Bookstores on the Social Web
http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2015/09/06/morioka-shoten-ginza-a-bookstore-that-only-carries-one-title-per-week

Twitter Bookstores
http://twitter.com/almalibrebooks http://twitter.com/TatteredCover http://twitter.com/ReadingsBooks [|@strandbookstore]

Facebook Bookstores
[] https://www.facebook.com/thewritersblocklv

writing https://twitter.com/writingxwriters

TripAdvisor Bookstores
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g150801-d5552548-r241189757-Amate_Books-Oaxaca_Southern_Mexico.html

Advantages of E-Books
Hyperlinks Easily enlarged font, helpful for aging readers Can be easily updated/upgraded

Editing
[|Fair Trade in Travel Writing and Photography]

Print on Demand
[|Before Google Books, we took on-demand publishing to the streets] [|Google signs deal to print 2m books on Espresso machines] [|Internet Archive's Bookmobile]

BookLocker Example: http://booklocker.com/books/4814.html
 * [|What We Do]
 * [|Who We Are]
 * [|What We Charge]
 * [|Reasons Not To Use Us]
 * [|Press Clippings]
 * [|Testimonials]
 * [|Questions About Print-On-Demand Publishing]
 * [|Questions About Ebook Publishing]
 * [|Questions From BookLocker Authors]
 * [|Niche Book Turns $20K Annual Profit]

Ebooks
[|Internet Archive's Bookmobile] [|Before Google Books, we took on-demand publishing to the streets] [|Ebrary] [|Gale's Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)] http://openlibrary.org [|www.myilibrary.com] [|Net Library] [|Overdrive] [|Smashwords] [|Gutenberg.org] http://www.ciudadseva.com/bibcuent.htm http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat http://www.hyperink.com http://www.booksprints.net/

[|Stanza] is a free application for your iPhone and iPod Touch. Use it to download from a vast selection of over 100,000 books and periodicals, and read them right on your phone. It’s a wireless electronic library that stays open 24/7.

BookScan collects the retail sales information from point of sale systems in more than 33,500 bookshops around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_BookScan http://www.nielsenbookscan.co.uk

http://www.ebookling.com - http://evbogue.com/ebookling

audio
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go

Blogs
http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/smell-of-books-blog

Elsewhere
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk

Flip Books
https://bookofbadarguments.com/?view=flipbook

Questions
What is the future of the book? What is the future of the bookstore and library?

Tweets
Gift this app: http://tinyurl.com/smartbookberlin

whining
[|Libros vs Internet]

Misc
Books - Good for Long Form Essay Texts tend to do better when they have neighbors

Book Expo
http://www.bookexpoamerica.com https://twitter.com/search/%23bookexpo

More Buzzword Bingo
paperphilia n. Delight in the aesthetic qualities of paper; a preference for reading on paper rather than on a screen. Wordspy

Moby Dick
http://www.mobydickbigread.com https://www.facebook.com/mobydickbigread https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-moby-dick-big-read/id561715706 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick [|Moby Dick]

Exchange
Take a book, leave a book.

Author Events / Book Readings https://medium.com/essays-and-non-fiction/the-author-as-magical-bullshit-fairy-a-few-words-on-author-events-ec8c543aa782

amazon Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting http://www.amazon.com/Story-Structure-Substance-Principles-Screenwriting-ebook/dp/B0042FZVOY

Hashtags
[|#ManlyBookClubNames]

Serious Whitefella Stuff Mark Moran https://www.mup.com.au/items/163714

Embedded Tweets
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https://twitter.com/ala_sattar/status/857434430666944512

videos
media type="youtube" key="zV_e_r-dWSw" height="360" width="640" media type="youtube" key="F_jyXJTlrH0" height="340" width="560"

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Misc


 * [|Planeta.com] strives to be friendly to readers, authors and publishers . The following tips will help media pros make the most of this website.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
Please note that we are putting into practice a number of sustainable practices and this includes not receiving any unsolicited materials in print or online.


 * Requests**

Print Materials - please do not send unsolicited catalogs, flyers, postcards or books.

Email - Please do not add us to an email newsletter or add our address to a list of cc'd addresses.
 * How to stay in contact**

We would like to engage with your publishing house and offer the following ways to stay in contact: 1) [|Search] for your book, author and region -- what is already featured on Planeta.com?
 * Basics**

1) Please let us know which is the best contact person and email for your publishing house. Also, notify us if there is a change in the contact.

2) Let us know if you have an RSS feed or twitter account

3) Consider adding a link to Planeta.com from your website (if you don't have one already) and we can create a publishing house-specific topic within our Wiki.

4) Invite your authors and editors to take a good look at Planeta.com and let us know if you see ways to collaborate. If you would like to submit an article for Planeta.com or suggest a link, please check out our [|writers' guidelines].
 * Advanced**

Let us know what eco and social practices your business employs. If you document these practices online, so much the better!

Do you have a strategy for using Web 2.0 tools, including Facebook, Flickr and YouTube?

Do you have digital versions of your books available?

Set up a conversation via skype about ways to collaborate.

[|Search] for your book(s) featured on Planeta.com.

For those interested in taking a stand, support [|fair trade for travel writing].

Help us keep the bibliographies current. Also, please report dead links.

Repeating the advice above, when making contact via email, please do not send unsolicited attachments. ( [|email top tips] )

STAYING IN TOUCH
Please make sure we have your current email and RSS feed.

||

We are updating our list of [|top shelf books] and [|new titles].
 * === PLANETA ===

BIBLIOGRAPHIES
[|Australia]

[|Business]

[|Central America]

[|Caribbean]

[|Ecotourism]

[|Environment]

[|Food]

[|Journalism]

[|Latin America]

[|Mexico]

[|Mexico/US Border]

[|South America]

[|Spirituality]

[|Web Books]

[|World] ||

Make sure that the most recent edition of your book is featured in the relevant bibliography. Engage with us using Web 2.0. Ask your publisher to send a review copy (or copies if you wish us to share). You are welcome to use a quote from our review for use in promotion. Prepare graphics -- banners and logos -- that can be used online. If you don't have those skills, ask a talented graphics design artist friend to help you. The most common size for a banner is 468x60.
 * === THINGS FOR AUTHORS TO KEEP IN MIND ===

**IF YOU HAVE A WEBSITE**
If you add a link to Planeta, we can establish a reciprocal link to your author website. Reciprocity rules! Show the cover of your book on your website. Make sure that the image is available in different formats -- from low resolution (and fast to download) to high resolution that can be used in print media.

Include brief reviews and testimonials. Include a brief autobiography. Let readers know who you are.

Explain to readers how they can purchase the book -- online and through various stores. Include a calendar of upcoming speaking events. Include links to professional associations of which you are a member. Participate in relevant online forums. If you participate on the Planeta Forum, please consult with Ron Mader to review the forum guidelines. Hopefully, you are doing this already as part of the Web Seminar!

**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WEBSITE**
Create a website or blog ! Get a Twitter account. Create a page for your work on Fcebook. Authors are advised to make sure their book is available on Amazon.com. Even if people do not buy the book online, they consult this site for reference. Once your book is listed, ask colleagues to put in a kind 5-star review. Write your own media release. ||

What are people talking about? Here are the [|most referenced books] on the blogs courtesy of [|Technorati]
 * === BLOGGING IT ===

EXERCISE
Conduct a google search for your name and which features come up. Check and see if adequate or too much contact information is given. This is a good exercise! ||

Publishers need to find a way to encourage author-to-author author-editor-marketing communication within their enterprises. Current efforts are far from satisfactory. Veteran guidebook author [|Tom Brosnahan] says that forthright dialogue between publisher and author is of great value and can be constructive. "But for it to be so," he explains "There must be a basic congruence of interest between publisher and authors."
 * === IMPROVING IN-HOUSE COMMUNICATION ===

THINGS FOR PUBLISHERS TO KEEP IN MIND
Hello, publishers ! Planeta features travel guidebooks, nature books and an assortment of texts. If you wish to brainstorm about advertising and/or publishing book development, [|contact us] A persistent problem that reviewers and distributors have with publishers is the ever-changing email of those in charge of review copies and sales. If you establish a good working relation with a website or a book seller, make it easy for others to stay in contact. Let readers know who writes for you! In addition, publishers should add links to author websites.

WHAT PUBLISHERS CAN DO
During the [|Media, Environment and Tourism Conference] there was much discussion about how authors and publishers can improve their working relation. Author Richard Mahler presented the following list of things publishers can do to improve sales: 1) Distributed the book widely in-country, particularly among lodges, outfitters, stores, eco-destinations, and travel agencies that cater specifically to likely readers. 2) Make comp copies available to journalists and publications covering the market. 3) Donate a percentage of book income to local environmental organizations or programs that are deemed worthy and legitimate. This could be used as a promotional tool as well as giving back some money to people who are trying to preserve what the book is describing. 4) Hire a specialist in marketing to travel agents, media outlets, travel bookstores, and others who are in a position to promote the book to those with an obvious interest. 5) Cover the expenses of an author who is ready to do a "road show" promoting his/her new book. ||



Planeta links to [|Amazon.com] in the above-mentioned bibliographies. Why [|Amazon] ? It has been the easiest to use for readers AND this website. A not so trivial fact -- via Amazon.com we sell more than $1,000 each month. Though it is impossible to track, we believe that our coverage is responsible for more sales. Our recommendations are frequently used by others, including librarians, bookstore owners, professors and other authors. It's impossible how to figure out the amount of sales generated through purchases at bookstores and other venues. More about the difficulty of tracking online sales in our essay on the True Story of Ecommerce !
 * === A FEW WORDS ABOUT AMAZON.COM ===
 * BOOK COVERS** -- Amazon images come in three sizes:

Thumbnail - http://images.amazon.com/images/P/XXXXXXXXXX.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg

Medium - http://images.amazon.com/images/P/XXXXXXXXXX.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

Large - http://images.amazon.com/images/P/XXXXXXXXXX.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Replace XXXXXXXXXX with amazon's 10-digit ASIN (ISBN for books). Good news for authors-- you can list your books via [|Amazon.com Advantage]. ||



Misc

Many friends are authors.

I fell in love with books as a kid and I'm aware that our perception of books depends on our relationship with

The next book I buy should have the option of a recording read by the author.

I used to enjoy print books. I wrote a book or two and I still contribute to print magazines. Some of my best friends continue to write and sell dead trees. That said, I wish we could move along a bit. We are in the 2010s after all.

According to Alastair McKenzie, a 2013 World Travel Market Industry report released today shows that guide books are still popular with Brits.

//More than half (55%) of the 1,001 UK holidaymakers surveyed had used a guide book, leaflet or app within the last 12 months for pre-trip research or during their stay.//

//It seems predictions that the hard copy guidebook is dead, are wide of the mark; 59% of holidaymakers (almost one in six) used a print guidebook on their summer holiday in 2013.. Two in five (41%) purchased their guidebook, while 18% borrowed the book from a friend or relative.//

//And, to brighten the day for print guidebook publishers and editors, the report found that guide books are considered a "key resource" by one in six (14%) of the UK public. By comparison newspaper travel sections and specialist travel magazines were thought to be "key" by 5% each.//

//Blogs however appear to be struggling to gain authority with only 3% viewing them as a key resource.//

//Among digital channels, Tripadvisor came out on top with 27% considering it a key resource.//

What I find interesting is how many publishers have yet to figure out their readers are making use of multiple sources. Dead tree guidebooks certainly have their place, but they no longer have near monopoly status for holidaymakers. Would I purchase such a book? Certainly if it provided unique insight into a niche topic. Would I likely recycle it or gift it to someone instead of holding on to it as a souvenir? Yes, again.