... I am at home today for the first writing day I've been able to schedule for a couple of weeks. So blogging is going to be light. But I want to link to this OK, folks ... post of Aug. 29 (which in turn links to the post in which I originally raised the question of an online book review section.
The comments are far more interesting than the original post, and Trav's suggestion in particular, that "the 'bells and whistles' should wrap all of the available technology around the book review, which is key and placed at the center," gets pretty much to the heart of what I've had bubbling in the back of my mind. And the other comments nicely expand on that.
It would be interesting to know what publishers think of such of an idea. After all, they'd be providing the authors for podcasts. They're the ones that may benefit from the publicity. Would they be willing to sink any of their advertising dollars into it?
In the meantime, keep the comments coming, please.
I'm not sure publishers would be willing to develop content and it hand over, so a third party can publish it on their site/server. Not yet, anyway.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I do think publishers will be willing to produce content for their own sites. Especially if they know it'll be run alongside a review and can look at the metrics showing te review site is pushing traffic to them.
So, readers stop to read the review, if they're interested they click on some of the "extended content" (ie video of author interview) which scoots them over to the publisher's site where if they want to buy or look around some more they can.
I think the blog trend, with publishing houses, big and small, indicates that publishers are beginning to see value in strong online content.
I don't think it will be long before they want to start adding to their online arsenal.
My organization CFBA, does online boook reviews for Christian fiction. It has proven to be quite successful!
ReplyDeleteI look at labor intensity and cost that The Inquirer would be willing to assume to add bells and whistles to an online book review section. My guess is: not much.
ReplyDeleteThat said, everything that The Inquirer needs to drive tremendous amounts of traffic to a Frank Wilson Book Review Web Site from around the world is out there already, created by someone else and financed by someone else. The Inquirer just needs these Internet (re)sources to go to The Inquirer to see what book Frank is reviewing that day or plans to review over the next few weeks. If Frank gives notice that a book is to be reviewed, reviewers get their hands on that book, read it, and get ready to add their comments, via link, when Frank’s review goes up. If they’ve already written a review and it is posted on their site, fine, fire the link off right away. (The lay reader, so to speak, could contribute, too, directly.) Links to publishers' Web sites would be welcome. (They have beautiful, zillion dollar Web sites, but no one uses them.) If The Inquirer wants video of the author (but doesn’t want to pay to have it created, of course), maybe http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk already has the interview on its site OR maybe they will contact the author or publishing company and quickly get a talking head author up online. Bells and whistles we probably haven’t even thought of will find Frank.
Frank’s “hub” will become the source to which readers gravitate for Frank’s opinion and easy-access to those bells and whistles.
Internet resources will be happy because traffic will increase to their sites, too.
People will even think of ways to make money off Frank’s Web site and he won’t even know about it. Frank Wilson inspired cottage industry!
The big question that has to addressed is “what’s in it for The Inquirer” and is it enough?
Just one woman's off-the-top-of-her-head opinion.
Lynne AKA The Wicked Witch of Publishing