CUNY Publishing Institute, 2014: Book Publishers on the Web

An informal talk for the 2014 class at the CUNY Publishing Institute.

Transcript

1. CUNY Publishing Institute June 5th, 2014 Bud Parr, sonnet media
2. Have worked with HarperCollins, Knopf, Other Press, New Directions, Bellevue Literary Press, New Vessel Press (CUNY alums), among others. Also do work for the Dutch government, the American Bar Association, New York University, New York Institute for the Humanities, Words Without Borders, the Literary Review, The Hudson Review, authors such as New Yorker writer David Grann, James Ellroy, Linn Ullmann. Bud Parr • Former finance guy • Started a book blog in 2002 called “Chekov’s Mistress.” • Started Sonnet Media in 2003. • Started a social network for book bloggers called “Metaxu Café” in 2005. • Started ad network for literary sites called “Brainiads” in 2006. • Started an author/publisher website service called “PubSpring” in 2012.
3. Have worked with HarperCollins, Knopf, Other Press, New Directions, Bellevue Literary Press, New Vessel Press (CUNY alums), among others. Also do work for the Dutch government, the American Bar Association, New York University, New York Institute for the Humanities, Words Without Borders, the Literary Review, The Hudson Review, authors such as New Yorker writer David Grann, James Ellroy, Linn Ullmann. Bud Parr • Former finance guy • Started a book blog in 2002 called “Chekov’s Mistress.” • Started Sonnet Media in 2003. • Started a social network for book bloggers called “Metaxu Café” in 2005. • Started ad network for literary sites called “Brainiads” in 2006. • Started an author/publisher website service called “PubSpring” in 2012.
6. Design & Content Do as little as possible and avoid busy don't try to put everything "above the fold”
10. “I have dipped into books of aesthetics, but I had an uncomfortable feeling that I was reading the works of astronomers who had never looked at the stars. They were writing about poetry as if poetry were a task, and not what it really is, a passion, and a joy.” - Jorge Luis Borges
11. Care about the presentation of your books online in the same way you care about every other step of the publishing process
12. Book cover design is even more important than it every was They travel around the web Create a connection between web and physical stores They must work in small places
14. not a commerce-driven site, but focus is on the book
15. example of a Shopify site
16. Design & Content Be mindful of your audience(s) Readers; media/reviewers; booksellers; if non-profit, potential donors, potentially academics.
17. Design & Content Use what you have… covers, review quotes blog posts, interviews
18. –Roberto Bolaño “The cowardly don’t publish the brave”
19. – ME “I Love Blurbs”
20. Design & Content Innovate
21. Design & Content Be about the reader, not you - put yourself in their place and try to think about what they need. ! Site search is important ! SEO is somewhat important - use good copy and links and don’t sweat the rest (like keywords).
22. Design & Content Serendipity Principle: Design first for the least engaged viewer ! Make it easy for for people to find what they want…and make it easier for people to discover what they didn’t know they wanted.
23. A note
24. –Guido Anselmi (8 1/2) “If we can’t have everything, true perfection is nothingness.”
25. A note The web is not print
26. A Note If your site isn't optimized for mobile devices you aren't really on the web ! If your site isn't fast, your viewers will abandon you.
27. www.feedthebot.com/pagespeed/ Performance is the new SEO
28. E-commerce • Can be expensive. Start slow. • Use platforms where it makes sense. • “D to C” will be important s o o n . • Lots of opportunities to “know your customer” when you engage them on your site. • Start your mailing list now.
29. Social Media
30. Social Media • Better to be really present on one channel than to be mediocre on many. • Be genuine and personal. • Don’t be afraid to change strategies. • Beware the false feel-good of hits from Facebook.
31. Platforms Everybody’s favorite with 60m + users: Wordpress But beware of hidden costs. It must be maintained, or risk hacking; hosting must be robust or your site will slog; add-ons can be a pain. Developer quality variable. And, themes are obvious. Good place to start if you have very limited resources: Squarespace (or others depending on your sensibilities and other needs) Commerce: Shopify? Ultimately, you will want to own your content.
32. CUNY Publishing Institute June 5th, 2014 Bud Parr, sonnet media ! Sonnet Media LLC Centre for Social Innovation 601 West 26th Street, Suite 325 New York NY 10001 http://sonnetmedia.net http://twitter.com/@budparr ! !