Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Earning under 47,476, GOV guarantees salaried workers earning less than that will get overtime pay
Nearly all workers earning salaries beneath $47,476 threshold are now entitled to time-and-a-half pay whenever they work more than 40 hours in a week.
Friday, May 13, 2016
The Printing Industry And Patent Trolls - The Industry Responds - Harvey Levenson
The Printing Industry And Patent Trolls - The Industry Responds - Harvey Levenson: Industry Responds on How to Proceed When Faced with a Patent Infringement Claim
Saturday, March 19, 2016
New Print Technologies Help Art Books Survive in a Digital World - The New York Times
New Print Technologies Help Art Books Survive in a Digital World - The New York Times: “Print technologies have gotten so advanced,” said Elisa Leshowitz, director of publisher services at D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, the largest distributor of art books and museum exhibition catalogs. “You pick up a book from 1980, something that was considered an important art book back in the day. And you compare the quality of its printing to today’s printing, and you essentially see that we’ve come a very long way. The amount of colors that can be used to replicate an original illustration. The extensive selection of papers available. Things have gotten very exciting.”
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Printing on demand set to aid new authors, publishers - Times of India
Printing on demand set to aid new authors, publishers - Times of India: CHENNAI: Banking on an unknown author with talent has always been a risk that publishers are forced to take. But with a fresh crop of print-on-demand printers like Pothi.com, CinnamonTeal Publishing, Exeter Premedia Services, Partridge India, new authors are finding it easy to get their work on Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, etc.
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
The NOOK's weird death-march - Gene Doucette
The NOOK's weird death-march - Gene Doucette: Brief aside, in which I explain a little bit about self-publishing distribution
There are, in the U.S., five main ebook distribution outlets for a self-published author: Amazon, NOOK, Apple, Kobo and Google Play. Each of these five have distinctive quirks that make them uniquely frustrating in their own special way, which I won’t go into now.
If publishing ‘direct’ with all of these companies, one has to acquaint oneself with five completely distinctive publishing dashboards to upload five unique-to-that-outlet files (because of format requirements and backmatter links, and oh god, I’m sorry I mentioned backmatter, that’s not worth explaining right this moment, forget I said that). Alternatively, one could go to a service like Smashwords or D2D—both companies also sell direct, but aren’t very good at it—and have them submit files to everyone else.
This sounds like a better deal, but of course the aggregator services take a cut of each sale, and there are a few other very good reasons to go direct instead that I won’t go into here other than to say some merchants don’t exactly fall over themselves to push books that aren’t direct.
There are, in the U.S., five main ebook distribution outlets for a self-published author: Amazon, NOOK, Apple, Kobo and Google Play. Each of these five have distinctive quirks that make them uniquely frustrating in their own special way, which I won’t go into now.
If publishing ‘direct’ with all of these companies, one has to acquaint oneself with five completely distinctive publishing dashboards to upload five unique-to-that-outlet files (because of format requirements and backmatter links, and oh god, I’m sorry I mentioned backmatter, that’s not worth explaining right this moment, forget I said that). Alternatively, one could go to a service like Smashwords or D2D—both companies also sell direct, but aren’t very good at it—and have them submit files to everyone else.
This sounds like a better deal, but of course the aggregator services take a cut of each sale, and there are a few other very good reasons to go direct instead that I won’t go into here other than to say some merchants don’t exactly fall over themselves to push books that aren’t direct.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Printing Profits Dive as Large Printers Have Massive Writedowns - Industry Data Analysis from WhatTheyThink
Printing Profits Dive as Large Printers Have Massive Writedowns - Industry Data Analysis from WhatTheyThink: Printing Profits Dive as Large Printers Have Massive Writedowns
By Dr. Joe Webb
Published: December 22, 2015
The third quarter of 2015 marked a huge divergence in the performance of the industry, according to the Department of Commerce Quarterly Financial Report. Printers with more than $25 million in assets wrote down assets amounting to nearly -15% of revenues. This sent the quarterly moving total of inflation-adjusted profits before taxes to +$1.46 billion.
The table shows that smaller print businesses did much better. The demarkation by assets at $25 million in assets is roughly equal to the split of establishments with 100 employees or more. These larger printers with 100+ employee have been the specialists in high volume catalogs, magazines, newspaper inserts, and numerous other high circulation materials. The consolidation activities in this segment of the industry have been constant, driven by the shift to digital alternatives and the rising costs of distribution, especially postal costs.
Printers smaller than the largest have been performing much better. Over the last five quarters, the category of those with less than $25 million in assets have had an average profit before taxes of more than 6%.
We will have more details of these data including a longer historical analysis when WhatTheyThink resumes its full publishing schedule in 2016. Check the site for breaking news during the break.
By Dr. Joe Webb
Published: December 22, 2015
The third quarter of 2015 marked a huge divergence in the performance of the industry, according to the Department of Commerce Quarterly Financial Report. Printers with more than $25 million in assets wrote down assets amounting to nearly -15% of revenues. This sent the quarterly moving total of inflation-adjusted profits before taxes to +$1.46 billion.
The table shows that smaller print businesses did much better. The demarkation by assets at $25 million in assets is roughly equal to the split of establishments with 100 employees or more. These larger printers with 100+ employee have been the specialists in high volume catalogs, magazines, newspaper inserts, and numerous other high circulation materials. The consolidation activities in this segment of the industry have been constant, driven by the shift to digital alternatives and the rising costs of distribution, especially postal costs.
Printers smaller than the largest have been performing much better. Over the last five quarters, the category of those with less than $25 million in assets have had an average profit before taxes of more than 6%.
We will have more details of these data including a longer historical analysis when WhatTheyThink resumes its full publishing schedule in 2016. Check the site for breaking news during the break.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
How to make your contract your best business ally - Freelancers Union
How to make your contract your best business ally - Freelancers Union: RSVP: SPARK November 7 - How to build an inspired business
If you’re freelancing, you should have your own contract. Not your client’s contract, not your friend’s contract, your very own contract that’s written with you and your needs in mind.
One DIY approach is to cobble together a contract with your favorite terms and conditions from previous contracts.
This is a great beginner strategy, but when you’re ready to level up, here are five things you can do to make your contract even better.
1. Contract under your company’s name
Contracts legally bind the two people (or companies) that are identified at the very beginning of the document.
That means if you contract as “Darius Jones, professional designer,” you personally are responsible for all of the legal obligations in the contract, but if your company, “Darius Designs, LLC,” is identified, your company is responsible.
If you’re married, or own a house, car, retirement account or anything else you like and wouldn’t want to lose, contracting under your company’s name, instead of your own name, can protect you and your family from liability if something goes wrong.
2. Get their address (not the PO Box)
Your contract isn’t only a legal document, it’s an information gathering system, and one of the most important things it gathers is your client’s address.
You want to know your client’s address so you’ll know where to find them for all sorts of reasons: invoices, meetings, your annual hilarious holiday card, and, of course, a lawsuit.
If you ever need to take legal action against your client, even in small claims court, you’ll need to know where they’re located.
Most states require you to serve lawsuit paperwork face to face; if you only have a PO Box you won’t be able to do that.
3. Detail what your client is getting (and what they’re not!)
One of the places were freelance contracts traditionally fail is in the description of the work.
In most of the freelance agreements I’ve reviewed, the work is under described: it makes assumptions about what each party knows, doesn’t identify the things that aren’t included in the job, and summarizes a number of steps or deliverables in one generic statement.
Take the time to clearly explain what you’re doing for your client and what you aren’t.
This will be the section that will be most useful to you in the event of a dispute, so make sure it would be crystal clear to a stranger totally unfamiliar with the project (like, say, a judge or an attorney).
4. Limit your liability
Most contracts will have you make indemnification promises to your clients.
That means that if a promise or statement you made in the contract turns out to not be true, you’ll pay for any harm your client suffers as a result (another reason for following tip #1).
This makes sense, to a point. Your contract should cap your liability at a reasonable amount.
Common examples are the amount you made under the agreement or some multiple of the total value of the contract.
This will help you avoid getting side swiped by liability that you can’t cover.
5. Pick a place to fight it out
Contracts have a number of “in case of emergency” clauses that detail what will happen if things don’t work out.
One of those sections talks about where a lawsuit will take place if there ever is one. (Sometimes found under the heading “venue” or mentioned in “choice of law.”)
You want this place to be easy for you to get to. If you live in Georgia and the contract says you have to sue in New York, how likely is it that you’ll go after your client for the $5,000 they owe you?
Pick a venue that’s easy for you to get to or make an exception to the rule for small claims court (which is where you’d have to go if you were owed $5,000).
You can make these changes on your own or work with an attorney to make sure that the wording is exactly what your business needs. The important thing is that you review your contract on a regular basis to make sure it is supporting your business and protecting your interests.
Katie Lane helps freelancers and creative businesses handle their legal problems and negotiate like rock stars. Find her at workmadeforhire.net
If you’re freelancing, you should have your own contract. Not your client’s contract, not your friend’s contract, your very own contract that’s written with you and your needs in mind.
One DIY approach is to cobble together a contract with your favorite terms and conditions from previous contracts.
This is a great beginner strategy, but when you’re ready to level up, here are five things you can do to make your contract even better.
1. Contract under your company’s name
Contracts legally bind the two people (or companies) that are identified at the very beginning of the document.
That means if you contract as “Darius Jones, professional designer,” you personally are responsible for all of the legal obligations in the contract, but if your company, “Darius Designs, LLC,” is identified, your company is responsible.
If you’re married, or own a house, car, retirement account or anything else you like and wouldn’t want to lose, contracting under your company’s name, instead of your own name, can protect you and your family from liability if something goes wrong.
2. Get their address (not the PO Box)
Your contract isn’t only a legal document, it’s an information gathering system, and one of the most important things it gathers is your client’s address.
You want to know your client’s address so you’ll know where to find them for all sorts of reasons: invoices, meetings, your annual hilarious holiday card, and, of course, a lawsuit.
If you ever need to take legal action against your client, even in small claims court, you’ll need to know where they’re located.
Most states require you to serve lawsuit paperwork face to face; if you only have a PO Box you won’t be able to do that.
3. Detail what your client is getting (and what they’re not!)
One of the places were freelance contracts traditionally fail is in the description of the work.
In most of the freelance agreements I’ve reviewed, the work is under described: it makes assumptions about what each party knows, doesn’t identify the things that aren’t included in the job, and summarizes a number of steps or deliverables in one generic statement.
Take the time to clearly explain what you’re doing for your client and what you aren’t.
This will be the section that will be most useful to you in the event of a dispute, so make sure it would be crystal clear to a stranger totally unfamiliar with the project (like, say, a judge or an attorney).
4. Limit your liability
Most contracts will have you make indemnification promises to your clients.
That means that if a promise or statement you made in the contract turns out to not be true, you’ll pay for any harm your client suffers as a result (another reason for following tip #1).
This makes sense, to a point. Your contract should cap your liability at a reasonable amount.
Common examples are the amount you made under the agreement or some multiple of the total value of the contract.
This will help you avoid getting side swiped by liability that you can’t cover.
5. Pick a place to fight it out
Contracts have a number of “in case of emergency” clauses that detail what will happen if things don’t work out.
One of those sections talks about where a lawsuit will take place if there ever is one. (Sometimes found under the heading “venue” or mentioned in “choice of law.”)
You want this place to be easy for you to get to. If you live in Georgia and the contract says you have to sue in New York, how likely is it that you’ll go after your client for the $5,000 they owe you?
Pick a venue that’s easy for you to get to or make an exception to the rule for small claims court (which is where you’d have to go if you were owed $5,000).
You can make these changes on your own or work with an attorney to make sure that the wording is exactly what your business needs. The important thing is that you review your contract on a regular basis to make sure it is supporting your business and protecting your interests.
Katie Lane helps freelancers and creative businesses handle their legal problems and negotiate like rock stars. Find her at workmadeforhire.net
Monday, September 21, 2015
“The right patterns of ink on a page can create vivid mental imagery and instill powerful emotions.”
Are You Reading The Wrong Books? What Science Is Saying About Fiction Readers | The Literacy Site Blog: Studies are showing that readers of fiction are more empathetic towards others. By engaging with a story, readers are temporarily placing themselves in a character’s shoes, therefore, the more stories you read, the more shoes you’ve tried on. It’s a fascinating insight into the world of reading.
In 2012, Standford University did research into why this is. According to neuroscientist Bob Dougherty,
In 2012, Standford University did research into why this is. According to neuroscientist Bob Dougherty,
Friday, August 21, 2015
The Top Print Software Question: When Will This Be Done? - WhatTheyThink
The Top Print Software Question: When Will This Be Done? - WhatTheyThink: The Top Print Software Question: When Will This Be Done?
By Jennifer Matt
Published: August 19, 2015
“Software is eating the world.”
– Marc Andreessen
(coauthor of Mosaic, cofounder of Netscape and now leading venture capitalist)
“If coders don’t run the world, they run the things that run the world.”
- Paul Ford, What is Code? Business Week June 11, 2015
The number one question anyone who has ever worked on a print software project hears over and over again from business leadership is, “when will this be done?” It’s a bit like your children asking from the back seat of the car, “are we there yet?”
The answer to the question “when will it be done?” as it pertains to software is unequivocally “never”.
By Jennifer Matt
Published: August 19, 2015
“Software is eating the world.”
– Marc Andreessen
(coauthor of Mosaic, cofounder of Netscape and now leading venture capitalist)
“If coders don’t run the world, they run the things that run the world.”
- Paul Ford, What is Code? Business Week June 11, 2015
The number one question anyone who has ever worked on a print software project hears over and over again from business leadership is, “when will this be done?” It’s a bit like your children asking from the back seat of the car, “are we there yet?”
The answer to the question “when will it be done?” as it pertains to software is unequivocally “never”.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Foreign Publishing Deals
Foreign Publishing Deals: The question as to who owns the right to make these deals is the subject of the agreement between author and publisher. Since copyright initially resides in the creator of the work-usually the author unless it is a work for hire situation-how much of that bundle of rights called copyright the author gives away is what that agreement is all about. Part of the negotiation will involve foreign rights of the sorts mentioned above. (see the further discussion below). However, there are often other parties who may have rights that may prevent the making of a foreign deal including but not limited to artists, illustrators, editors and even, in some instances, distributors and other parties. Therefore, the publisher must carefully review all of its agreements (or the lack of such agreements) to make sure it can actually make a foreign deal.
The real question is whether the US publisher owns exclusive rights to the cover art. Without exclusive rights, the US publisher is nothing but a non-exclusive licensee and does not have the legal right to assign any rights or otherwise deal in or with the US cover art. Unless the agreement with the cover artist expressly provides for the transfer of the exclusive rights of the artist to the publisher including the right to transfer and assign such rights, it is unlikely that the US publisher can transfer such rights to the sub-publisher. I am assuming that the cover artist is not a bona fide employee doing work in the course and scope of his/her employment.
IVAN HOFFMAN, B.A., J.D.
42+ years experience lawyering in the IP business, my experience is that the single biggest mistake that publishers make is in not having a valid written and signed agreement with cover artists. Merely paying for the art is NOT legally sufficient.
The real question is whether the US publisher owns exclusive rights to the cover art. Without exclusive rights, the US publisher is nothing but a non-exclusive licensee and does not have the legal right to assign any rights or otherwise deal in or with the US cover art. Unless the agreement with the cover artist expressly provides for the transfer of the exclusive rights of the artist to the publisher including the right to transfer and assign such rights, it is unlikely that the US publisher can transfer such rights to the sub-publisher. I am assuming that the cover artist is not a bona fide employee doing work in the course and scope of his/her employment.
IVAN HOFFMAN, B.A., J.D.
42+ years experience lawyering in the IP business, my experience is that the single biggest mistake that publishers make is in not having a valid written and signed agreement with cover artists. Merely paying for the art is NOT legally sufficient.
Monday, August 03, 2015
Discover the Future of Printing and Packaging at Printing South China 2016 - WhatTheyThink
Discover the Future of Printing and Packaging at Printing South China 2016 - WhatTheyThink: Printing South China 2016 will directly respond to latest trends and demands of China’s advancing printing industry, offering highly automated, efficient and eco-friendly products to elevate companies at the printing, packaging and various end-user sectors. In addition, with its geographical convenience of locating in South China region, one of the world’s top 4 printing industrial bases, all of China’s latest printing machinery, with performance on par with international standards, will be gathered at Printing South China 2016!
Friday, July 31, 2015
PIA's Julie Shaffer to Present Two Seminars at GRAPH EXPO
PIA's Julie Shaffer to Present Two Seminars at GRAPH EXPO: PIA’s Julie Shaffer to Present Two Seminars at GRAPH EXPO 15
Shaffer’s seminars will be particularly beneficial to business
owners, CTOs, CFOs, production managers, operation managers, sales
managers, technology specialists, project managers, business development
professionals and designers.
Print FUTURE SHOCK: Interactive, Integrated—Even Electric!
Monday, Sept. 14, 4-5:30 p.m.
At this session, Shaffer will teach attendees how print can be just as
interactive as any electronic-based media. She will introduce new,
entirely available technologies that mash print and digital
communications. Topics being discussed include when and where RFID and
NFC applications make sense, how interactive and print displays work
best together, what resources it takes to get started with interactive
media and more. Attendees will have the chance to interact with many
examples during the session.
3D for Commercial printers: Your NEXT Print Profit Pathway!
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2-3:30 p.m.
As the 3D print (also known as additive manufacturing or rapid
prototyping) market continues to exceed all expectations in terms of
sales and product development, should commercial printers join in on the
trend? Shaffer will help attendees make decisions as she discusses the
status of the 3D printing/additive manufacturing industry, what’s going
on in the consumer market, what it takes to get the operation up and
running and much more.
Printing Industries of America will be at booth #3802 with a rotating
panel of experts, industry resources and exciting giveaways. For a full
schedule of Printing Industries of America seminars at GRAPH EXPO 15,
visit printing.org/graphexpo.
Shaffer’s seminars will be particularly beneficial to business
owners, CTOs, CFOs, production managers, operation managers, sales
managers, technology specialists, project managers, business development
professionals and designers.
Print FUTURE SHOCK: Interactive, Integrated—Even Electric!
Monday, Sept. 14, 4-5:30 p.m.
At this session, Shaffer will teach attendees how print can be just as
interactive as any electronic-based media. She will introduce new,
entirely available technologies that mash print and digital
communications. Topics being discussed include when and where RFID and
NFC applications make sense, how interactive and print displays work
best together, what resources it takes to get started with interactive
media and more. Attendees will have the chance to interact with many
examples during the session.
3D for Commercial printers: Your NEXT Print Profit Pathway!
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2-3:30 p.m.
As the 3D print (also known as additive manufacturing or rapid
prototyping) market continues to exceed all expectations in terms of
sales and product development, should commercial printers join in on the
trend? Shaffer will help attendees make decisions as she discusses the
status of the 3D printing/additive manufacturing industry, what’s going
on in the consumer market, what it takes to get the operation up and
running and much more.
Printing Industries of America will be at booth #3802 with a rotating
panel of experts, industry resources and exciting giveaways. For a full
schedule of Printing Industries of America seminars at GRAPH EXPO 15,
visit printing.org/graphexpo.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Frank on Mobile Trends' Impact on Print - WhatTheyThink
Frank on Mobile Trends' Impact on Print - WhatTheyThink: Frank on Mobile Trends' Impact on Print
Published on July 17, 2015
New York Times print circulation is down while revenue is up and Frank uses this fact as a springboard to talk about mobile trends.
Published on July 17, 2015
New York Times print circulation is down while revenue is up and Frank uses this fact as a springboard to talk about mobile trends.
Friday, May 01, 2015
Frank: Students Are Paying Too Much For Textbooks - WhatTheyThink
Frank: Students Are Paying Too Much For Textbooks
Published on May 1, 2015
Frank goes on a mini rant about textbook pricing. Students are paying a small fortune for textbooks because of student loans, government subsidies, and, perhaps, greed.
Published on May 1, 2015
Frank goes on a mini rant about textbook pricing. Students are paying a small fortune for textbooks because of student loans, government subsidies, and, perhaps, greed.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
APSS - Association of Publishers for Special Sales - Helping Publishers Sell More Books in More Ways
APSS - Association of Publishers for Special Sales - Helping Publishers Sell More Books in More Ways
Contact Brian Jud (BrianJud@bookapss.org) for more information about setting up a national network of local chapters to give members the benefits of a national association but still have local face-to-face contact. They now have chapters in many US cities – and Toronto.
Membership Categories
Basic membership: Free for participation in the APSS community of groups and forums without the benefits of full membership. Basic members may upgrade to full membership at any time.
Full Membership ($89 per year, or $60
if a member of a partner organization, or for additional employees at the same member company): Serious authors and book publishers seeking advice, information, savings and services to help them build a publishing business through the profitable sale of their content to non-bookstore buyers.
Chapter Membership: $60 if you are a member of an APSS local chapter (see a list at www.bookapss.org). APSS members now have access to face-to-face meetings in cities around the U.S. and Canada. Get all the benefits of a national association plus local meetings and personal networking. If there is no APSS chapter near you, contact BrianJud@bookapss.org to start one.
Associate membership ($150 per year): a supplier or consultant to the publishing industry who offers services that meet the needs of APSS members example, printers, editors, book designers, marketing consultants, publicists, distributors, etc.).
One-Time Discount offer: $45 one-year membership fee for current APSSnet members (those with free membership) may join APSS using this one-time 50% discount. The Idea Marketplace is currently closed to new registrations.
Join APSS and receive
Discounts on...
Ebook conversion, awards
Shipping
A subscription to Publishers Weekly
Website development
Promotional Products
Staffed trade show exhibits
A listing in the Yearbook of Experts
One-on-one coaching
Publicity services
Book reviews
Pubmatch
CIP registration
Marketing programs...
An annual conference
Distribution to retailers
Resource centers
Book-marketing wizards
A monthly speical-sales newsletter
Educational programs
Tips booklets
Email Blasts
Free webinars
Marketing community
Bookstore distribution
Cooperative mailings
Contact Brian Jud (BrianJud@bookapss.org) for more information on any membership category
Contact Brian Jud (BrianJud@bookapss.org) for more information about setting up a national network of local chapters to give members the benefits of a national association but still have local face-to-face contact. They now have chapters in many US cities – and Toronto.
Membership Categories
Basic membership: Free for participation in the APSS community of groups and forums without the benefits of full membership. Basic members may upgrade to full membership at any time.
Full Membership ($89 per year, or $60
if a member of a partner organization, or for additional employees at the same member company): Serious authors and book publishers seeking advice, information, savings and services to help them build a publishing business through the profitable sale of their content to non-bookstore buyers.
Chapter Membership: $60 if you are a member of an APSS local chapter (see a list at www.bookapss.org). APSS members now have access to face-to-face meetings in cities around the U.S. and Canada. Get all the benefits of a national association plus local meetings and personal networking. If there is no APSS chapter near you, contact BrianJud@bookapss.org to start one.
Associate membership ($150 per year): a supplier or consultant to the publishing industry who offers services that meet the needs of APSS members example, printers, editors, book designers, marketing consultants, publicists, distributors, etc.).
One-Time Discount offer: $45 one-year membership fee for current APSSnet members (those with free membership) may join APSS using this one-time 50% discount. The Idea Marketplace is currently closed to new registrations.
Join APSS and receive
Discounts on...
Ebook conversion, awards
Shipping
A subscription to Publishers Weekly
Website development
Promotional Products
Staffed trade show exhibits
A listing in the Yearbook of Experts
One-on-one coaching
Publicity services
Book reviews
Pubmatch
CIP registration
Marketing programs...
An annual conference
Distribution to retailers
Resource centers
Book-marketing wizards
A monthly speical-sales newsletter
Educational programs
Tips booklets
Email Blasts
Free webinars
Marketing community
Bookstore distribution
Cooperative mailings
Contact Brian Jud (BrianJud@bookapss.org) for more information on any membership category
Thursday, March 26, 2015
White Paper Demystifies Magnetic Printing
Home Forum What You Think?
Editorial White Paper Demystifies Magnetic Printing
Printed magnets have been popular specialty items for decades. Magnetic media are available for virtually all printing technologies—from offset to digital, from digital toner to inkjet—and getting high-quality images on magnets is easier than you might think.White Paper Demystifies Magnetic Printing
These are high-value print applications that should be explored! New magnetic substrates, combined with modern digital printing systems, are providing a fresh insight into working with Magnetic Substrates that make magnetic printing more versatile than ever.
Still, there remains the perception that magnetic materials are incompatible with a given printing press, or that printing on magnets is expensive and/or complicated, or that it causes nothing but problems. Magnetic Substrates Are Nothing to Fear, a white paper, by industry analyst and author Richard Romano and sponsored by Magnum Magnetics, debunks the myths surrounding magnetic printing, and shows
how these high-value print applications offer profitable growth areas that are within the reach of any print shop.
There are several different methods for printing images on magnets:
• direct printing on the substrate,
• using a transfer medium, or
• printing on unmagnetized material.
Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and the white paper identifies the pluses and minuses of each, with an emphasis on working with substrates that are magnetized after printing. The white paper also offers a rundown of any ancillary equipment that may be required, and provides a basic primer on magnets that defines common terms used in magnetic product literature and spec sheets. “Magnetic substrates can expand the service menu for print service providers,” said Vince Naselli, VP, Business Development, PrintPlanet. “They allow shops to offer new, high-value applications with relative ease and minimal investment. As this white paper shows, the learning curve is not that steep either.”
The white paper is available for download here.
For more information about the products and services offered by Magnum Magnetics, please visit www.magnummagnetics.com.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Belgian court rules ISPs don't have to pay copyright levies | PCWorld
A Brussels court has ruled that
Belgian ISPs don’t have to pay copyright levies for offering access to
copyright protected materials online.
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Statistics - Sentence and Word Length
Statistics - Sentence and Word Length
"http://hearle.nahoo.net/Academic/Maths/Sentence.html
"http://hearle.nahoo.net/Academic/Maths/Sentence.html
I have
always found it fascinating how the English language is built up and whether
aspects within writing have an effect other parts text. Using Bivariate data
analysis, I hope to use statistics to highlight the connections in English
writing.
always found it fascinating how the English language is built up and whether
aspects within writing have an effect other parts text. Using Bivariate data
analysis, I hope to use statistics to highlight the connections in English
writing.
In this
investigation I will be analysing any correlation between the average lengths
of words and sentences within articles from newspaper articles written by
reporters working in The Independent newspaper. It is an intriguing theory
that I would really like to prove or disprove: do longer sentences mean that
people use longer words; if so, is there a strong correlation? If there is a
negative correlation, does it indicate that the writer has to use a large
number of small words to get the same point across, as fewer longer words?"
investigation I will be analysing any correlation between the average lengths
of words and sentences within articles from newspaper articles written by
reporters working in The Independent newspaper. It is an intriguing theory
that I would really like to prove or disprove: do longer sentences mean that
people use longer words; if so, is there a strong correlation? If there is a
negative correlation, does it indicate that the writer has to use a large
number of small words to get the same point across, as fewer longer words?"
RR Donnelley to Acquire Courier Corporation
RR Donnelley to Acquire Courier Corporation : Page 1 of 2 : Book Business
RR Donnelley will acquire Courier Corporation, a leader in digital
printing, publishing and content management in the United States
specializing in educational, religious and trade book
RR Donnelley will acquire Courier Corporation, a leader in digital
printing, publishing and content management in the United States
specializing in educational, religious and trade book
Monday, February 02, 2015
see some of the industry's most advanced solutions for commercial, book and newspaper printing applications
Kodak To Highlight Publication Pre-Printed On Prosper 5000XLi During Hunkeler Innovationdays : Page 1 of 1 : Printing Impressions
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND—January 30, 2015—Visitors to Kodak’s booth (PO1 in
Hall 2) at the upcoming Hunkeler Innovationdays (HID) will see some of
the industry’s most advanced solutions for commercial, book and
newspaper printing applications. About 4,000 attendees are expected at
the biannual event, being held in Lucerne, Switzerland, from Feb. 23-26.
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND—January 30, 2015—Visitors to Kodak’s booth (PO1 in
Hall 2) at the upcoming Hunkeler Innovationdays (HID) will see some of
the industry’s most advanced solutions for commercial, book and
newspaper printing applications. About 4,000 attendees are expected at
the biannual event, being held in Lucerne, Switzerland, from Feb. 23-26.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
EPUB 3.0
"The EPUB® specification is a distribution and interchange format standard for digital publications and documents. EPUB defines a means of representing, packaging and encoding structured and semantically enhanced Web content — including HTML5, CSS, SVG, images, and other resources — for distribution in a single-file format."
EPUB 3.0 | International Digital Publishing Forum
EPUB 3 was developed pursuant to a charter approved by the IDPF Membership in May, 2010. EPUB 3.0 was approved by the IDPF membership as a final Recommended Specification effective October 11, 2011, and superseded the previous release of EPUB (2.0.1).
EPUB 3.0.1, which is now the current version of the EPUB standard.
EPUB 3.0 | International Digital Publishing Forum
EPUB 3 was developed pursuant to a charter approved by the IDPF Membership in May, 2010. EPUB 3.0 was approved by the IDPF membership as a final Recommended Specification effective October 11, 2011, and superseded the previous release of EPUB (2.0.1).
EPUB 3.0.1, which is now the current version of the EPUB standard.
The best starting point for learning about EPUB 3.0, including the roadmap to the specification documents, is the EPUB 3 Overview .
Monday, January 19, 2015
THE COPYRIGHT MARRIAGE AND EQUALITY ACT: IVAN HOFFMAN'S NEW ARTICLE
Ivan Hoffman will be recording 2 seminars for attorneys for continuing education credit. These will be recorded in February and will be available
shortly thereafter. One of these will deal with publishing and writing
law and the other will deal with topics related to dying and copyrights
and divorce and copyrights. You can email him for details as these
seminars are not limited to attorneys.
THE COPYRIGHT MARRIAGE AND EQUALITY ACT: IVAN HOFFMAN'S NEW ARTICLE
THE COPYRIGHT MARRIAGE AND EQUALITY ACT: IVAN HOFFMAN'S NEW ARTICLE
Friday, October 10, 2014
The future of the book
The future of the book | The Economist
"Books read in electronic form will boast the same power and some new ones to boot. The printed book is an excellent means of channelling information from writer to reader; the e-book can send information back as well. Teachers will be able to learn of a pupil’s progress and questions; publishers will be able to see which books are gulped down, which sipped slowly. Already readers can see what other readers have thought worthy of note, and seek out like-minded people for further discussion of what they have read. The private joys of the book will remain; new public pleasures are there to be added. "
"Books read in electronic form will boast the same power and some new ones to boot. The printed book is an excellent means of channelling information from writer to reader; the e-book can send information back as well. Teachers will be able to learn of a pupil’s progress and questions; publishers will be able to see which books are gulped down, which sipped slowly. Already readers can see what other readers have thought worthy of note, and seek out like-minded people for further discussion of what they have read. The private joys of the book will remain; new public pleasures are there to be added. "
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Durham's Horse & Buggy Press combines the oldest and latest printing techniques in unique books
Durham's Horse & Buggy Press combines the oldest and latest printing techniques in unique books: Dave Wofford painstakingly prints books and more using the old (and new) ways
Monday, October 06, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Read the Office Document Strategies Blog
Read the Office Document Strategies Blog
Business documents are the repository of knowledge which underpins all of the functions of commerce. Using them well can have a significant impact on success.
This blog features articles relating to
IT Network installation and support
Office document filing strategies
Print Production and management
Mailing systems
New technologies which are impacting office operations
Keep up to date on changes in office operations and technologies by subscribing today!
About Leppert
Since 1975 Leppert Business Systems Inc. has been providing clients with peace of mind in the use of document focused technologies in their offices. From their facilities in Burlington ON, Leppert responds to the document production and management needs of a broad range of clients in Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga as well as other municipalities in Southern Ontario.
Business documents are the repository of knowledge which underpins all of the functions of commerce. Using them well can have a significant impact on success.
This blog features articles relating to
IT Network installation and support
Office document filing strategies
Print Production and management
Mailing systems
New technologies which are impacting office operations
Keep up to date on changes in office operations and technologies by subscribing today!
About Leppert
Since 1975 Leppert Business Systems Inc. has been providing clients with peace of mind in the use of document focused technologies in their offices. From their facilities in Burlington ON, Leppert responds to the document production and management needs of a broad range of clients in Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga as well as other municipalities in Southern Ontario.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Solutions on a By-The-Question Basis | Publishing > Consulting
Solutions on a By-The-Question Basis | More Profitable Publishing
FWIW: I have followed Marion Gropen contributions to publishing on the Net for many years, She is a terrific person and I personally recommend her services. Dave Mainwaring, Framingham, MA
Googling reveals: "She has successfully guided companies through major changes such as personnel re-organizations, switching distributors, changing accounting systems, and the sale of the company in whole or in part.
Marion volunteers as a manager of the Linked In Group "Ebooks, Ebook Readers, Digital Publishing and Digital Content,"
{a outstanding professional level on-line forum, a must read group}
She received her MBA, with honors, in Finance from NYU in 1992, while working for Simon & Schuster.
In 2003, she opened her consulting practice.
Get innovative suggestions and time-tested techniques combined into solutions that help you make money, create new opportunities and avoid problems.
Gain the skills and knowledge to help yourself .
What exactly can she do for you? That depends on what you need."
Contact Marion
Email is the best way: Marion.Gropen@GropenAssoc.com
Phone: (888) 3GROPEN, which is (888) 347-6736. This is toll-free within the US.
Mail: 1329 Seventh St, New Orleans, LA 70115
FWIW: I have followed Marion Gropen contributions to publishing on the Net for many years, She is a terrific person and I personally recommend her services. Dave Mainwaring, Framingham, MA
Googling reveals: "She has successfully guided companies through major changes such as personnel re-organizations, switching distributors, changing accounting systems, and the sale of the company in whole or in part.
Marion volunteers as a manager of the Linked In Group "Ebooks, Ebook Readers, Digital Publishing and Digital Content,"
{a outstanding professional level on-line forum, a must read group}
She received her MBA, with honors, in Finance from NYU in 1992, while working for Simon & Schuster.
In 2003, she opened her consulting practice.
Get innovative suggestions and time-tested techniques combined into solutions that help you make money, create new opportunities and avoid problems.
Gain the skills and knowledge to help yourself .
What exactly can she do for you? That depends on what you need."
Contact Marion
Email is the best way: Marion.Gropen@GropenAssoc.com
Phone: (888) 3GROPEN, which is (888) 347-6736. This is toll-free within the US.
Mail: 1329 Seventh St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
How to Spot a Phony Book Reviewer | IBPA} By James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review –
How to Spot a Phony Book Reviewer | IBPA
I’ve been a practicing book reviewer and a keenly interested observer of the publishing industry since the fall of 1976.
My more than 30 years as a reviewer, monthly book review newsletter
editor, radio and television producer of weekly book review programs,
and Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review
supervising the work of 37 volunteer book reviewers across the United
States and Canada has taught me a great deal as both a creator of book
reviews, an editor of the reviews of others, and the needs and problems
of the independent small press publisher with respect to being reviewed.
For the publisher, the primary purpose of the book review is to
extract from it publicity and promotion values which will, in turn,
result in an increase of sales for the reviewed book. The principal
hazard facing the publisher with respect to reviews is getting panned by
an honest book reviewer or scammed by a phony book reviewer.
With
respect to an unfavorable review by a legitimate reviewer, I can offer
the publisher nothing but my sympathy. But with respect to getting taken
by the dishonest scam artist posing as a reviewer of books, I can offer
some very practical advice on how to avoid getting “taken” by alerting
the publisher as to what to look for, what to ask, and how to verify.
This is important money-saving information for every tight budget,
every-penny-counts, small press publisher. This is because not only is
there the loss of the book (and the shipping and handling costs to send
the book), but there is also the absence of the hoped-for publicity and
promotion boost for the published book in a very competitive retail
marketplace.
Plus, there is the lost opportunity to send that same book (and
expend those same limited postage monies) to a legitimate reviewer and
thereby reaping the marketplace benefits of a legitimate review set
before a prospective audience of potential buyers.
Book Reviewers can be categorized much the same as the books they are
sent for review: there are the good, the bad, and the mediocre.
The hallmarks of any good book reviewer begin with feedback to the
publisher. This is ultimately expressed with the reviewer furnishing the
publisher a copy of the review. Typically this is in the form of a tear
sheet from their publication or a script from their radio or television
program. This tear sheet or review script is usually accompanied by a
cover letter giving any additional details such as the date of
publication or the time of broadcast.
When reviews are posted on the Internet, the reviewer’s publisher
notification letter will include the text of the review post, and
indicate what Web sites, newsgroups, online bookstores, or e-mail lists
(Internet discussion groups) were posted to so that the publisher can
verify the postings accordingly.
A bad reviewer isn’t the one who pans your book with an honest
(albeit negative) judgement, it’s the one who solicits a review copy of a
publisher’s book under false pretenses. Someone who wants a free copy
of your book with no intention of fulfilling their side of the
marketplace bargain to furnish an opinion for the publisher with regard
to publicity and promotional needs, or for use of the potential book
buyer in determining what is recommended for their reading pleasures or
purposes.
In short, a bad reviewer is someone out to get something for nothing, a scam artist, a thief.
The mediocre reviewer is simply someone of good intentions but poor
performance. Never underestimate the ability of a given book reviewer to
be basically inept and a failure at the trade and craft of reviewing,
just as there are those well-intentioned authors who couldn’t write
their way out of a paper bag, or those well-meaning publishers who can’t
seem to proof a text, or design a saleable cover, or balance a
publishing budget.
The focus of this article is to provide a list of “tips, tricks &
techniques” for daily use by independent, small press publishers in
spotting a “bad reviewer,” or at the very least, the “mediocre
reviewer.”
call from someone you do not know, or the representative of a review
organization that you have never heard of. When receiving such a
telephone solicitation for a review copy, require the caller to submit a
request to you in writing. No legitimate reviewer would ever argue with
or refuse such a requirement.
more and more publishers come “online,” we see the phenomena of e-mail
communications in much the same fashion as the telephone for the
soliciting of review copies. The same rule applies to an e-mail review
copy solicitation as to the telephone version. Require the e-mail sender
to submit a request to you in a standard letter of request sent via the
post office. There is a modicum of protection offered by U.S. Postal
Service laws against using the mails for fraudulent purposes that may
deter the phony book reviewer.
certain that it is written on letterhead stationery that includes the
reviewer’s address and a phone number. These two items often give you
(and the U.S. Post Master General) the information necessary to verify
the legitimacy of the reviewer.
I would also advise that a street address be required, rather than
merely a post office box. This is because “fly-by-night” scams are often
easier to perpetrate through the use of post office boxes, than through
the use of street addresses. This advice is controversial amongst some,
feeling as they do that it unnecessarily casts suspicion over
legitimate businesses that use post office boxes honestly. My response
is that these good folk are usually selling something, where the unknown
book reviewer is asking to receive something — for free. While it is
possible to run a scam from a street address, it is far more commonplace
among con artist operations to use the mobility of the post office box
to run their game until they get found out, then pull up stakes, change
their name, and get another post office box.
publisher to confirm the legitimacy of a prospective book reviewer who
has made a request for a review copy.
Ask for a sample copy of their publication. If a radio or television
program, request a copy of their show. If a free lance reviewer, ask for
copies of reviews that they have done and a list of the media outlets
or book review publications that have featured their work.
Ask for professional references. Are there other publishers who have
used them in the past? Are there independent publicists, newsletter or
newspaper editors, radio or television show producers to whom they’ve
successfully provided reviews? If there are then call those references
and check them out. If there is not, ignore the request.
Join publisher groups like SPAN and the Independent Book Publishers
Association (IBPA), and Internet discussion groups like IBPA’s LinkedIn Discussion Forum.
Then, as a participant in these groups, ask your professional
colleagues if they have ever heard of, or had dealings with, this or
that reviewer or book review organization.
above advice and things seem kosher, send out just one book for review
consideration the first time around. This is not a problem with the very
small publisher who only has the one book, but for a larger publisher
with a multi-title list, or a lengthy, active back list, this limits the
damage if the reviewer turns out to be a scam artist so clever that
they got past your initial screening. When the reviewer proves
legitimate and provides a review, more books can confidently be sent for
review consideration later on.
prospective book reviewer there is still one more thing to be done in
order to insure that you are working with a “good reviewer,” and not a
scam artist masquerading as a reviewer — FOLLOW UP.
Some publishers use self-addressed postcards shipped with the review
book, requesting that the reviewer pop them in the mail so that you will
know that they received the book and possibly even be able to indicate a
review date. These don’t often work well as a feedback tool, even with
legitimate book reviewers. There is another, better way to follow up on
your review copy and at the same time enhance the chances of actually
getting reviewed.
Seven to 10 days after popping your review copy in the mail, make a
phone call to the reviewer and ask these three questions (and in the
order I’m going to lay them out for you):
stated them. Reviewers are well aware that sometimes things go astray
in the mails or that books get damaged in transit. Reviewers also
understand that publishers are very interested in whether or not their
book will “make the cut” and get reviewed. There is also the occasional
need for additional information — an ISBN number, more author bio
details, an 800 number, the availability of an e-mail address or the
presence of a Web site, etc.
If, despite all your precautions (and my good advice), you have
indeed been taken in by a phony book reviewer, then do one last thing
before chalking it up to experience. Write to your publisher
association’s newsletter and/or make a post to your publisher Internet
discussion group and denounce the person who masqueraded as a legitimate
reviewer so that other independent, small press publishers can be
forewarned and benefit from your experience. We are all our brother’s
keepers in the sense that we have an obligation to help one another keep
from harm’s way.
“Tips, Tricks & Techniques for Getting Reviewed” for more than 30
years now. It is my firm belief that most people asking for review
copies are very well-meaning and honest in their intention. The scam
artists are few in number and not at all difficult to spot if you know
what to ask, what to require, and what to look for. While there will
inevitably be a few bad apples in any apple barrel, the overwhelming
majority of the apples will still make good eating. And even a bad apple
can be turned into satisfying fertilizer with a little cooperative
effort!
July 21, 2014
(BLOG POST)
By James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review –I’ve been a practicing book reviewer and a keenly interested observer of the publishing industry since the fall of 1976. My more than 30 years as a reviewer, monthly book review newsletter
editor, radio and television producer of weekly book review programs,
and Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review
supervising the work of 37 volunteer book reviewers across the United
States and Canada has taught me a great deal as both a creator of book
reviews, an editor of the reviews of others, and the needs and problems
of the independent small press publisher with respect to being reviewed.
For the publisher, the primary purpose of the book review is to
extract from it publicity and promotion values which will, in turn,
result in an increase of sales for the reviewed book. The principal
hazard facing the publisher with respect to reviews is getting panned by
an honest book reviewer or scammed by a phony book reviewer.
Withrespect to an unfavorable review by a legitimate reviewer, I can offer
the publisher nothing but my sympathy. But with respect to getting taken
by the dishonest scam artist posing as a reviewer of books, I can offer
some very practical advice on how to avoid getting “taken” by alerting
the publisher as to what to look for, what to ask, and how to verify.
This is important money-saving information for every tight budget,
every-penny-counts, small press publisher. This is because not only is
there the loss of the book (and the shipping and handling costs to send
the book), but there is also the absence of the hoped-for publicity and
promotion boost for the published book in a very competitive retail
marketplace.
Plus, there is the lost opportunity to send that same book (and
expend those same limited postage monies) to a legitimate reviewer and
thereby reaping the marketplace benefits of a legitimate review set
before a prospective audience of potential buyers.
Book Reviewers can be categorized much the same as the books they are
sent for review: there are the good, the bad, and the mediocre.
The hallmarks of any good book reviewer begin with feedback to the
publisher. This is ultimately expressed with the reviewer furnishing the
publisher a copy of the review. Typically this is in the form of a tear
sheet from their publication or a script from their radio or television
program. This tear sheet or review script is usually accompanied by a
cover letter giving any additional details such as the date of
publication or the time of broadcast.
When reviews are posted on the Internet, the reviewer’s publisher
notification letter will include the text of the review post, and
indicate what Web sites, newsgroups, online bookstores, or e-mail lists
(Internet discussion groups) were posted to so that the publisher can
verify the postings accordingly.
A bad reviewer isn’t the one who pans your book with an honest
(albeit negative) judgement, it’s the one who solicits a review copy of a
publisher’s book under false pretenses. Someone who wants a free copy
of your book with no intention of fulfilling their side of the
marketplace bargain to furnish an opinion for the publisher with regard
to publicity and promotional needs, or for use of the potential book
buyer in determining what is recommended for their reading pleasures or
purposes.
In short, a bad reviewer is someone out to get something for nothing, a scam artist, a thief.
The mediocre reviewer is simply someone of good intentions but poor
performance. Never underestimate the ability of a given book reviewer to
be basically inept and a failure at the trade and craft of reviewing,
just as there are those well-intentioned authors who couldn’t write
their way out of a paper bag, or those well-meaning publishers who can’t
seem to proof a text, or design a saleable cover, or balance a
publishing budget.
The focus of this article is to provide a list of “tips, tricks &
techniques” for daily use by independent, small press publishers in
spotting a “bad reviewer,” or at the very least, the “mediocre
reviewer.”
Review copy solicitation by telephone.
Never accept a request for a review copy of your book by a telephonecall from someone you do not know, or the representative of a review
organization that you have never heard of. When receiving such a
telephone solicitation for a review copy, require the caller to submit a
request to you in writing. No legitimate reviewer would ever argue with
or refuse such a requirement.
Review copy solicitation by e-mail.
As the use of the Internet spreads throughout our society, and asmore and more publishers come “online,” we see the phenomena of e-mail
communications in much the same fashion as the telephone for the
soliciting of review copies. The same rule applies to an e-mail review
copy solicitation as to the telephone version. Require the e-mail sender
to submit a request to you in a standard letter of request sent via the
post office. There is a modicum of protection offered by U.S. Postal
Service laws against using the mails for fraudulent purposes that may
deter the phony book reviewer.
Review copy solicitation by mail.
When a review copy solicitation letter arrives in your mailbox, becertain that it is written on letterhead stationery that includes the
reviewer’s address and a phone number. These two items often give you
(and the U.S. Post Master General) the information necessary to verify
the legitimacy of the reviewer.
I would also advise that a street address be required, rather than
merely a post office box. This is because “fly-by-night” scams are often
easier to perpetrate through the use of post office boxes, than through
the use of street addresses. This advice is controversial amongst some,
feeling as they do that it unnecessarily casts suspicion over
legitimate businesses that use post office boxes honestly. My response
is that these good folk are usually selling something, where the unknown
book reviewer is asking to receive something — for free. While it is
possible to run a scam from a street address, it is far more commonplace
among con artist operations to use the mobility of the post office box
to run their game until they get found out, then pull up stakes, change
their name, and get another post office box.
Confirming book reviewer credentials.
There are several excellent techniques at the disposal of thepublisher to confirm the legitimacy of a prospective book reviewer who
has made a request for a review copy.
Ask for a sample copy of their publication. If a radio or television
program, request a copy of their show. If a free lance reviewer, ask for
copies of reviews that they have done and a list of the media outlets
or book review publications that have featured their work.
Ask for professional references. Are there other publishers who have
used them in the past? Are there independent publicists, newsletter or
newspaper editors, radio or television show producers to whom they’ve
successfully provided reviews? If there are then call those references
and check them out. If there is not, ignore the request.
Join publisher groups like SPAN and the Independent Book Publishers
Association (IBPA), and Internet discussion groups like IBPA’s LinkedIn Discussion Forum.
Then, as a participant in these groups, ask your professional
colleagues if they have ever heard of, or had dealings with, this or
that reviewer or book review organization.
Be cautious, it’s your first time together.
If you have now checked out the prospective reviewer according to theabove advice and things seem kosher, send out just one book for review
consideration the first time around. This is not a problem with the very
small publisher who only has the one book, but for a larger publisher
with a multi-title list, or a lengthy, active back list, this limits the
damage if the reviewer turns out to be a scam artist so clever that
they got past your initial screening. When the reviewer proves
legitimate and provides a review, more books can confidently be sent for
review consideration later on.
Having sent your book for review.
Now that you’ve taken the chance and sent a review copy to theprospective book reviewer there is still one more thing to be done in
order to insure that you are working with a “good reviewer,” and not a
scam artist masquerading as a reviewer — FOLLOW UP.
Some publishers use self-addressed postcards shipped with the review
book, requesting that the reviewer pop them in the mail so that you will
know that they received the book and possibly even be able to indicate a
review date. These don’t often work well as a feedback tool, even with
legitimate book reviewers. There is another, better way to follow up on
your review copy and at the same time enhance the chances of actually
getting reviewed.
Seven to 10 days after popping your review copy in the mail, make a
phone call to the reviewer and ask these three questions (and in the
order I’m going to lay them out for you):
- This is [your name here]. With the mails being as uncertain as they
are, I’m calling to confirm that you received [your book title here]. - Can you tell me the current status of [your book title here] with respect to your review schedule?
- Is there any further information or assistance I can provide you?
stated them. Reviewers are well aware that sometimes things go astray
in the mails or that books get damaged in transit. Reviewers also
understand that publishers are very interested in whether or not their
book will “make the cut” and get reviewed. There is also the occasional
need for additional information — an ISBN number, more author bio
details, an 800 number, the availability of an e-mail address or the
presence of a Web site, etc.
If, despite all your precautions (and my good advice), you have
indeed been taken in by a phony book reviewer, then do one last thing
before chalking it up to experience. Write to your publisher
association’s newsletter and/or make a post to your publisher Internet
discussion group and denounce the person who masqueraded as a legitimate
reviewer so that other independent, small press publishers can be
forewarned and benefit from your experience. We are all our brother’s
keepers in the sense that we have an obligation to help one another keep
from harm’s way.
In conclusion.
And finally, I’ve been reviewing books and advising publishers on“Tips, Tricks & Techniques for Getting Reviewed” for more than 30
years now. It is my firm belief that most people asking for review
copies are very well-meaning and honest in their intention. The scam
artists are few in number and not at all difficult to spot if you know
what to ask, what to require, and what to look for. While there will
inevitably be a few bad apples in any apple barrel, the overwhelming
majority of the apples will still make good eating. And even a bad apple
can be turned into satisfying fertilizer with a little cooperative
effort!
Monday, August 04, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
What ??? are you waiting for
The reason for all the discussion of standards and similar concepts over
the last few decades is not due to an effort to improve the process but
is a result of a lack of consistency and predictability of the
processes. Going to waterless and digital printing was also related to
trying to avoid this same existing problems.
People who have no clue about how to fix the problem for years have
stressed the need for standards which has resulted in efforts in the
industry to match standards, that do not guarantee consistency or
predictability, instead of developing the capability to have consistent
and predictable processes.
Even now, Frank Romano gave a rant in the recent Enfocus webinar
regarding Myths of Modern Prepress. His comments (4, 5, and 6) about
there not being any such thing as colour management, his view on
standards and on workflow are a refreshing surprise coming from someone
who is well respected in the industry.
I am not particularly respected in the industry but have been saying
much the same for many years. The difference from my views and Mr.
Romano's is that mine tend to come from a more theoretical view of the
problems while his are more related to years of experience. The other
difference is that Mr. Romano is ranting about the problem but seems to
have little idea of how to fix these problems but on the other hand my
understanding is directly related to developing solutions.
Anyhow, it is good that he has made this rant and it is available on the following site.
The myths of modern prepress
Thursday, July 03, 2014
Mosquito-Repellent Paper Attracts Readers : NPR
Mosquito-Repellent Paper Attracts Readers : NPR
Sri Lanka has been hit by an epidemic of dengue fever, a potentially
deadly disease spread by mosquitoes. A newspaper printed an entire issue
with ink made from citronella. Sales went up 30 percent.
Sri Lanka has been hit by an epidemic of dengue fever, a potentially
deadly disease spread by mosquitoes. A newspaper printed an entire issue
with ink made from citronella. Sales went up 30 percent.
Monday, June 02, 2014
Fan Fiction phenomenon prompted a article on FAN FICTION by Ivan Hoffman, B.A., J.D.
This growing phenomenon, fan fiction, prompts the basis for this new article. You can read about the issues at http://www.ivanhoffman.com/
Please feel free to forward this notice to your associates and colleagues if you feel they may be interested in this. Thanks.
This
posting and any articles referred to in this posting are not legal
advice and are not intended as legal advice. This posting and any
articles referred to in this posting are intended to provide only
general, non-specific legal information. This posting and any articles
referred to in this posting do not create any attorney client
relationship and are not a solicitation.
 |
FAN FICTION
Ivan Hoffman, B.A., J.D.
Please feel free to forward this notice to your associates and colleagues if you feel they may be interested in this. Thanks.
This
posting and any articles referred to in this posting are not legal
advice and are not intended as legal advice. This posting and any
articles referred to in this posting are intended to provide only
general, non-specific legal information. This posting and any articles
referred to in this posting do not create any attorney client
relationship and are not a solicitation.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
information embedded by ,,, in documents your create with your software. document properties.
> Recently one his students informed him that they were able to read a cover
> letter from a job application.
> That has personal information and I would like to kindly ask that you
> please remove this.
The person must be talking about part of the information embedded by
AOO in documents your create with your software. That is part of the
document properties. Microsoft Office does the same, as far as I know.
See
http://office.microsoft.com/
"If you plan to share an electronic copy of a Microsoft Office Word
document with clients or colleagues, it is a good idea to review the
document for hidden data or personal information that might be stored
in the document itself or in the document properties (metadata).
Because this hidden information can reveal details about your
organization or about the document itself that you might not want to
share publicly, you might want to remove this hidden information
before you share the document with other people."
(...)
"What types of hidden data and personal information are stored in Word
documents?
Several types of hidden data and personal information can be saved in
a Word document. This information might not be immediately visible
when you view the document in Office Word 2007, but it might be
possible for other people to view or retrieve the information.
Word documents can contain the following types of hidden data and
personal information:
(...)
Document properties and personal information Document
properties, also known as metadata, include details about your
document such as author, subject, and title. Document properties also
include information that is automatically maintained by Office
programs, such as the name of the person who most recently saved a
document and the date when a document was created. If you used
specific features, your document might also contain additional kinds
of personally identifiable information (PII), such as e-mail headers,
send-for-review information, routing slips, and template names."
The above is for Microsoft's office products but also applies to AOO.
In Apache OpenOffice, go to the menu option File->Properties, and in
the "General" tab remove the check box from "Apply user data".
> letter from a job application.
> That has personal information and I would like to kindly ask that you
> please remove this.
The person must be talking about part of the information embedded by
AOO in documents your create with your software. That is part of the
document properties. Microsoft Office does the same, as far as I know.
See
http://office.microsoft.com/
"If you plan to share an electronic copy of a Microsoft Office Word
document with clients or colleagues, it is a good idea to review the
document for hidden data or personal information that might be stored
in the document itself or in the document properties (metadata).
Because this hidden information can reveal details about your
organization or about the document itself that you might not want to
share publicly, you might want to remove this hidden information
before you share the document with other people."
(...)
"What types of hidden data and personal information are stored in Word
documents?
Several types of hidden data and personal information can be saved in
a Word document. This information might not be immediately visible
when you view the document in Office Word 2007, but it might be
possible for other people to view or retrieve the information.
Word documents can contain the following types of hidden data and
personal information:
(...)
Document properties and personal information Document
properties, also known as metadata, include details about your
document such as author, subject, and title. Document properties also
include information that is automatically maintained by Office
programs, such as the name of the person who most recently saved a
document and the date when a document was created. If you used
specific features, your document might also contain additional kinds
of personally identifiable information (PII), such as e-mail headers,
send-for-review information, routing slips, and template names."
The above is for Microsoft's office products but also applies to AOO.
In Apache OpenOffice, go to the menu option File->Properties, and in
the "General" tab remove the check box from "Apply user data".
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Print Software, Web-to-Print, and MIS analysis from WhatTheyThink
Print Software, Web-to-Print, and MIS analysis from WhatTheyThink
This section of WhatTheyThink aggregates allof the news, educational content, and analysis about the software
that drives print businesses, from order entry through shipping and
invoicing. It is combined in a single area so that our members and the
industry as a whole can go to a single place to learn how software is
changing the business of print and gain actionable ideas on how they may
apply new solutions to their own business problems.
Jennifer Matt, Section Editor
An industry expert focusing on how software continues to impact the business of print.
This section of WhatTheyThink aggregates allof the news, educational content, and analysis about the software
that drives print businesses, from order entry through shipping and
invoicing. It is combined in a single area so that our members and the
industry as a whole can go to a single place to learn how software is
changing the business of print and gain actionable ideas on how they may
apply new solutions to their own business problems.
Jennifer Matt, Section Editor
An industry expert focusing on how software continues to impact the business of print.
The Feature Trap of Buying Print Software - WhatTheyThink
The Feature Trap of Buying Print Software - WhatTheyThink
Published: May 27, 2014
There is a hidden pitfall most of us in the position of
purchasing print software are very susceptible to. We are all human, and
while we have the best of intentions to do thorough evaluations while
making a new print software purchase, we quickly fall victim to the
‘feature trap.’ This is where, despite starting out with the intention
of analyzing the software in a very in depth manner to see if it will
suit the complexity of our businesses and be able to stand up to the
day-to-day intensity of our environments, we often get sold on one or
two really fantastic features and bypass a thorough functional
evaluation. We do our best, try to think big picture and evaluate the
technology from a ‘day-in-the-life’ perspective, but it is so hard to
look organically at how the technology will ‘function’ each and every
day in your environment. Quite frankly, that analysis can be boring and
time consuming. Most of us are put in the position of needing to do our
evaluations through a couple of sales demonstrations or after standing
on the uncomfortable trade show floor with all of the distraction that
comes with 10,000 of your closest friends crowding through the booths
with you. In those situations, it is easy to get caught up in the
features and lose sight of the overall functionality.
Commentary & Analysis
The Feature Trap of Buying Print Software
By Jane MugfordPublished: May 27, 2014
There is a hidden pitfall most of us in the position of
purchasing print software are very susceptible to. We are all human, and
while we have the best of intentions to do thorough evaluations while
making a new print software purchase, we quickly fall victim to the
‘feature trap.’ This is where, despite starting out with the intention
of analyzing the software in a very in depth manner to see if it will
suit the complexity of our businesses and be able to stand up to the
day-to-day intensity of our environments, we often get sold on one or
two really fantastic features and bypass a thorough functional
evaluation. We do our best, try to think big picture and evaluate the
technology from a ‘day-in-the-life’ perspective, but it is so hard to
look organically at how the technology will ‘function’ each and every
day in your environment. Quite frankly, that analysis can be boring and
time consuming. Most of us are put in the position of needing to do our
evaluations through a couple of sales demonstrations or after standing
on the uncomfortable trade show floor with all of the distraction that
comes with 10,000 of your closest friends crowding through the booths
with you. In those situations, it is easy to get caught up in the
features and lose sight of the overall functionality.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Digital dilemma: Amazon pushes to package up more profit - The Globe and Mail
Digital dilemma: Amazon pushes to package up more profit - The Globe and Mail
{Q}Amazon’s relationship with the traditional gatekeepers of the content it
sells – publishers, record companies, movie studios – has never been
straightforward. On one hand, the world’s most powerful online retailer
relies on those companies for the bulk of its digital media offerings –
one of the fastest-growing product categories in its catalogue. But at
the same time, Amazon is under growing pressure to finally start turning
its massive customer base into equally massive profits. That means, in
turn, that the retailer is under similar pressure to squeeze its content
partners even harder for lower prices.{EQ}
{Q}Amazon’s relationship with the traditional gatekeepers of the content it
sells – publishers, record companies, movie studios – has never been
straightforward. On one hand, the world’s most powerful online retailer
relies on those companies for the bulk of its digital media offerings –
one of the fastest-growing product categories in its catalogue. But at
the same time, Amazon is under growing pressure to finally start turning
its massive customer base into equally massive profits. That means, in
turn, that the retailer is under similar pressure to squeeze its content
partners even harder for lower prices.{EQ}
Thursday, May 01, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Friday Flash Fiction - Home
Friday Flash Fiction - Home:
Gordon Lawrie commented in the group on INTENTIONALLY WRITTEN BAD REVIEW ABOUT YOUR BOOK
It seems remarkable that it was only back in September 2013 that Scotswoman Emma Baird first posed her challenge to LinkedIn users in the LinkedEds & Writers Group: write a Flash Fiction story of 100 words or less on the following Friday.
Scores of writers came to contribute; scores more came to read. But as the discussion developed, it became clear that more contributors still were needed, and it had to be easy for them both to find us, and then to find a way of posting their own stories.
Gordon Lawrie commented in the group on INTENTIONALLY WRITTEN BAD REVIEW ABOUT YOUR BOOK
It seems remarkable that it was only back in September 2013 that Scotswoman Emma Baird first posed her challenge to LinkedIn users in the LinkedEds & Writers Group: write a Flash Fiction story of 100 words or less on the following Friday.
Scores of writers came to contribute; scores more came to read. But as the discussion developed, it became clear that more contributors still were needed, and it had to be easy for them both to find us, and then to find a way of posting their own stories.
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Ebooks and discounts drive 98 publishers out of business | Books | theguardian.com
Ebooks and discounts drive 98 publishers out of business | Books | theguardian.com
The growth of the internet has accelerated a dynamic that started with the end of the Net Book Agreement," he said. "The rise of Amazon and other discount sellers with massive buying power means the pressure on publishers' margins is now immense. While publishers might be able to sustain relatively small margins on a bestseller, it is much harder for niche publishers."
Niche academic and educational publishers are particularly vulnerable, because their model is being undermined by digital piracy and online secondhand book sales on sites such as Amazon Marketplace. Cork said: "The arrival of Amazon has transformed the secondhand book trade from a fairly minor nuisance to a serious threat. Where once you had to trawl the secondhand bookshops if you wanted to get hold of a cheap hardback or academic book, you can now be fairly certain of getting hold of what you want at the click of a button, and the publisher will not make a penny."
The growth of the internet has accelerated a dynamic that started with the end of the Net Book Agreement," he said. "The rise of Amazon and other discount sellers with massive buying power means the pressure on publishers' margins is now immense. While publishers might be able to sustain relatively small margins on a bestseller, it is much harder for niche publishers."
Niche academic and educational publishers are particularly vulnerable, because their model is being undermined by digital piracy and online secondhand book sales on sites such as Amazon Marketplace. Cork said: "The arrival of Amazon has transformed the secondhand book trade from a fairly minor nuisance to a serious threat. Where once you had to trawl the secondhand bookshops if you wanted to get hold of a cheap hardback or academic book, you can now be fairly certain of getting hold of what you want at the click of a button, and the publisher will not make a penny."
Friday, November 01, 2013
Media Liability Insurance Explained
Media Liability Insurance Explained: Media Liability Insurance provides very valuable coverage against defamation and invasion of privacy claims as well as copyright and/or Trademark infringement.
Media Liability Insurance can be categorized as Errors and omissions in the written or spoken word resulting in claims alleging financial loss as a consequence. Media Liability Insurance can also be called Communications Liability Insurance and can be synonymous with Multi Media Liability insurance.
Media Liability Insurance can be categorized as Errors and omissions in the written or spoken word resulting in claims alleging financial loss as a consequence. Media Liability Insurance can also be called Communications Liability Insurance and can be synonymous with Multi Media Liability insurance.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution | Paul Krupin's Trash Proof Marketing and Publicity Blog
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution | Paul Krupin's Trash Proof Marketing and Publicity Blog: Paul Krupin’s Trash Proof Marketing and Publicity Blog
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution
September 30th, 2013 by Paul Krupin
Discusses the latest Google algorithm changes and how the impacts on news release distribution
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution
For many years now marketing practitioners have been advocating people use news releases to improve their placement on search engines. The theory was that you could write and post a news release at a web distribution service and the optimized use of keywords and the links included in the release would result in oodles of incoming links all of which would help capture people’s attention and increase your page ranking on search engines as a result.
Google has decided to clean up the search results and do what it can to rid organic results of press release content that is really not bona fide news, but are instead, paid advertising in disguise. The requirements also have significance to sites that rely heavily on user-generated content.
The latest Google algorithm changes, known as Penguin 2.0, modifies how Google analyzes the role and utility of news releases posted at news release distribution services in a very significant way.
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution
September 30th, 2013 by Paul Krupin
Discusses the latest Google algorithm changes and how the impacts on news release distribution
Google Changes to the World of News Release Distribution
For many years now marketing practitioners have been advocating people use news releases to improve their placement on search engines. The theory was that you could write and post a news release at a web distribution service and the optimized use of keywords and the links included in the release would result in oodles of incoming links all of which would help capture people’s attention and increase your page ranking on search engines as a result.
Google has decided to clean up the search results and do what it can to rid organic results of press release content that is really not bona fide news, but are instead, paid advertising in disguise. The requirements also have significance to sites that rely heavily on user-generated content.
The latest Google algorithm changes, known as Penguin 2.0, modifies how Google analyzes the role and utility of news releases posted at news release distribution services in a very significant way.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
More Profitable Publishing
Consulting | More Profitable Publishing: Get innovative suggestions and time-tested techniques combined into solutions that help you make money, create new opportunities and avoid problems.
Gain the skills and knowledge to help yourself, for a price that suits your budget.
What exactly can she do for you? That depends on what you need, as every client is different. But some of the more common questions asked include:
What can I do to increase my publishing profits? Should I focus on sales? Marketing? Cutting overhead? All of the above?
Which marketing techniques cost more than I can get from them?
How do I estimate the sales of this book before I publish it?
How should I launch this company?
What types of distribution best fit my books and my operation?
What contract terms are fair to authors and to me?
I'm buying/selling this company. Help me evaluate it, and negotiate a fair deal?
How can I manage this difficult person, whether an employee, a vendor, or an author?
That's just a sampling, of course. If your dilemma involves money, or some aspect of the business side of publishing, the chances are very good that you've just found the short cut to your solution. Ask Marion what she can do to help you, and get a free quote.
Gain the skills and knowledge to help yourself, for a price that suits your budget.
What exactly can she do for you? That depends on what you need, as every client is different. But some of the more common questions asked include:
What can I do to increase my publishing profits? Should I focus on sales? Marketing? Cutting overhead? All of the above?
Which marketing techniques cost more than I can get from them?
How do I estimate the sales of this book before I publish it?
How should I launch this company?
What types of distribution best fit my books and my operation?
What contract terms are fair to authors and to me?
I'm buying/selling this company. Help me evaluate it, and negotiate a fair deal?
How can I manage this difficult person, whether an employee, a vendor, or an author?
That's just a sampling, of course. If your dilemma involves money, or some aspect of the business side of publishing, the chances are very good that you've just found the short cut to your solution. Ask Marion what she can do to help you, and get a free quote.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Tennessee River: Sparkling Gem of the South by Ron and Sue Lowery — Kickstarter
Tennessee River: Sparkling Gem of the South by Ron and Sue Lowery — Kickstarter
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/projects/634130/photo-main.jpg?1377115582
Tennessee River: Sparkling Gem of the South, is a eye-opening view of one of America’s great, but under appreciated rivers. This river is 652 miles of lakes and tributaries; it begins high in the Appalachian Mountains and ends in a merger with the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky. The book is 144 pages, hardback with foiled and embossed cover, 11.75 x 9 inches, with beautiful color images throughout.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/projects/634130/photo-main.jpg?1377115582
Tennessee River: Sparkling Gem of the South, is a eye-opening view of one of America’s great, but under appreciated rivers. This river is 652 miles of lakes and tributaries; it begins high in the Appalachian Mountains and ends in a merger with the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky. The book is 144 pages, hardback with foiled and embossed cover, 11.75 x 9 inches, with beautiful color images throughout.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Amazon KDP Support: How To Use KindleGen ...
Amazon KDP Support: How To Use KindleGen ...
http://ebookpioneer.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-use-kindlegen-to-make-mobi-book.html
~~~~
~~~~
I must see a dozen posts per month asking about using KindleGen. Here's how to use it although I highly recommend just dragging and dropping your book file onto Previewer's face instead. (You can also drag and drop your file onto "kindlegen.exe" to convert it.)
1) Download the kindlegen_win32_v2_8.zip file to your desktop. You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000765211
2) Open your C-drive directory. The easiest way to get to your C-drive is to double click on Computer on your desktop (or My Computer if you're using an OS older than Windows 7.)
You'll see other folders in there such as Program Files, Users, Windows etc. Make a new folder in this directory and call it KindleGen.
3) Shrink the C-drive window down and go back to the zip file on your desktop and double click to open it. (There's no need to extract it.)
4) Copy the file in there called: kindlegen.exe and paste it into that new KindleGen folder we just made in the C-drive directory. While you're still in the new KindleGen folder, make another folder inside it called: Book
5) So now you have a KindleGen folder on your C-drive and inside is the kindlegen.exe file and the Book folder. Find an HTML, ePub, or OPF file that you wish to convert into a Mobi book and paste it into that Book folder. Of course, if it's an OPF file you're pasting, then you'll also need all the other folders and files that go with the making of the book such as the NCX, ALL HTML files, all images, any embedded fonts etc.
6) Go to All Programs\Accessories and open Command Prompt.
7) Copy the following and then right-click beside the cursor in Command Prompt and paste it in. (Control V doesn't work in Windows 7.) Make sure to change "your_book" to whatever the name of the file is you have in the Book folder along with the correct suffix (epub, opf, or html.):
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
8) Hit the Enter button on your keyboard. KindleGen will convert the book and place the new Mobi file inside the Book folder.
9) KindleGen will use the standard c1 compression unless you tell it otherwise. The other choices are c0 (no compression) or c2 (the most compression.) To use c0 or c2, paste in one of the following:
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe -c0 C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe -c2 C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
The other commands available through KindleGen simply aren't worth messing with because you can do them better and easier without KindleGen. For instance, you can force KG to change all your jpg images to gif. Or you can force it to give a new name to the Mobi file it outputs. And honestly, the three compression schemes produce files that aren't very different in size at all. It might be worth using c2 compression once in a great while if you have a large book that's just barely over (let's say) 2MB in size and you'd like to keep it under 2MB in order to avoid an extra 15-cents in Amazon's delivery fees.
And obviously you can name your Book and KindleGen folders something else and put them somewhere other than the C-drive once you have this directory stuff down. You can also delete the zip file now and all the files inside it. They're all useless except for the kindlegen.exe file that we already copied.
That's about it. Now really, isn't it a lot easier just to drag and drop the file you want to convert onto Previewer?
~~~~
http://ebookpioneers.com
http://ebookpioneer.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-use-kindlegen-to-make-mobi-book.html
~~~~
~~~~
I must see a dozen posts per month asking about using KindleGen. Here's how to use it although I highly recommend just dragging and dropping your book file onto Previewer's face instead. (You can also drag and drop your file onto "kindlegen.exe" to convert it.)
1) Download the kindlegen_win32_v2_8.zip file to your desktop. You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000765211
2) Open your C-drive directory. The easiest way to get to your C-drive is to double click on Computer on your desktop (or My Computer if you're using an OS older than Windows 7.)
You'll see other folders in there such as Program Files, Users, Windows etc. Make a new folder in this directory and call it KindleGen.
3) Shrink the C-drive window down and go back to the zip file on your desktop and double click to open it. (There's no need to extract it.)
4) Copy the file in there called: kindlegen.exe and paste it into that new KindleGen folder we just made in the C-drive directory. While you're still in the new KindleGen folder, make another folder inside it called: Book
5) So now you have a KindleGen folder on your C-drive and inside is the kindlegen.exe file and the Book folder. Find an HTML, ePub, or OPF file that you wish to convert into a Mobi book and paste it into that Book folder. Of course, if it's an OPF file you're pasting, then you'll also need all the other folders and files that go with the making of the book such as the NCX, ALL HTML files, all images, any embedded fonts etc.
6) Go to All Programs\Accessories and open Command Prompt.
7) Copy the following and then right-click beside the cursor in Command Prompt and paste it in. (Control V doesn't work in Windows 7.) Make sure to change "your_book" to whatever the name of the file is you have in the Book folder along with the correct suffix (epub, opf, or html.):
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
8) Hit the Enter button on your keyboard. KindleGen will convert the book and place the new Mobi file inside the Book folder.
9) KindleGen will use the standard c1 compression unless you tell it otherwise. The other choices are c0 (no compression) or c2 (the most compression.) To use c0 or c2, paste in one of the following:
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe -c0 C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
C:\KindleGen\kindlegen.exe -c2 C:\KindleGen\Book\your_book.epub
The other commands available through KindleGen simply aren't worth messing with because you can do them better and easier without KindleGen. For instance, you can force KG to change all your jpg images to gif. Or you can force it to give a new name to the Mobi file it outputs. And honestly, the three compression schemes produce files that aren't very different in size at all. It might be worth using c2 compression once in a great while if you have a large book that's just barely over (let's say) 2MB in size and you'd like to keep it under 2MB in order to avoid an extra 15-cents in Amazon's delivery fees.
And obviously you can name your Book and KindleGen folders something else and put them somewhere other than the C-drive once you have this directory stuff down. You can also delete the zip file now and all the files inside it. They're all useless except for the kindlegen.exe file that we already copied.
That's about it. Now really, isn't it a lot easier just to drag and drop the file you want to convert onto Previewer?
~~~~
http://ebookpioneers.com
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
The Digital Nirvana » Blog Archive » Adobe’s Cloud Move: Really That Big a Deal?
The Digital Nirvana » Blog Archive » Adobe’s Cloud Move: Really That Big a Deal?: Adobe’s Cloud Move: Really That Big a Deal?
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on June 7th, 2013
A few weeks back, CNET ran an article on Adobe’s decision to stop selling the Creative Suite and move exclusively to the cloud. All of designers’ favorite software will now be cloud- and subscription-based under the name Creative Cloud.
It was the roar heard round the industry. As of this moment, the CNET article has 527 comments, and in one LinkedIn discussion group, the link has sparked 98 comments — almost unheard of for LinkedIn. There are a lot of fired up print shops and designers both concerned about the ramifications of the move on their business and offended by what seems to be a Big Brother decision over which they have no control.
By Heidi Tolliver-Walker on June 7th, 2013
A few weeks back, CNET ran an article on Adobe’s decision to stop selling the Creative Suite and move exclusively to the cloud. All of designers’ favorite software will now be cloud- and subscription-based under the name Creative Cloud.
It was the roar heard round the industry. As of this moment, the CNET article has 527 comments, and in one LinkedIn discussion group, the link has sparked 98 comments — almost unheard of for LinkedIn. There are a lot of fired up print shops and designers both concerned about the ramifications of the move on their business and offended by what seems to be a Big Brother decision over which they have no control.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
What is Content Curation? - EdTechReview
What is Content Curation? - EdTechReview:
http://edtechreview.in presents:
Content Curation is the act of discovering, gathering, and presenting digital content that surrounds specific subject matter.
In other words, Content Curation is the process of sorting through the vast amounts of content on the web and presenting it in a meaningful form.
Image Source
Content Curation Process:
Aggregation: Pulling the most relevant information about a particular topic into a single location.
Distillation: Most simplistic format- only the most relevant/important ideas are shared.
Elevation: Identify a larger trend insight from smaller, regular of musings.
Mashup: Merging existing content to create a new point of view.
Chronology: Organize historical information by time to show how understanding has evolved.
http://edtechreview.in presents:
Content Curation is the act of discovering, gathering, and presenting digital content that surrounds specific subject matter.
In other words, Content Curation is the process of sorting through the vast amounts of content on the web and presenting it in a meaningful form.
Image Source
Content Curation Process:
Aggregation: Pulling the most relevant information about a particular topic into a single location.
Distillation: Most simplistic format- only the most relevant/important ideas are shared.
Elevation: Identify a larger trend insight from smaller, regular of musings.
Mashup: Merging existing content to create a new point of view.
Chronology: Organize historical information by time to show how understanding has evolved.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Copyright exceptions for teaching | Scholarly Communications @ Duke
Copyright exceptions for teaching | Scholarly Communications @ Duke: Copyright exceptions for teaching
By Kevin Smith, J.D. On December 26, 2006 · 2 Comments · In Copyright in the Classroom, Fair Use
There are three exceptions to the exclusive rights in copyright that help serve educational needs:
Face-to-face teaching – Section 110(1)
Allows performance or display of protected material in a face-to-face teaching setting.
Must be in a classroom and at a non-profit educational institution.
Does NOT allow copying. This is an exception to the exclusive rights of performance and display, but not the right of reproduction.
Copying may still be allowed by fair use, however.
Performance and display in the classroom must employ a legally obtained copy – no “bootleg” copy is eligible for this exception, but borrowed copies are OK.
“Transmission” to registered students – Section 110(2), a.k.a. The TEACH Act
Allows digital copies in course management systems under a specific set of conditions.
Text and images may be transmitted (displayed) in amounts comparable to in-class teaching.
Music and video may be used in portions; entire songs may be used if “non-dramatic.”
Access must be restricted to students registered in the course, and notice that the material is protected must be given.
Technological measures to prevent the material from being retained after the course is over or copied to others are required. Streaming of music and video is a good way to meet this requirement.
The institution should have policies and educational programs about copyright in place to take advantage of this exception.
Fair Use – Section 107
By Kevin Smith, J.D. On December 26, 2006 · 2 Comments · In Copyright in the Classroom, Fair Use
There are three exceptions to the exclusive rights in copyright that help serve educational needs:
Face-to-face teaching – Section 110(1)
Allows performance or display of protected material in a face-to-face teaching setting.
Must be in a classroom and at a non-profit educational institution.
Does NOT allow copying. This is an exception to the exclusive rights of performance and display, but not the right of reproduction.
Copying may still be allowed by fair use, however.
Performance and display in the classroom must employ a legally obtained copy – no “bootleg” copy is eligible for this exception, but borrowed copies are OK.
“Transmission” to registered students – Section 110(2), a.k.a. The TEACH Act
Allows digital copies in course management systems under a specific set of conditions.
Text and images may be transmitted (displayed) in amounts comparable to in-class teaching.
Music and video may be used in portions; entire songs may be used if “non-dramatic.”
Access must be restricted to students registered in the course, and notice that the material is protected must be given.
Technological measures to prevent the material from being retained after the course is over or copied to others are required. Streaming of music and video is a good way to meet this requirement.
The institution should have policies and educational programs about copyright in place to take advantage of this exception.
Fair Use – Section 107
U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use
U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use: One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law (title 17, U. S. Code). One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of “fair use.” The doctrine of fair use has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years and has been codified in section 107 of the copyright law.
Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair.
The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair.
The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
Monday, April 08, 2013
Flipboard is a giant iceberg lurking in the path of the media
Flipboard is a giant iceberg lurking in the path of the media: When Flipboard recently announced it was opening up its platform to enable users to create their own magazines, I was surprised by the low-key reaction by the publishing industry. It wasn’t a particularly busy news day but still there was a fairly neutral vibe throughout the coverage – as if it was of no particular consequence. Yet after I plowed through what little there was, visions of icebergs began forming in my brain. The publishing industry should have no doubts that big trouble is lurking directly in its path.
In case you missed it, here’s Flipboard’s explanation and demonstration of its new capabilities:
In case you missed it, here’s Flipboard’s explanation and demonstration of its new capabilities:
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
If you want to get something done, you've got to do-it-yourself...together! - Pages from Freelancers Union
If you want to get something done, you've got to do-it-yourself...together! - Pages from Freelancers Union: If you want to get something done, you've got to do-it-yourself...together!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
When All Else Fails, Remember These Five Things When Selling Printing -Kelly Mallozzi : Printing Impressions
When All Else Fails, Remember These Five Things When Selling Printing -Kelly Mallozzi : Printing Impressions: When All Else Fails, Remember These Five Things
By Kelly Mallozzi
By Kelly Mallozzi
Sunday, July 08, 2012
The Professional Publishers Association (PPA)
PPA : About: Welcome to the PPA
The Professional Publishers Association (PPA) represents more than 200 companies, covering everything from consumer magazine publishers to business-to-business data and information providers and smaller independents.
We promote the industry in all its forms, protect members through lobbying activities, and advise the industry through communications and training work.
The Professional Publishers Association (PPA) represents more than 200 companies, covering everything from consumer magazine publishers to business-to-business data and information providers and smaller independents.
We promote the industry in all its forms, protect members through lobbying activities, and advise the industry through communications and training work.
A change is needed !
Jim Cox writes:
With the growing popularity and ease with which authors can turn their manuscripts into finished books simply by writing a check to a Publish On Demand (POD) company, or following such instructive 'how to' manuals as "Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book" or"The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book" by Marilyn Ross & Sue Collier, the term 'self published' came into widespread usage -- with a consequently commonly encountered problem.
There were so many 'self published' books coming into the market that had serious flaws in them that the term 'self published' became fairly synonymous with 'substandard'. So much so that most professional book review publications and reviewers, book wholesalers and distributors, and bookstore retailers, would not consider a self-published book. This prejudice against self published titles continues to this very day.
But there is an antidote to that discriminatory reflex. A simple change of wording. I recommended that the term "Self Published" should be replaced with the term "Privately Published" in all book marketing related materials -- and most especially in book reviews.
With the growing popularity and ease with which authors can turn their manuscripts into finished books simply by writing a check to a Publish On Demand (POD) company, or following such instructive 'how to' manuals as "Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book" or"The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book" by Marilyn Ross & Sue Collier, the term 'self published' came into widespread usage -- with a consequently commonly encountered problem.
There were so many 'self published' books coming into the market that had serious flaws in them that the term 'self published' became fairly synonymous with 'substandard'. So much so that most professional book review publications and reviewers, book wholesalers and distributors, and bookstore retailers, would not consider a self-published book. This prejudice against self published titles continues to this very day.
But there is an antidote to that discriminatory reflex. A simple change of wording. I
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
InfoTrends Forecasts Shift in On Demand Printing and Publishing Market
InfoTrends Forecasts Shift in On Demand Printing and Publishing Market - WhatTheyThink: InfoTrends sees that the success of high-speed continuous-feed color inkjet devices foreshadows a clear shift in the on demand printing and publishing market.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Durango Herald 06/17/2012 | Get your book hot off the press with latest self-printing machine
The Durango Herald 06/17/2012 | Get your book hot off the press with latest self-printing machine: Get your book hot off the press with latest self-printing machine
Thursday, June 14, 2012
No longer is print just for reading.
Imagination Ink: No longer is print just for reading.
Interactive print is any technology that connects print to the digital world or allows a human to interface with it.
No longer is print just for reading. It has become a sophisticated communication transfer medium. How so?
Image recognition technology via smart phone (and smart tablet) cameras connects print to the digital world.
Electronic circuits printed on a traditional printing press (screen, flexography, offset and gravure) not only connect us to the digital world but also allows for human interaction with the substrate itself.
Interactive print is any technology that connects print to the digital world or allows a human to interface with it.
No longer is print just for reading. It has become a sophisticated communication transfer medium. How so?
Image recognition technology via smart phone (and smart tablet) cameras connects print to the digital world.
Electronic circuits printed on a traditional printing press (screen, flexography, offset and gravure) not only connect us to the digital world but also allows for human interaction with the substrate itself.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Envelope Size Chart Quick Guide | Marsid M&M Group Blog
Envelope Size Chart Quick Guide | Marsid M&M Group Blog: Envelope Size Chart Quick Guide
It’s easy to get confused when selecting the correct envelope sizes for invitations, business letters or Direct Mail pieces… A2, A4, A7, #10, #9, #10 Window…
So we decided to build this common envelope size chart with the goal of providing a sort of cheat-sheet or quick reference for envelopes for our customers and anyone who can use it.
If you find it useful or know someone who could use it, please share it!
It’s easy to get confused when selecting the correct envelope sizes for invitations, business letters or Direct Mail pieces… A2, A4, A7, #10, #9, #10 Window…
So we decided to build this common envelope size chart with the goal of providing a sort of cheat-sheet or quick reference for envelopes for our customers and anyone who can use it.
If you find it useful or know someone who could use it, please share it!
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
The Midwest Book Review 8/2011
Midwest Book Review
Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review publishes the following monthly book publications specifically designed for community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public:
- The Bookwatch
- California Bookwatch
- Children's Bookwatch
- Internet Bookwatch
- Library Bookwatch
- MBR Bookwatch
- Reviewer's Bookwatch
- Small Press Bookwatch
- Wisconsin Bookwatch
We post our reviews on the Internet with a number of thematically
appropriate web sites, databases, and online discussion groups such as
alt.books.reviews and Pub-Forum. Our reviews are also available through
Internet bookstores such as Amazon.com. We archive our reviews on the
Midwest Book Review web site for a minimum of five years.The Midwest Book Review has contracted with Cengage Learning to
provide them with electronic copies of our book reviews. Cengage
Learning then makes our reviews available to library systems nationwide
in their print, magnetic tape, and diskette series, Book Review Index
(an interactive CD-ROM series designed for use by community, university,
and corporate library systems throughout the U.S. and Canada), as well
as online databases such as Lexus-Nexus and Goliath
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Fond Memories ... I remember when ...
When PrintPlanet.com merged with WhatTheyThink.com, research and news joined user forums packed with technical know-how.
"I am interested in implementing color management through our company," wrote Marko Rakar, general manager of a Croatia-based printer, in a post in PrintPlanet.com's CTP Pressroom e-community. "We have all the required parts: a printing press, a proofer, an ICC profiler with spectrophotometer and even a RIP that supports ICC profiles. What is the right thing to do?"
Looking for a little free advice yourself? Have an arcane printing question that you haven't been able to get answered? Chances are, someone at PrintPlanet.com, an online print production news and information center, will have a solution. Most of the Web site's 25,000 members-- who have a wide variety of printing, prepress and publishing backgrounds--voluntarily share their expertise, advice and technical know-how. For more than two years, PrintPlanet.com has been the hub of 15 online forums for use by its screened membership of production employees. To join, users simply plug in personal information--there is no subscription fee. Then these members, through Internet bulletin boards and e-mails, play "Dear Abby" to a skyrocketing number of other PrintPlanet.com subscribers by troubleshooting problems, discussing trends in printing, answering questions about providers, etc. And now, due to a recent merger, the site has expanded from peer-to-peer advice forums to include late-breaking news and market research.
In late March, PrintPlanet.com separated from its parent company, Digital Art Exchange (DAX), and merged with WhatTheyThink.com, a printing market news and research Web site owned by City Information Services, Inc. (The new PrintPlanet.com now operates independently of its parent corporations, although it is still jointly-owned by both.) About three weeks later, the Web site relaunched using WhatTheyThink.com's content, research, breaking news and Q&As with industry pundits--and added three more free forums for e-community subscribers (the Print Buyer, Digital Rights Management and Mac OS-X forums).
Since the merger and relaunch, subscriptions have increased at a clip of about 1,000 per month; as of early May, the number of PrintPlanet.com members reached 25,462. The company, which derives revenue solely through the sale of banner ads and various sponsorship opportunities, expects to make a profit by September of this year. And now, it says, charging for subscriptions and/or syndicating content may be in a revised business model one day in the future.
The news and market research components of WhatTheyWant.com are the perfect complement to the forums, says PrintPlanet.com CEO Randy Davidson. "The foundation of the site is the information provided by the users themselves," says Davidson. "But now, with the merger and WhatTheyThink.com's content, it also provides research and data focused on those end-users. It just made perfect sense for us to lay our content on top of theirs."
COO Dave Mainwaring puts into perspective the amount and caliber of discussion that goes on in PrintPlanet.com forums: In the month of March alone, he says, 5,833,224 e-mails were sent and received in the CTP Pressroom forum. Some members have titles like vendor prepress specialist, technical operations manager, production director and color consultant. And postings have come from "experts" across the United States and throughout the world; members hail from such countries as New Zealand, the Netherlands and, of course, Croatia.
For publishers, the most valuable aspect of the new PrintPlanet.com seems to be those e-communities. "There's a real open exchange of information that goes on in them," says Richard Franklin, senior technical analyst for Cahners Business Information, who checks the site six to 12 times a day. "And members usually have a lot of expertise and a lot of good feedback."
Says John Dunn, production director for Wizards of the Coast Periodicals, "There's a good number of vendors who post, and some of the forums are a little prepress heavy."
Dunn adds, however, that feedback from all types of members helped his department through a recent workflow transition: "The forums are really useful from that interactive standpoint. We got a lot of answers to some difficult questions. We would have been making a lot of phone calls otherwise. Those forums saved us time--and, as any production director knows, time is money."
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