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In her Op-Ed article in The New York Times (@nytopinion), Stanford (@Stanford) anthropology professor and author of When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God, T. M. Luhrmann raises some interesting points that apply to biblical fiction, Bible-based movies, and creative storytelling in sermons. She says:

Most evangelicals describe the Bible as literally true. Yet for many, “literally” often means “keep what’s there and add details to make it vivid.”

I am an anthropologist, and in recent years I have been exploring a kind of American evangelical Christianity that seeks to enable its followers to know God intimately. These evangelicals talk about the Bible as if it is literally true, but they also use their imagination to experience the Bible as personally as possible. They talk about getting to know God by having coffee with God, or asking God what shirt they should wear in the morning. A man from Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego told me that “the Bible is a love story, and it is written to me.” It is a style of evangelical Christianity with many followers: perhaps a quarter of all Americans....

I am no theologian and I do not think that social science can weigh in on the question of who God is or whether God is real. But I think that anthropology offers some insight into why imaginatively enriching a text taken as literally true helps some Christians to hang on to God when they are surrounded by a secular world.

First, this way of knowing God involves what social scientists would call “active learning.”.... Second, these practices make the experience of God personally specific....

Read this in full.

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·         93% of Fortune 500 companies place their logo in the top left corner.

·         27% of logos include a tagline or slogan.

·         63% of companies have content above the fold. Users scroll on the remaining 37% websites to find content.

·         87% of websites have a search field.

·         50% of websites features a scrolling content window of some kind.

·         47% of websites have clear call-to-action buttons on their homepages that take users 3 seconds or less to find.

·         Only 11% of Fortune 500 websites have social media links above the fold; 89% below the fold.

·         60% of companies feature latest news and blogposts on their homepages.

·         Contact information is hard to find on 63%.

·         More than 80% of companies do not have a newsletter signup feature on their homepages.

·         More than 70% of Fortune 500 companies use favicon icons.

·         Average loading time of a homepage is 6.5 seconds; average size of homepage is 766 Kb.

·         Average width of website is 877 pixels.

·         Only 3% of websites use Flash to display content throughout the entire homepage.

·         80% of websites primarily use a light background and color scheme.

·         93% of websites have centered-approach navigation.

·         63% of websites use high quality images on their homepages to connect with users.

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At the recently held LitFlow-Thinktank (@LitFlow) in Berlin, publishing pundit Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) said publishers must demonstrate their continued relevance in light of current technology that minimizes the barrier to entry for authors to publish their own books apart from depending on established publishers. She said:

Publishers, for the first time, have to earn their keep by providing a value that extends beyond production and distribution — and possibly even editorial direction. The biggest problem that authors must solve for themselves, year after year, is (1) staying competitive, current, and discoverable in a shifting digital landscape (2) having the right tools to be effective and in touch with their readers, and (3) having a strong network of connections that helps them better market and promote. All of these things are well within a publisher’s ability to assist with, only they haven’t been putting any resource into providing such assistance. They have been focused on their own corporate problems of shifting to a digitally enabled business, and squeezing as many sales as possible out of their mastery of print book sales and distribution. Most of the thinking is centered on self-preservation. But I’d like to suggest that the best self-preservation measure of all is becoming a house that’s known and respected for — in the eyes of its authors — being an active, long-term partner and resource. By empowering each author to do better, the publisher is ensuring more sales over the long run.

Friedman suggests 3 ways publishers should add value to continue attracting authors:

1. Create an author collective, where authors assist each other in branding, marketing, and promotion.
2. Make available an author education program of 101/evergreen education in the form of white papers, webinars, tutorials, screencasts, Q&As, and events.
3. Devote at least one person full time to nurturing author development and community.

Read her presentation in full.

Listen to her presentation.

Also see eReport’s (@nztaylor) coverage, “How publishers can stay in the game.”

See our previous blogposts, “Guy Kawasaki's New Self-Publishing Instruction Book” and "Publishing Must Reinvent Itself."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you publish and market your ebooks and pbooks.

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Random House (@randomhouse) and Random House Audio (@RHAudiobooks) have produced the above videos in an effort to elevate their brand reputation among authors, agents, booksellers, and consumers. Are they over-selling?

Also see Digital Book World’s (@DigiBookWorld) article, “Random House Explains What Publishers Do.”

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you publish and market your ebooks, pbooks, and audiobooks.

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Martin Taylor (@nztaylor), founder of the Digital Publishing Forum, says bookstores should adapt the example from the technical industry in order to succeed in today’s fast-changing retail environment. He points to the strategy known as co-opetition, in which it’s “in each supplier’s self-interest to help competitors reach its customers.” He says, in the advent of Web 2.0, “even traditional media sites found that opening up and sharing widely, even with competitors, was good for business.”

Bookshops are already operating in a world where readers have lots of choices for new book discovery with bookshops just a small part of their repertoire. In this world, the idea that a store in some way ‘owns’ a customer who is disloyal if they stray elsewhere to buy seems quaint.... So a better strategy than closed walls might be a welcoming and respectful openness.

The lesson from co-opetition is that when barriers come down and markets open up, your best strategy might be to work with competitors in ways that make your customers’ lives easier.

Influence – amplified through partnerships, online media, and other channels – rather than location, price, or convenience might be the currency of the leading bookstores of the future. At an industry level, that influence – whether or not the purchase happens in bricks and mortar stores – is the best antidote to the too-common view of an industry in terminal decline.

Read this in full.

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trendwatching.com (@trendwatching) is predicting 10 consumer trends for the coming year. How will the following affect your publishing agenda?

1. PRESUMERS & CUSTOWNERS: As consumers will embrace even more ways to participate in the funding, launch, and growth of (new) products and brands they love, expect pre-ordering, crowdfunding, and consumer equity to compete with traditional consumption in 2013...

2. EMERGING²: While the last two decades were about developed markets catering to emerging ones, and emerging markets increasingly catering to developed ones, it's now time to get ready for an explosion in products and services from emerging markets for emerging markets...

3. MOBILE MOMENTS: For those wondering where ‘mobile’ will head next, one behavioral insight should give you plenty to run with: in 2013, consumers will look to their mobile devices to maximize absolutely every moment, multi-if-not-hypertasking their experiences, purchases, and communications...

4. NEW LIFE INSIDE: One sign-of-the-times eco-trend for 2013: the phenomenon of products and services that quite literally contain new life inside. Rather than being discarded or even recycled (by someone else), these products can be given back to nature to grow something new, with all the eco-status and eco-stories that come with that...

5. APPSCRIPTIONS: Digital technologies are the new medicines. In 2013, expect consumers to turn to the medical profession and medical institutions to certify and curate health apps and technologies, or to “prescribe” them, much as they prescribe medicines as part of a course of treatment...

6. CELEBRATION NATION: Emerging markets will proudly export and even flaunt their national and cultural heritage in the next 12 months. Symbols, lifestyles, and traditions that were previously downplayed, if not denied, will be a source of pride for domestic consumers, and objects of interest to global consumers...

7. DATA MYNING: To date, the ‘big data’ discussion has focused on the value of customer data to businesses. In 2013 expect savvy shoppers to start reversing the flow, as consumers seek to own and make the most of their lifestyle data, and turn to brands that use this data to proactively offer customers help and advice on how to improve their behavior and/ or save money...

8. AGAIN MADE HERE: The perfect storm of consumers’ ever-greater lust for NEWISM and niches, the expectation of (instantly!) getting just the right product, ongoing eco-concerns, and the desire for more interesting stories will all combine with the spread of new local manufacturing technologies such as 3D-printing and make-on-demand, to trigger a resurgence in domestic manufacturing in established markets in 2013...

9. FULL FRONTAL: So what’s next for the mega-trend of transparency in 2013? Brands must move from ‘having nothing to hide’, to pro-actively showing and proving they have nothing to hide...

10. DEMANDING BRANDS: 2013 will see switched-on brands (i.e., brands that are embarking on the much-needed journey toward a more sustainable and socially-responsible future) demanding that their customers also contribute...

Read these in full.

See Infographic.

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Christian Retailing (@ChristianRetail) reports that ACM Digital, Inc., has launched "Myeebo" (@MYeebo) tablet and apps, described as the first digital device and service to provide "all categories of downloadable Christian entertainment," including ebooks, music, audiobooks, and movies.

David Amster, chief innovation officer of ACM, says, "Our objective is threefold: provide independent Christian retailers with a solid digital service to give them a competitive edge with Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple; significantly improve the online browsing and discovery experience for ebooks and music; and create a way for retailers to partner with churches."

Amster says, so far, 125 retailers have signed up to offer Myeebo, including Berean Christian Stores (@BereanChristian), Lighthouse Christian Supply, Logos Christian Bookstore, and Bible Gift Shop. In the first quarter of 2013, ACM Digital plans to add another 75 stores.

The name Myeebo is a derivative of the words “my,” “electronic,” and “books.” The tablet’s suggested retail price is $179. It includes an 8-inch touch screen with features not available on the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet.

Read this in full.

In November, Family Christian (@FCstores) announced it was discontinuing its own ebook tablet, edifi, which had just launched in June. FCS is now selling Kobo (@kobo) e-readers.

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Edelman (@EdelmanPR) Millennial consultancy (@Edelman8095) (#Edel8095) is the driver of 8095, a global benchmark study on how Millennials connect with brands, make purchasing decisions and share their opinions on products and companies with family, friends, and extended networks. The study, first conducted in 2010 and updated this year, focuses on people born between 1980 and 1995.

(Above graph is from MarketingCharts, @marketingcharts)

·         Over 3/4 of millennial consumers worldwide want to be "entertained" by brands, and a similar proportion are willing to provide feedback on goods and services.

·         About 80% want brands to "entertain" them, with co-creating products the most popular option, mentioned by 40%, ahead of receiving real-time answers to social media enquiries (33%).

·         32% want sponsoring events

·         31% desure companies to deliver engaging online content

·         21% would like to connect with other fans. Forming tie-ups with admired celebrities or public figures score 19%.

·         More broadly, a 74% majority of respondents say they influence the purchase choices of peers and older buyers

·         63% regularly go shopping with their friends, partner, or family.

·         For 73%, sharing feedback with companies after a good or bad experience is a "responsibility," peaking at 90% in China and India, but falling to 59% in Germany and 57% in Canada.

·         When making purchase decisions, 94% of participants use at least 1 external information source and 40% use 4 or more, with search engines and word-of-mouth from friends and family the most common.

·         When asked what wider assistance brands could be in their lives, 77% want financial assistance, such as grants and scholarships for studying.

·         75% desire opportunities for more "life experiences" like trips and lessons in interesting subjects, and 65% want a mentor to help guide them.

·         60% want to tap a brand's "audience," like its Facebook page or ads, to connect with similarly-minded people, and 56% say the same for sharing their views with a wide group.

In 2013, the oldest of the Millennials will turn 33 – many of them are now parents, have careers, and wield spending power and influence in today's world.

Read the news release.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you understand and reach the Millennial market.

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Above Infographic (click to enlarge) is by TeachingDegree.org.

But for a contrasting viewpoint, read Futurebook's (@TheFutureBook) "Print and Ebooks Cannot Co-Exist After All" by Adam Juniper.

Also see our previous blogposts, "Infographic: How Ebooks are Reshaping Publishing," "BISG Report: More Ebook Buyers Buying Print Books," and "Books vs Ebooks."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you publish and market your ebooks and pbooks.

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11-year-old James Groccia, who has Asperger syndrome, saved his money for 2 years to buy his dream toy: the LEGO Emerald Night Train set. But when he was able to finally buy it, he discovered it was discontinued.

He wrote of his disappointment to LEGO (@LEGO_Group) and the company replied with a cordial, corporate-sounding apology letter. Then, a few days before his birthday, a package arrived containing the discontinued set with a sweet letter commending his will power and even suggesting someday he might work at LEGO. His parents hid a camera to catch James' reaction when he opened the package.

The resulting video above, with the title, "Why LEGO is the BEST Company in the World!," has become a viral sensation with over 1 million views and mentions on major newscasts.

It demonstrates the power of consumer generated media on a brand’s reputation (for the cost of a single Emerald Night Train set). Contrast this with the stilted, long-winded, slow-moving corporate video LEGO produced earlier this year.

In many ways, successful branding depends on delighting the consumer with stellar customer service.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you protect and strategically manage your brand's reputation.

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