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Two journalism professors from Christian universities have teamed up to make a short ebook for iPad or iPhone that uses interactive content to help new writers snag a byline.

A One-Step Guide to a Byline is designed for new writers who want to know the bare minimum for writing an article for the popular press. It uses roll-over features, an interactive quiz, and 8 videos to help writers succeed, says Michael Ray Smith, project director and professor of communication from Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC.

Smith joined Wally Metts (@wallymetts), director of graduate studies in communication at Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI, to make a fun, user-friendly book with enhanced content about the basics of writing. The “one-step” is finding the essential conflict that drives a good story.

Read this in full.

Also see our previous blogpost, “Guy Kawasaki's New Self-Publishing Instruction Book.”

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Reading books has always included a social element (“What books have you read lately”). But it’s now been given a bump as new technology allows readers, without regard to geographical boundaries, to converse with each other — and the author — in real time while still reading.

Among the just announced winners of Digital Book World’s (@DigiBookWorld) Publishing Innovation Awards is the ebook 11 Days in May: The Conversation That Will Change Your Life by JD Messinger (@JDMessinger); voted Best Non-Fiction Ebook.

The PIAs honor “the most innovative ebooks, enhanced ebooks, and book apps....It is the mission of the PIAs to highlight excellent publishers/authors, encourage new thinking, and improve the reading experience in the digital age.”

11 Days in May utilizes Democrasoft’s (@Democrasoft) WeJIT (@myWeJIT) technology, in collaboration with Vook (@vooktv), to allow readers to communicate directly with the author and other readers. These topic-based discussions are made possible with embedded WeJIT links in the ebook that direct readers to an online discussion forum. Conversations can be shared beyond the confines of the ebook via email, Facebook, Twitter, and other sharing methods built into WeJITs.

Read this in full.

WeJIT discussions and polling links from the ebook 11 Days in May.

News release: “WeJIT Connects Readers and Authors Inside the eBook.”

The following video explains how WeJITs work:

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As retailers reinvent their in-store shopping experience in the face of the continued rise of e-commerce, research released by Cisco finds that digital content from the Internet is the most powerful influence in buying decisions for the majority of shoppers in all channels.

The 3rd annual Cisco^® (@CiscoRetail) study of consumers says online ratings and reviews are the most influential sources for making purchasing decisions (followed by advice from friends and family), and that shoppers increasingly want access to digital content in stores through a variety of devices. The study recommends different ways retailers can present digital information to better influence shoppers' buying behavior — and win higher revenue in the store.

According to the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group^™ (@CiscoIBSG) study, titled Catch and Keep Digital Shoppers, a majority of shoppers, categorized as "Digital Mass Market," have advanced beyond the capabilities of many retailers. 

These shoppers expect stores to operate with the same information, transparency, and speed as their favorite website, and two-thirds are interested in personalized shopping experiences when visiting a store. Shoppers overwhelmingly prefer in-store self-service access to digital content (85%), with 1 in 3 using mobile searches to guide their purchasing decisions — up 20% from last year.

·         53% of shoppers expect greater price visibility

·         37% want easier ways to find products

·         39% desire faster/easier way to purchase products.

Read the news release.

Read the full report (pdf).

Enlarge the above Infographic.

See further coverage of the study by Online Media Daily.

Also see our previous blogpost, “’Showrooming’ Gains Ground in US” and other posts tagged “Retail.” And download our white paper, “Tech, Trends, & Retail Success: See the Future and Act Now.”

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

Learn about SomersaultSocial, our Web-based author online marketing education modules.

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In one of his recent blogs, marketing expert, author, and speaker Seth Godin (@ThisIsSethsBlog) reminded marketers that marketing is a long-term process, not a single effort.

In the last year, millions of people have bought a copy of 50 Shades of Grey. Here's the thing: they didn't all do it at the same time.

Some people bought it when it was a self-published ebook. Others jumped in when word of mouth started to spread, enough that it became a bestseller. Most people, though, waited until it was on the bestseller list, in piles at the bookstore, and the subject of positive and negative discussion and even parodies. And a few people are going to buy it two years from now, after everyone else who was willing to read it already has....

This is what almost always happens. Individuals choose a slot based on what sort of leadership or risk or followership behavior makes them happy right now. Early adopters and nerds like to go first. But some people are early when it comes to shoes, or to mystery novels, or records, while others adopt early when it comes to political ideas or restaurants.

Most of the time, most of us choose to be in the slot of mass. The masses wait to see the positive reviews, or they monitor the bestseller lists. The masses know they have plenty of time; that they'll get around to it when they get a chance, and mostly, they are driven by what their peers (the early adopters, the ones who keep track of this stuff) tell them....

The glitch in the system is that many marketers obsess only about the launch. They put their time and money and effort into the first week on sale, and then run to work on the next thing, when in fact, the mass market, those that choose to wait for more than "it's new!," haven't decided to take the leap yet.

Perversely, marketers look at what typically happens after the launch and say, "it's not worth sticking with this, because stuff that doesn't take off right away rarely does." And the reason? Because it was abandoned by the marketers who introduced it and then ran off to play with the next shiny object. It's self-fulfilling.

The fact is that almost all the profits of the record and book businesses come from the backlist, from Pink Floyd and Dr. Seuss....

Read this in full.

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

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Here’s new technology that has implications for book publishers. Developed by researchers at the Human Media Lab (@humanmedialab) at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, the PaperTab showcased at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last week.

The PaperTab features a flexible, high-resolution 10.7-inch plastic touchscreen display built by Plastic Logic, and relies on a second-generation Intel Core i5 processor to turn what looks like a sheet of white paper into a living, interactive display.

iTechPost (@iTechPost) says:

In a revolutionary advancement in the history of computing, the device features a high-resolution plastic display that is virtually unbreakable and can be twisted, bent, and dropped on a desk without any damage. Developed by Intel Labs in collaboration with the Human Media Lab at Queen's University in Canada and British firm Plastic Logic, the tablet is powered by the second-generation Intel Core i5 Processor.

Read this in full.

International Business Times (@IBTimes) says:

While the PaperTab is not yet ready for prime time -- the Intel i5 processor is housed in an outside unit, which connects to all of the PaperTabs, as seen in the video provided by Queen's University --  the technology is very promising. Since PaperTab is both lightweight and robust, they can be bent, thrown around and collected, which isn't so easy to do with today's tablets. Intel research scientist Ryan Brotman believes this particular product could be ready "within 5 to 10 years."

Read this in full.

Also see our previous blogpost, “Flexible E-ink Displays are Here.”

How should you adapt your publishing strategy to take advantage of this forthcoming technology?

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

Learn about SomersaultSocial, our Web-based author online marketing education modules.

Add our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/SomersaultGroup) & Twitter stream (http://twitter.com/smrsault) to your Flipboard account on your iPad, iPhone, or Android. 

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Media pundit Bob Garfield (@Bobosphere) sunccinctly explains the unique aspect of social media marketing. He says, “In the Relationship Era, sales tactics drive consumers away.”

Yes, we are all of us in business with transactions in mind. Yes, more transactions are almost always better than fewer transactions. Yes, we hope our social media efforts -- like everything else we do -- will be followed by more people purchasing our goods and services. Indeed, if you succeed in forging relationships with your various constituencies, and you are open and honest and share (i.e., in both directions) compelling and relevant stuff, loyalty and trust will grow and from that will flow more business at lowers acquisition costs.

But if you are cultivating community and conversation for the purpose of corralling cattle into the slaughterhouse, you are not engaging in a social strategy. You are engaging in a sales strategy, which is pretty close to the antithesis of social marketing. We are in the Relationship Era. This is no time for manipulation.

Read this is full.

See also our previous blogpost, “Forget Product Positioning, This is the Dawn of the Relationship Era” and others with our Social Media marketing tag.

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

Learn about SomersaultSocial, our Web-based author online marketing education modules.

Add our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/SomersaultGroup) & Twitter stream (http://twitter.com/smrsault) to your Flipboard account on your iPad, iPhone, or Android. 

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And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Several surveys by the Pew Research (@pewresearch) Center's Internet & American Life Project (@pewinternet) reveal interesting variations among communities in the way their residents read and use reading-related technology and institutions:

Book readers: Some 78% of Americans ages 16 and older say they read a book in the past 12 months. Urban (80%) and suburban (80%) residents are especially likely to have read at least one book in the past year. While rural residents are somewhat less likely to have read a book in the past year (71%), the book readers in rural areas read as many books as their counterparts in cities and suburbs.

Purposes for reading: Most of those ages 16 and older read books for pleasure, and that is especially true of suburban readers: 82% of suburbanites read for pleasure, compared with 79% of urban residents and 76% of rural residents. Urban residents (80%) and suburban dwellers (79%) are also especially likely to read to keep up with current events. Some 73% of rural residents do that. More than three-quarters of suburban residents (77%) read to research topics that interest them, compared with 74% of urban residents and 70% of rural residents. Finally, 57% of suburbanites and 58% of city dwellers read for school or work, compared with 47% of rural residents who do that.

Americans and libraries: The majority of Americans ages 16 and older (58%) have a library card and even more (69%) say the library is important to them and their families. Some 71% of city dwellers say the library is important to them and 59% have library cards — and 69% of suburban residents say the library is important and 61% have library cards. At the same time, 62% of rural residents say the library is important and 48% have library cards.

Read this in full.

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

Learn about SomersaultSocial, our Web-based author online marketing education modules.

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From an initial crop of 455 titles submitted by 68 publishers, Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) magazine selected for its 2013 Book Awards 10 winners and 9 notables that offer insights into the people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission.

·         Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism by Alvin Plantinga (Oxford University Press)

·         A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New by G. K. Beale (Baker Academic)

·         Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) (Free Press)

·         Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good by Amy L. Sherman (InterVarsity Press)

·         Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City by Timothy Keller (Zondervan)

·         Evangellyfish: A Novel by Douglas Wilson (Canon Press)

·         Summoned from the Margin: Homecoming of an African by Lamin Sanneh (Eerdmans)

·         Just and Unjust Peace: An Ethic of Political Reconciliation by Daniel Philpott (Oxford University Press)

·         Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren F. Winner (HarperOne)

·         The Theology of Jonathan Edwards by Michael J. McClymond and Gerald R. McDermott (Oxford University Press)

Read this in full.

Also see our previous blogpost, "Christian Publishing's 2012 Best Book Covers."

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

Learn about SomersaultSocial, our Web-based author online marketing education modules.

Add our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/SomersaultGroup) & Twitter stream (http://twitter.com/smrsault) to your Flipboard account on your iPad, iPhone, or Android. 

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Humor website The Onion (@TheOnion) “reports” a “news” article that only an editor or writer (or English teacher) can appreciate ☺:

Law enforcement officials confirmed Friday that four more copy editors were killed this week amid ongoing violence between two rival gangs divided by their loyalties to the The Associated Press Stylebook (@APStylebook) and The Chicago Manual Of Style (@ChicagoManual).

“At this time we have reason to believe the killings were gang-related and carried out by adherents of both the AP and Chicago styles, part of a vicious, bloody feud to establish control over the grammar and usage guidelines governing American English,” said FBI spokesman Paul Holstein, showing reporters graffiti tags in which the word “anti-social” had been corrected to read “antisocial.”

The deadly territory dispute between these two organizations, as well as the notorious MLA Handbook gang, has claimed the lives of more than 63 publishing professionals this year alone. Officials also stated that an innocent 35-year-old passerby who found himself caught up in a long-winded dispute over use of the serial, or Oxford, comma had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.