So I’ve spent a lot of time being indifferent to e-books. I really have zero interest in reading a book online, but I can see its appeal to other readers. Considering my stance on the subject I decided it was probably time for me to take a look at the e-book industry--an industry I really know nothing about.
For my research, I turned to google. One of the first links to appear was cengagebrain.com. I kid you not, Cengage brain changed my outlook on e-books. There is indeed a type of book that I never considered would be better as an e-book--the textbook. Cengage offers consumers e-textbooks at 50% below list price and the first e-chapter of every book is free. Purchasing books by individual chapters is another option. During my undergraduate studies I purchased a multitude of books, many that didn’t apply to my major and many that I had no interest in keeping. Reading an entire textbook for a class, was indeed rare and most likely didn’t occur. E-book textbooks are genius because a student is able to gain access to a book they don’t plan on keeping for a price that can’t be beat even with buybacks. Cengage offers book rentals as well. Customers are allowed to rent textbooks for the duration of one term.
Cengage makes me think about Netflix, or the Netflix for books. If there was a plan by which one could “check out” so many new e-books a month for a fee, I would so be on board here. Help me out fellow internet marketing gurus, does such a thing exist? If not, let’s create a site. E-Books would work much better than actual books in this situation because of book damage and shipping. If actual books were shipped than how much damage an individual caused to an actual book would be in question, as well as delivery schedules. If I was provided with an option of reading as many books as I liked online I would totally be an e-book reader.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Part vs Whole
The difference between product and brand marketing can be best compared to the part versus the whole. A brand is a company such as Nike, Gap, or Kitchen-Aid. Brand marketing pertains to selling an image of the whole company. Marketing schemes for brands relate to the company in its entirety. Product marketing relates to an individual item. For example, marketing Kitchen Aid would be marketing a brand. Marketing a breast cancer awareness salad spinner would be marketing a product. To a company marketing their brand is more important than marketing a product. Products come and go, but a brand name and image forever follow that company.
In the world of books, a publishing house would be considered the brand and a book would be considered the product. Whether a book is marketed as a brand or product depends entirely on the author, title and publishing company. If the author is well-known or if a book is already famous and being reprinted then these elements are the driving forces behind the book’s success. Another factor is whether or not a book is part of an edition or series of books. Penguin produces a Classics Deluxe Edition line. This line is comprised of classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that have been reprinted. The cover is redone in a pop-arty manner by a fashionable artist of today’s culture in hopes on landing the book a new younger audience. All of these books look connected and can be discerned as a penguin classic by front cover appearance. Two books from W.W. Norton are currently placed side-by-side at Powell’s in their 30% off clearance section. I immediately wondered if they have been published by the same company based on cover design. The books had similar graphic placement, and font size and leading. These books were The Ticking Is the Bomb and In Other Books, Other Wonders. Overall if a publisher is selling a book because it’s written by a famous author then the author carries the weight of the work and no one really cares who published it. If an author is unknown and is riding on the weight of a particular well-known publisher then this book will be sold by brand name.
In the world of books, a publishing house would be considered the brand and a book would be considered the product. Whether a book is marketed as a brand or product depends entirely on the author, title and publishing company. If the author is well-known or if a book is already famous and being reprinted then these elements are the driving forces behind the book’s success. Another factor is whether or not a book is part of an edition or series of books. Penguin produces a Classics Deluxe Edition line. This line is comprised of classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that have been reprinted. The cover is redone in a pop-arty manner by a fashionable artist of today’s culture in hopes on landing the book a new younger audience. All of these books look connected and can be discerned as a penguin classic by front cover appearance. Two books from W.W. Norton are currently placed side-by-side at Powell’s in their 30% off clearance section. I immediately wondered if they have been published by the same company based on cover design. The books had similar graphic placement, and font size and leading. These books were The Ticking Is the Bomb and In Other Books, Other Wonders. Overall if a publisher is selling a book because it’s written by a famous author then the author carries the weight of the work and no one really cares who published it. If an author is unknown and is riding on the weight of a particular well-known publisher then this book will be sold by brand name.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
It's All Politics
In an article entitled “Non-Stop News” featured in this week’s New Yorker, Ken Alletta presents the argument that Obama was able to market himself successfully to the country during the 2008 election by being selective on the media outlets he spoke with, and through social-networking. This process enabled Obama to build a character or create a presentation of himself he wanted the world to see.
Alletta quoted Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, with this statement “Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allowed the campaign to ‘go around the filter’ of the press--an obsession in The Obama White House.” Obama used social networks to help shift the focus of potential scandals. When the press questioned his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama made a speech illuminating the issue of race in America. Millions of people watched this speech on YouTube. While Obama didn’t personally post the video, he wrote a good speech that shifted the focus off of himself to the broader topic of race and these words received mass-distribution through YouTube.
Book Publicist, Greg Mowery spoke with our Marketing class and triggered a little bit of a debate in our online marketing class with his comment against online book marketing. Mowery spoke specifically about finding scandal or controversy in a book and then presenting that information to the media. Mowery incapsulated this idea with the statement “get straight to the sex.” Unlike the Obama campaign, Mowery does not have the automatic attention of the media. He often must create press for a book through scandal and gossip.
Obama had the attention of the world and in this position he was able to pick and choose media sources. Once his story was presented to a selected media, social networks acted as catalysts to get this information to the public.
The difference between marketing a book and a presidential candidate is vast. For one thing the release of a book is not necessarily a life changing event. Online marketing/social-networks can be effective for books. The problem is the task of creating enough buzz for a book or press to gain an internet audience. If controversy is created for a book in the papers or on TV then people will search the internet and potentially look at social-networks involving the book/author/publisher. The problem is getting the public to care enough to search this material out. This problem is magnified for small presses that don’t have any pull with the media or consider Oprah a personal contact. To create press for their book they must try at a more local level, such as through weeklies like The Portland Mercury.
Alletta quoted Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, with this statement “Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allowed the campaign to ‘go around the filter’ of the press--an obsession in The Obama White House.” Obama used social networks to help shift the focus of potential scandals. When the press questioned his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama made a speech illuminating the issue of race in America. Millions of people watched this speech on YouTube. While Obama didn’t personally post the video, he wrote a good speech that shifted the focus off of himself to the broader topic of race and these words received mass-distribution through YouTube.
Book Publicist, Greg Mowery spoke with our Marketing class and triggered a little bit of a debate in our online marketing class with his comment against online book marketing. Mowery spoke specifically about finding scandal or controversy in a book and then presenting that information to the media. Mowery incapsulated this idea with the statement “get straight to the sex.” Unlike the Obama campaign, Mowery does not have the automatic attention of the media. He often must create press for a book through scandal and gossip.
Obama had the attention of the world and in this position he was able to pick and choose media sources. Once his story was presented to a selected media, social networks acted as catalysts to get this information to the public.
The difference between marketing a book and a presidential candidate is vast. For one thing the release of a book is not necessarily a life changing event. Online marketing/social-networks can be effective for books. The problem is the task of creating enough buzz for a book or press to gain an internet audience. If controversy is created for a book in the papers or on TV then people will search the internet and potentially look at social-networks involving the book/author/publisher. The problem is getting the public to care enough to search this material out. This problem is magnified for small presses that don’t have any pull with the media or consider Oprah a personal contact. To create press for their book they must try at a more local level, such as through weeklies like The Portland Mercury.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Websites Offer Valuable First Impressions
The vast majority of online consumer book sales are not conducted on publishers' web sites, but this hasn't stopped most publishers from targeting their web sites primarily at consumers. What do you think is the reasoning behind this? Do you think that book publishers can expect to see significant, ongoing growth in direct sales through their web sites? Should the presence or lack of strong direct sales affect the manner and extent to which publishers address their web sites to the general reading public (as opposed to their primary market of booksellers)?
Ok, so I have to admit this whole marketing deal is new territory for me. Last week I blogged and praised Random House's website, while my fellow classmates cited it as poor design. Perhaps I'm not the best candidate to wager publisher's websites goals, but I am a consumer and as such I have insight into what makes me buy.
I think that book publishers are fully aware of where online consumer book sales happen and choose to target the consumer anyway. The website is the perfect place to layout and establish who a publisher is as a company and what they publish. It's also a place to organize and perfect a business model. Appealing to the everyman/woman has its advantages. If a website is created with the hope of intriguing a consumer, then perhaps the company can make a few direct sales.
Another more likely option is that by having a user-friendly website consumers will find out about the book or the publisher and purchase these books from places like amazon. When I found out about the book entitled Shoot the Buffalo by Matt Briggs, I searched for it online and was connected to its publisher--Clear Cut Press. While on the site I became intrigued about their company and other books they'd published. While I didn't purchase any books from the site, I ended up buying and reading several other books from Clear Cut. Perhaps their website was ineffective in terms of direct sales, but it was more successful in gaining exposure to their books.
While it is unnecessary to spend a lot of time and money on a website for a book publisher, it makes sense to make it easy to navigate to all parties. Book sellers are already purchasing books by website, and will continue to do so regardless of design. Why not attempt to reach another audience in the process? Websites are all about presentations and introductions. Publishers should want consumers and sellers to be intrigued by their first encounter with them (ie the website). If they make a good first impression chances are that this won't be the viewer's last encounter with them. Even if the publisher's sales do not increase, the amount of website traffic will. Attractive presentation can increase store sales both on and offline. It's in the publisher's best interest to create a site that presents them self attractive to the consumer.
Ok, so I have to admit this whole marketing deal is new territory for me. Last week I blogged and praised Random House's website, while my fellow classmates cited it as poor design. Perhaps I'm not the best candidate to wager publisher's websites goals, but I am a consumer and as such I have insight into what makes me buy.
I think that book publishers are fully aware of where online consumer book sales happen and choose to target the consumer anyway. The website is the perfect place to layout and establish who a publisher is as a company and what they publish. It's also a place to organize and perfect a business model. Appealing to the everyman/woman has its advantages. If a website is created with the hope of intriguing a consumer, then perhaps the company can make a few direct sales.
Another more likely option is that by having a user-friendly website consumers will find out about the book or the publisher and purchase these books from places like amazon. When I found out about the book entitled Shoot the Buffalo by Matt Briggs, I searched for it online and was connected to its publisher--Clear Cut Press. While on the site I became intrigued about their company and other books they'd published. While I didn't purchase any books from the site, I ended up buying and reading several other books from Clear Cut. Perhaps their website was ineffective in terms of direct sales, but it was more successful in gaining exposure to their books.
While it is unnecessary to spend a lot of time and money on a website for a book publisher, it makes sense to make it easy to navigate to all parties. Book sellers are already purchasing books by website, and will continue to do so regardless of design. Why not attempt to reach another audience in the process? Websites are all about presentations and introductions. Publishers should want consumers and sellers to be intrigued by their first encounter with them (ie the website). If they make a good first impression chances are that this won't be the viewer's last encounter with them. Even if the publisher's sales do not increase, the amount of website traffic will. Attractive presentation can increase store sales both on and offline. It's in the publisher's best interest to create a site that presents them self attractive to the consumer.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Department of the Interior
Design has been on my mind, well, it has since about last Monday. Our class discussion on if the ability to see inside a book ranked among our “top five components needed to purchase a book” triggered a bit of self-reflection upon my own tendencies as a book consumer.
For all the arguing I do against e-books on the basis of lack of tactility, when it comes down to it it’s almost comedic that holding a book in hand didn’t rate with me. When I initially made my own mental list, I didn’t even think about what’s inside. In retrospect, it’s a pretty obvious factor. I usually purchase books from a physical store. When I pick a book up off the shelf, I do leaf through it, especially when the book purchase isn’t premeditated.
All of my online book purchases have been textbooks I was required to buy, books that I knew I wanted before going on amazon, or I decided to purchase based upon my familiarity with the author, or my interest in the book description, reviews or website recommendations. The later books have mostly been used-novels, all below ten dollars. At this stage I did take a passing glance at the cover, but it wasn’t really a factor in my final purchase.
Some of the factors that would require me to see inside the book would be a high monetary price, an inadequate book description, and especially the visual nature of the book. If the book was an instruction manual, full of photographs or illustrations, or recipes, I would need or at least want to see inside that book.
Enter the “see inside” feature on amazon.com. This feature enables the consumer to see the front and back cover, table of contents, sometimes an author bio, and a couple of other select pages.
The question is--does this feature offer an apt enough representation of the book for me to purchase it? I decided to try this feature on a couple of my favorite “visual” books off of my own bookshelf. My two selections: Miss Spider’s Wedding and I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.
Miss Spider’s Wedding is a children's book filled with stunning illustrations crafted in oil. “See Inside” enabled me to see the front and back cover and a few illustrations. In this case, I would agree that the tactile quality of being able to see the work in its physical form, printed on high quality stock, is something that a website can’t provide. Still “See Inside” succeeds at providing a bit of insight into the book. If a consumer liked what they saw based upon this feature then they would be pleasantly surprised after purchase, book in hand, because the images would be more vibrant than the online depiction.
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence is a bit of a different story. The layout of the book is sections of texts accompanied by recipes, lists, and photos (both large and small). The problem with “See Inside” here is the consumer is able to see front, back, table of contents and a few photos. This is not an accurate representation of the layout of the book. One of the pages is a full-page picture of a girl made from dried beans, another is a full-page photo of Amy Sedaris. The table of contents is a list of specific events that wouldn’t make sense unless the viewer had viewed the section of the book to see what Sedaris means by titles like “tgif.”
In conclusion, the physical nature of a book matters, however it matters in different degrees based on the consumer. Persons deeply invested in design or designers are gonna want to hold and see any book before purchase. People, like myself, who are affected by design, but do not realize it are gonna want to check out this “See Inside” feature if they are unfamiliar with and if the book they wish to purchase is of a visual nature. Tactility and the physical book do matter to me I’m just not always aware of it.
For all the arguing I do against e-books on the basis of lack of tactility, when it comes down to it it’s almost comedic that holding a book in hand didn’t rate with me. When I initially made my own mental list, I didn’t even think about what’s inside. In retrospect, it’s a pretty obvious factor. I usually purchase books from a physical store. When I pick a book up off the shelf, I do leaf through it, especially when the book purchase isn’t premeditated.
All of my online book purchases have been textbooks I was required to buy, books that I knew I wanted before going on amazon, or I decided to purchase based upon my familiarity with the author, or my interest in the book description, reviews or website recommendations. The later books have mostly been used-novels, all below ten dollars. At this stage I did take a passing glance at the cover, but it wasn’t really a factor in my final purchase.
Some of the factors that would require me to see inside the book would be a high monetary price, an inadequate book description, and especially the visual nature of the book. If the book was an instruction manual, full of photographs or illustrations, or recipes, I would need or at least want to see inside that book.
Enter the “see inside” feature on amazon.com. This feature enables the consumer to see the front and back cover, table of contents, sometimes an author bio, and a couple of other select pages.
The question is--does this feature offer an apt enough representation of the book for me to purchase it? I decided to try this feature on a couple of my favorite “visual” books off of my own bookshelf. My two selections: Miss Spider’s Wedding and I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.
Miss Spider’s Wedding is a children's book filled with stunning illustrations crafted in oil. “See Inside” enabled me to see the front and back cover and a few illustrations. In this case, I would agree that the tactile quality of being able to see the work in its physical form, printed on high quality stock, is something that a website can’t provide. Still “See Inside” succeeds at providing a bit of insight into the book. If a consumer liked what they saw based upon this feature then they would be pleasantly surprised after purchase, book in hand, because the images would be more vibrant than the online depiction.
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence is a bit of a different story. The layout of the book is sections of texts accompanied by recipes, lists, and photos (both large and small). The problem with “See Inside” here is the consumer is able to see front, back, table of contents and a few photos. This is not an accurate representation of the layout of the book. One of the pages is a full-page picture of a girl made from dried beans, another is a full-page photo of Amy Sedaris. The table of contents is a list of specific events that wouldn’t make sense unless the viewer had viewed the section of the book to see what Sedaris means by titles like “tgif.”
In conclusion, the physical nature of a book matters, however it matters in different degrees based on the consumer. Persons deeply invested in design or designers are gonna want to hold and see any book before purchase. People, like myself, who are affected by design, but do not realize it are gonna want to check out this “See Inside” feature if they are unfamiliar with and if the book they wish to purchase is of a visual nature. Tactility and the physical book do matter to me I’m just not always aware of it.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Book Publishing Websites = Information Overload
Previous to this blog post, I never would have considered the world of publishing to be competitive in the industries of entertainment and technology. I wouldn’t have guessed that the presentation of a book publisher’s website would focus on captivating a media crazed audience.
After perusing a dozen or so websites, I started to detect a common thread and thus discover that my conceptions were sorely misconceptions. The majority of publishers are attempting to provide consumers with the most information possible in a multitude of ways. These companies are trying to reach the consumer culture, or those captivated by social networking and youtube, flashing graphics, twitter links, iphone app ads, and video links. A large publishing company’s homepage (such as HarperCollins) strives to reach as many audiences as possible through organization or by dividing their books by subject, as well as bestsellers, new releases and upcoming books. These sub-categories enable consumers to directly access the books they wish to see in as little amount of time as possible.
Out of all the publishing sites I surveyed, I found Random House to be the most successful. LIke all of the other large publishing sites, Random House’s goal appears to be providing the most information to as many people as possible. Where they succeed is through organization. While other companies‘ website presentation leaves much to be desired in terms of accessibility, Random House breaks their information down into subgroups and links, in an organized fashion. Subject categories are easily accessible in a list form. Authors, books and features run horizontally on the top of the page. “Books for a New Year” are centrally located and customers can see both the title and book cover. Editors picks, featured authors, best sellers and kid’s books all have precedence on the homepage and the presentation is anything but cluttered. Random House does have links to facebook, myspace and twitter but the user must scroll down to the bottom of the page to access them. The website format appeals to a media-happy audience, but in a covert way. Random House claims to bring the consumer the best in fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. Their website speaks directly to this claim. Children’s books, nonfiction and fiction are all represented. Random House is aware that their readership is quite diverse, some readers want to know and read the latest and newest book, others want to read whatever is the most popular, while others are concerned with awards and reviews. This website is successful because it satisfies the company’s readership needs.
I am a fan of McSweeney’s, as such it was my first website to explore. McSweeney’s appeals to a hip, young and presumably educated audience. Their backlist features a lot of experimental works as well as new writers. I assumed that their website would stray from the ordinary. While McSweeney’s is surely not trying to reach the consumer culture through flashing graphics and twitter links they also really aren’t trying at all. Boring and bland are two credible adjectives that aptly describe the layout of this website. It’s almost as though they aren’t trying to sell anyone to buy their books. You have to already know about them and be willing to suffer through their website. The homepage is just a long list without much color or graphics. There is a link to their magazine and store but no descriptions. Then the consumer must scroll down past an angel food cake recipe, past submission guidelines, etc. There is virtually no organization, no navigation tools, and no separation between any of the content.
After perusing a dozen or so websites, I started to detect a common thread and thus discover that my conceptions were sorely misconceptions. The majority of publishers are attempting to provide consumers with the most information possible in a multitude of ways. These companies are trying to reach the consumer culture, or those captivated by social networking and youtube, flashing graphics, twitter links, iphone app ads, and video links. A large publishing company’s homepage (such as HarperCollins) strives to reach as many audiences as possible through organization or by dividing their books by subject, as well as bestsellers, new releases and upcoming books. These sub-categories enable consumers to directly access the books they wish to see in as little amount of time as possible.
Out of all the publishing sites I surveyed, I found Random House to be the most successful. LIke all of the other large publishing sites, Random House’s goal appears to be providing the most information to as many people as possible. Where they succeed is through organization. While other companies‘ website presentation leaves much to be desired in terms of accessibility, Random House breaks their information down into subgroups and links, in an organized fashion. Subject categories are easily accessible in a list form. Authors, books and features run horizontally on the top of the page. “Books for a New Year” are centrally located and customers can see both the title and book cover. Editors picks, featured authors, best sellers and kid’s books all have precedence on the homepage and the presentation is anything but cluttered. Random House does have links to facebook, myspace and twitter but the user must scroll down to the bottom of the page to access them. The website format appeals to a media-happy audience, but in a covert way. Random House claims to bring the consumer the best in fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. Their website speaks directly to this claim. Children’s books, nonfiction and fiction are all represented. Random House is aware that their readership is quite diverse, some readers want to know and read the latest and newest book, others want to read whatever is the most popular, while others are concerned with awards and reviews. This website is successful because it satisfies the company’s readership needs.
I am a fan of McSweeney’s, as such it was my first website to explore. McSweeney’s appeals to a hip, young and presumably educated audience. Their backlist features a lot of experimental works as well as new writers. I assumed that their website would stray from the ordinary. While McSweeney’s is surely not trying to reach the consumer culture through flashing graphics and twitter links they also really aren’t trying at all. Boring and bland are two credible adjectives that aptly describe the layout of this website. It’s almost as though they aren’t trying to sell anyone to buy their books. You have to already know about them and be willing to suffer through their website. The homepage is just a long list without much color or graphics. There is a link to their magazine and store but no descriptions. Then the consumer must scroll down past an angel food cake recipe, past submission guidelines, etc. There is virtually no organization, no navigation tools, and no separation between any of the content.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Age of Engage
I must confess that I judge books by their titles. Perhaps this is an unfair method, but in all honesty this was the method by which I used to choose my book. First I perused the reading list and the three books that stood out to me were Guerilla Marketing on the Internet, The Age of Engage, and Twitter Revolution. Guerilla Marketing made my list simply because it uses the word guerilla. Guerilla conjures up images of brutality, force and in general has a badass vibe. The Age of Engage is a cute and clever title. As for the third selection, I hate twitter. I don’t understand it. I don’t believe in it. Perhaps if I read Twitter Revolution I could gain a little insight into its purpose and function in marketing.
After narrowing the selection down to three I then googled each book. Amazon used words like arsenal and advertising jungle to peak my interest in Guerilla Marketing. Reviews ranged from “over-hyped piece of garbage” to “thumbs up.” In general, I got a sense that this book is good for beginners and those on a tight budget.
Amazon claims that The Age of Engage is written for professionals that have a basic understanding of marketing terms. The book covers social networks as well as the internet in general. Here the customer reviews ranged from “not very insightful” and “the textbook for the 21st century.”
Twitter Revolution describes its purpose on amazon as to teach people how to use twitter. I had to axe this title off the list right then and there. I am not down with a book that isn’t critiquing nor explaining twitter’s purpose.
When I made the choice between The Age of Engage and Guerilla Marketing it really came down to content. Guerilla was described as basic and rudimentary, while Engage goes a little more in-depth. I chose Age of Engage because it gets more into terminology and in general sounds complex and engaging.
After narrowing the selection down to three I then googled each book. Amazon used words like arsenal and advertising jungle to peak my interest in Guerilla Marketing. Reviews ranged from “over-hyped piece of garbage” to “thumbs up.” In general, I got a sense that this book is good for beginners and those on a tight budget.
Amazon claims that The Age of Engage is written for professionals that have a basic understanding of marketing terms. The book covers social networks as well as the internet in general. Here the customer reviews ranged from “not very insightful” and “the textbook for the 21st century.”
Twitter Revolution describes its purpose on amazon as to teach people how to use twitter. I had to axe this title off the list right then and there. I am not down with a book that isn’t critiquing nor explaining twitter’s purpose.
When I made the choice between The Age of Engage and Guerilla Marketing it really came down to content. Guerilla was described as basic and rudimentary, while Engage goes a little more in-depth. I chose Age of Engage because it gets more into terminology and in general sounds complex and engaging.
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