As the launch of the iPad nears, we’re beginning to catch glimpses of what the print to digital transition actually looks like in the real world. Up until this point, it’s all been theoretical. But now digital magazines, like VIV (which produced the digital feature spread above for their magazine), Wired, and Time are leveraging motion for “edu-tainment” purposes.

*And before any emails me, I’m using this as an example of their smart use of media, not necessarily the message, which you may or may not agree with. Point here is that it’s smart and an interesting example of what’s possible visually.

This is just the beginning of what will be a mad dash by traditional magazines to create content. Check out this story that I ran across at enGadget this morning. Be sure to watch the “making of” featurette at the bottom of the article. It’s fascinating and gives you an idea of just how much work goes into creating a 1:46 piece, especially one with a stylized, Frank Miller edge to it.

How will writers and publishers use this? It’s hard to say. Producing something like the VIV piece is very expensive on a time increment basis ($X/produced minute) even if you know how to do it efficiently. The magazines monetize their content through advertising. Question is, whether or not publishers will consider a similar model when it comes to their releases, both fiction and non-fiction.

Pretend with me for a minute that we all read e-books more than print versions. Just for a minute.

Would you tolerate ads in your digital novels if it meant the difference between just getting text on an LCD screen and getting something flashy and interactive like the video above? Tell me.

Since the introduction of the Kindle, the topic of eBooks and digital content has dominated the publishing world. As it should, because our livelihood depends on getting the big decisions right. The key question everyone is wrestling with is the when of the shift, because the if is now a foregone conclusion. It’s already happening.

I’ve been in a lot of discussions about this and, frankly, I think a good many people are looking at it sideways. They’re narrowly focused on today’s book consumer (primarily middle-aged females, statistically) and how to get them to migrate to a digital format either via the Kindle or iPad (or any of the bazillion other devices coming soon to a store near you). I think there will be a lot of migration, especially from the Millenials and Gen Xer’s, but we won’t be the tipping point.

My daughter’s kindergarten class will be. Continue Reading

This is the official promo video for the iPad on Apple’s website. It’s worth the 8 minutes it takes to watch it if you haven’t already. I’m planning to record a video blog with designer and friend Chris Wilcox in the next couple of days to talk about the iPad and what it means to us as artists, but I wanted to get my initial thoughts out while they’re as fresh as can be. Here we go: Continue Reading

Today’s the day. The music industry had theirs’ when Apple unveiled iTunes; now the publishing industry’s turn is up and there’s LOTS of debate about what the Apple tablet means for authors, publishers, and consumers. For all of the buzz and debate I can’t help but think that most of the naysayers are getting it wrong. They remind us that tablets have been tried before…and failed. They remind us how Bill Gates tried to revolutionize personal computing with a switch to tablets…and failed. But all of that misses the point in my opinion. Why?

Because the introduction of an Apple tablet isn’t about revolutionizing hardware (though I think it will certainly fuel innovation and do that just like the iPod did); it’s about revolutionizing content. I, too, love the feel and smell of paper. I like having books on a shelf in my office. We like book covers as much as we do the words they wrap around. They’re iconic and evoke a sort of nostalgia. Just last night my writer’s group talked about our favorite stories, some of which were published in the 1800’s. We like stuff we can touch. Continue Reading

From Geekdom to Wall Street, all eyes will focus on Cupertino, CA on Wednesday when Steve Jobs steps on stage to, presumably, unveil the long rumored Mac tablet (aka “The iUnicorn” because many have said it doesn’t exist). Whether or not you believe the digital publishing shake-up is imminent doesn’t matter. At all. It’s already underway and if you’re an author, either professional or aspiring, you need to pay attention.

The way we engage story has evolved over time and we’re on the cusp of the next cycle. And that cycle can be described with one word: convergence. CSI creator Anthony Zuiker tried it with his digi-novel, the over the top Level 26. Others have tried producing vooks, digital books with bonus video elements (most have which are…meh). Sooner rather than later we will have to figure out how to inventively tell stories by layering all of the techno-capabilities that devices like Apple’s tablet supposedly provide. Soon, writing the manuscript of a novel won’t even be the bare minimum. The new baseline will include interactivity, which you’ll have to plan for before you type the first word.

What will that look like? Who knows. But I do know we’ve got to start experimenting now. True, the publishing industry can learn from the mistakes the music industry made. In fact, I’ve heard that for awhile as well as something to the effect of “The good news is we still have time to figure it out.” My response is “maybe.” My opinion is that the speed of the shift will catch most authors and publishers off-guard. It’s the nature of things.

So, my advice…use your imagination to dream new ways to tell your story. The limits are being removed so take advantage of the time we live in.