Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing

Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing PDF Author: Timothy Laquintano
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1609384458
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
In the last two decades, digital technologies have made it possible for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to rapidly and inexpensively self-publish a book. Once a stigmatized niche activity, self-publishing has grown explosively. Hobbyists and professionals alike have produced millions of books, circulating them through e-readers and the web. What does this new flood of books mean for publishing, authors, and readers? Some lament the rise of self-publishing because it tramples the gates and gatekeepers who once reserved publication for those who met professional standards. Others tout authors’ new freedom from the narrow-minded exclusivity of traditional publishing. Critics mourn the death of the author; fans celebrate the democratization of authorship. Drawing on eight years of research and interviews with more than eighty self-published writers, Mass Authorship avoids the polemics, instead showing how writers are actually thinking about and dealing with this brave new world. Timothy Laquintano compares the experiences of self-publishing authors in three distinct genres—poker strategy guides, memoirs, and romance novels—as well as those of writers whose self-published works hit major bestseller lists. He finds that the significance of self-publishing and the challenge it presents to traditional publishing depend on the aims of authors, the desires of their readers, the affordances of their platforms, and the business plans of the companies that provide those platforms. In drawing a nuanced portrait of self-publishing authors today, Laquintano answers some of the most pressing questions about what it means to publish in the twenty-first century: How do writers establish credibility in an environment with no editors to judge quality? How do authors police their copyrights online without recourse to the law? How do they experience Amazon as a publishing platform? And how do they find an audience when, it sometimes seems, there are more writers than readers?

Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing

Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing PDF Author: Timothy Laquintano
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1609384458
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book

Book Description
In the last two decades, digital technologies have made it possible for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to rapidly and inexpensively self-publish a book. Once a stigmatized niche activity, self-publishing has grown explosively. Hobbyists and professionals alike have produced millions of books, circulating them through e-readers and the web. What does this new flood of books mean for publishing, authors, and readers? Some lament the rise of self-publishing because it tramples the gates and gatekeepers who once reserved publication for those who met professional standards. Others tout authors’ new freedom from the narrow-minded exclusivity of traditional publishing. Critics mourn the death of the author; fans celebrate the democratization of authorship. Drawing on eight years of research and interviews with more than eighty self-published writers, Mass Authorship avoids the polemics, instead showing how writers are actually thinking about and dealing with this brave new world. Timothy Laquintano compares the experiences of self-publishing authors in three distinct genres—poker strategy guides, memoirs, and romance novels—as well as those of writers whose self-published works hit major bestseller lists. He finds that the significance of self-publishing and the challenge it presents to traditional publishing depend on the aims of authors, the desires of their readers, the affordances of their platforms, and the business plans of the companies that provide those platforms. In drawing a nuanced portrait of self-publishing authors today, Laquintano answers some of the most pressing questions about what it means to publish in the twenty-first century: How do writers establish credibility in an environment with no editors to judge quality? How do authors police their copyrights online without recourse to the law? How do they experience Amazon as a publishing platform? And how do they find an audience when, it sometimes seems, there are more writers than readers?

Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing

Mass Authorship and the Rise of Self-Publishing PDF Author: Timothy Laquintano
Publisher: University of Iowa Press
ISBN: 1609384466
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
In the last two decades, digital technologies have made it possible for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to rapidly and inexpensively self-publish a book. Once a stigmatized niche activity, self-publishing has grown explosively. Hobbyists and professionals alike have produced millions of books, circulating them through e-readers and the web. What does this new flood of books mean for publishing, authors, and readers? Some lament the rise of self-publishing because it tramples the gates and gatekeepers who once reserved publication for those who met professional standards. Others tout authors’ new freedom from the narrow-minded exclusivity of traditional publishing. Critics mourn the death of the author; fans celebrate the democratization of authorship. Drawing on eight years of research and interviews with more than eighty self-published writers, Mass Authorship avoids the polemics, instead showing how writers are actually thinking about and dealing with this brave new world. Timothy Laquintano compares the experiences of self-publishing authors in three distinct genres—poker strategy guides, memoirs, and romance novels—as well as those of writers whose self-published works hit major bestseller lists. He finds that the significance of self-publishing and the challenge it presents to traditional publishing depend on the aims of authors, the desires of their readers, the affordances of their platforms, and the business plans of the companies that provide those platforms. In drawing a nuanced portrait of self-publishing authors today, Laquintano answers some of the most pressing questions about what it means to publish in the twenty-first century: How do writers establish credibility in an environment with no editors to judge quality? How do authors police their copyrights online without recourse to the law? How do they experience Amazon as a publishing platform? And how do they find an audience when, it sometimes seems, there are more writers than readers?

The Program Era

The Program Era PDF Author: Mark McGurl
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674054245
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
In The Program Era, Mark McGurl offers a fundamental reinterpretation of postwar American fiction, asserting that it can be properly understood only in relation to the rise of mass higher education and the creative writing program. McGurl asks both how the patronage of the university has reorganized American literature and—even more important—how the increasing intimacy of writing and schooling can be brought to bear on a reading of this literature. McGurl argues that far from occasioning a decline in the quality or interest of American writing, the rise of the creative writing program has instead generated a complex and evolving constellation of aesthetic problems that have been explored with energy and at times brilliance by authors ranging from Flannery O’Connor to Vladimir Nabokov, Philip Roth, Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, and Toni Morrison. Through transformative readings of these and many other writers, The Program Era becomes a meditation on systematic creativity—an idea that until recently would have seemed a contradiction in terms, but which in our time has become central to cultural production both within and beyond the university. An engaging and stylishly written examination of an era we thought we knew, The Program Era will be at the center of debates about postwar literature and culture for years to come.

Book Wars

Book Wars PDF Author: John B. Thompson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1509546790
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
This book tells the story of the turbulent decades when the book publishing industry collided with the great technological revolution of our time. From the surge of ebooks to the self-publishing explosion and the growing popularity of audiobooks, Book Wars provides a comprehensive and fine-grained account of technological disruption in one of our most important and successful creative industries. Like other sectors, publishing has been thrown into disarray by the digital revolution. The foundation on which this industry had been based for 500 years – the packaging and sale of words and images in the form of printed books – was called into question by a technological revolution that enabled symbolic content to be stored, manipulated and transmitted quickly and cheaply. Publishers and retailers found themselves facing a proliferation of new players who were offering new products and services and challenging some of their most deeply held principles and beliefs. The old industry was suddenly thrust into the limelight as bitter conflicts erupted between publishers and new entrants, including powerful new tech giants who saw the world in very different ways. The book wars had begun. While ebooks were at the heart of many of these conflicts, Thompson argues that the most fundamental consequences lie elsewhere. The print-on-paper book has proven to be a remarkably resilient cultural form, but the digital revolution has transformed the industry in other ways, spawning new players which now wield unprecedented power and giving rise to an array of new publishing forms. Most important of all, it has transformed the broader information and communication environment, creating new challenges and new opportunities for publishers as they seek to redefine their role in the digital age. This unrivalled account of the book publishing industry as it faces its greatest challenge since Gutenberg will be essential reading for anyone interested in books and their future.

Inside Book Publishing

Inside Book Publishing PDF Author: Giles Clark
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317694457
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
Now in its fifth edition, Inside Book Publishing remains the classic introduction to the book publishing industry, being both a manual for the profession for over two decades and the bestselling textbook for students of publishing.The book remains essential reading for publishing students, those seeking a career in publishing, recent entrants to the industry, and authors seeking an insider's view. The accompanying website supports the book by providing up-to-date and relevant content.This new edition has been fully updated to respond to the rapid changes in the market and technology. Now more global in its references and scope, the book explores the tensions and trends affecting the industry, including the growth of ebooks, self-publishing, and online retailing, and new business models and workflows. The book provides excellent overviews of the main aspects of the publishing process, including commissioning, product development, design and production, marketing, sales and distribution.

Four Shades of Gray

Four Shades of Gray PDF Author: Simon Peter Rowberry
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262369109
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
This first book-length analysis of Amazon’s Kindle explores the platform’s technological, bibliographical, and social impact on publishing. Four Shades of Gray offers the first book-length analysis of Amazon’s Kindle and its impact on publishing. Simon Peter Rowberry recounts how Amazon built the infrastructure for a new generation of digital publications, then considers the consequences of having a single company control the direction of the publishing industry. Exploring the platform from the perspectives of technology, texts, and uses, he shows how the Kindle challenges traditional notions of platforms as discrete entities. He argues that Amazon’s influence extends beyond “disruptive technology” to embed itself in all aspects of the publishing trade; yet despite industry pushback, he says, the Kindle has had a positive influence on publishing. Rowberry documents the first decade of the Kindle with case studies of Kindle Popular Highlights, an account of the digitization of books published after 1922, and a discussion of how Amazon’s patent filings reflect a shift in priorities. Rowberry argues that while it was initially convenient for the book trade to outsource ebook development to Amazon, doing so has had adverse consequences for publishers in the mid- and long term, limiting opportunities for developing an inclusive and forward-thinking digital platform. While it has forced publishers to embrace digital forms, the Kindle has also empowered some previously marginalized readerships. Although it is still too early to judge the long-term impact of ebooks compared with that of the older technologies of clay tablets, the printing press, and offset printing, the shockwaves of the Kindle continue to shape publishing.

The Publishing Business

The Publishing Business PDF Author: Kelvin Smith
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1474249523
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The Publishing Business, is an invaluable guide to understanding what book publishing is and what it might become. Using popular and current examples, this second edition demonstrates that, to succeed, publishers must prove their commitment to producing accurate, attractive and well edited content, their ability to innovate pioneering digital technologies and their dedication to promoting their titles to new audiences. This book explains the responsibilities at each stage of the publishing process, describes current roles and practices, and provides much food for thought on how publishers can ensure their skills remain relevant in the digital age. Fully updated to take into account recent developments in the publishing world, this new edition also includes additional real-world examples from a variety of publishing sectors, insightful interviews with industry experts and new and updated activities throughout. Beautifully designed, thoroughly illustrated and packed with examples of publishing practice, The Publishing Business is an essential introduction to a dynamic industry.

Beyond the Static Page

Beyond the Static Page PDF Author: Alex T. Wolf
Publisher: A.T. Wolf & Company
ISBN: 1312236299
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 105

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Book Description
"Beyond the Static Page: An Interactive Learning Approach for Students" is a comprehensive and inspiring guide that explores the intricate world of eBook design. Seamlessly merging the realms of artistry and technology, this book unlocks the secrets to creating visually captivating, user-friendly eBooks that leave readers spellbound. From cover to layout, typography to interactive elements, “Beyond the Static Page” delves into essential design principles, offering practical tips and step-by-step tutorials for beginners and seasoned designers. Embracing the reader-centric approach demystifies the digital landscape, ensuring eBooks shine on any device. Whether you're an author, designer, or self-publisher, "Beyond the Static Page" empowers you to transform words into enchanting digital experiences, forging a connection with readers that transcends the boundaries of the page.

APE, Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur

APE, Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur PDF Author: Guy Kawasaki
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780988523104
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
APE’s thesis is powerful yet simple: filling the roles of Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur yields results that rival traditional publishing.

Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing

Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing PDF Author: John R Gallagher
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1607329743
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing explores “neglected circulatory writing processes” to better understand why and how digital writers compose, revise, and deliver arguments that undergo sometimes constant revision. John R. Gallagher also looks at how digital writers respond to comments, develop a brand, and evolve their arguments—all post-publication. With the advent of easy-to-use websites, ordinary people have become internet writers, disseminating their texts to large audiences. Social media sites enable writers’ audiences to communicate back to the them, instantly and often. Even professional writers work within interfaces that place comments adjacent to their text, privileging the audience’s voice. Thus, writers face the prospect of attending to their writing after they deliver their initial arguments. Update Culture and the Afterlife of Digital Writing describes the conditions that encourage “published” texts to be revisited. It demonstrates—through forty case studies of Amazon reviewers, redditors, and established journalists—how writers consider the timing, attention, and management of their writing under these ever-evolving conditions. Online culture, from social media to blog posts, requires a responsiveness to readers that is rarely duplicated in print and requires writers to consistently reread, edit, and update texts, a process often invisible to readers. This book takes questions of circulation online and shows, via interviews with both writers and participatory audience members, that writing studies must contend with writing’s afterlife. It will be of interest to researchers, scholars, and students of writing studies and the fields of rhetoric, communication, education, technical communication, digital writing, and social media, as well as all content creators interested in learning how to create more effective posts, comments, replies, and reviews.