Re: Apple publishing news

**D* G* <g*@gmail.com>**

MP - you have to know how "interesting" this is - I literally stopped two
projects dead in their tracks (20% of my biz plan for 2010) when the word
and specs for the ipad came out.  There are at least 50 other tablets in the
works as well according to chip manufacturers and it's a game-changer.

As I said - the costs to layout/design a 200 page book are nothing compared
to doing the same for a 200 page website/video/book.  But printing costs are
less.  What it's going to do is replicate the current publishing model where
the "big guys" and big authors are fine but the smaller guys and smaller
markets are going to have to go low-cost / low-interactivity and lower
returns.  Same old, same old.

BTW - I'm about to post on GWL about being in-world this afternoon between
2-4 EST if you're around and want to chat live.

Doug

On Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 8:52 AM, dargan, mary palmer <mpdargan@dargan.com>wrote:

> wow. Make my new book contract look pretty much like it is up on blocks!
>  mp
>
> On Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 8:48 AM, Doug Green <gardeningemail@gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > I'm with Saxon on this one but have some reservations about how it's all
> > going to roll out.  The traditional garden "book" is pretty much dead
> when
> > it hits e-formatting.
> >
> > You can see here where this magazine is taking theirs
> >
> >
> http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/a-peek-at-an-interactive-magazine-for-the-apple-ipad/#more-36029
> > Subsequent interviews with the editors of this online-mag have clarified
> > the
> > costs for this are not significantly higher than the costs for their
> normal
> > editions.
> >
> > But going this interactive and visual is really going to mess with any
> idea
> > that just "whomping" a book or magazine online is going to save money and
> > the publishing industry.  You may save money with printing - but not with
> > design and layout where your costs are going to skyrocket.
> >
> > My conversations over the past month or so with some tech folks have
> > clarified for me that they can "wrap" any kind of content into an app for
> > online distribution.
> >
> > So - certain kinds of information (like how-to books) will have to meet
> the
> > new bar of interactivity and included video (the days of
> > text/images/graphics are dead) and other formatting niceties such as
> > popups/lightboxes etc.  Other material (fiction) may very well be able to
> > get away with text-only.
> >
> > But material aimed at the younger demographic is going to be visual - no
> > matter what the content (the Manga and Graphical Novel section of the
> local
> > bookstore is up to 12 full racks from 6 in the last year)
> >
> > Initially - I suspect we'll see low-interactivity as material is rushed
> to
> > "print" but eventually the bar will be raised and higher and higher
> > interactivity will be required.  Or ... there will be several price
> points
> > established (as there are now) for different levels of interactive books.
> > Lots of options out there and it's a quicksand-world.  I just killed two
> > ebook projects that were going to kindle and e-pub readers - thinking
> about
> > them seriously now as apps but not sure about level of tech that will
> pay.
> > But as I said, I've talked to some designers and tech guys about doing
> this
> > stuff and the conversations are ongoing as we sort it all out.
> >
> > We've also talked about doing magazines and catalogs in this kind of
> > interactive formatting - and how to deliver different kinds of
> information
> > to this format and size of computer.
> >
> > As I've said before, "it ain't your grandma's publishing industry".  :-)
> >
> > Doug
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 7:32 PM, Saxon Holt <sholt@saxonholt.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Apple announced today it has added two publishers to provide content
> > > to the iPad:   Perseus Books Group and Workman which means Timber,
> > > Storey and Algonquin - all publishers dear to us garden writers (and
> > > photographers).
> > >
> > > I say yea!  Bring on the electronic distribution of traditional
> > > content providers
> > >
> > > http://mac.blorge.com/2010/03/23/apple-adds-2-ipad-book-publishers/
> > >
> > > Saxon
> > >
> > > Saxon Holt Photography
> > > - http://www.saxonholt.com
> > > 415-898-8880
> > >
> > --
> > Doug Green
> > Editor-in-Chief,
> > SGF Publishing
> > http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> > Post gardening questions/threads to
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> <lt%3Bgwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org <lt%253Bgwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>>
> > &gt;
> >
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Mary Palmer Dargan is a registered landscape architect and principal of
> Dargan Landscape Architects.
> Author of Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan, Gibbs-Smith
> Publishers (2007) is now in its fifth printing!
> to order contact: 404-231-3889  or www.dargan.com
> Visit friends on:      http://facebook.com/mpdargan or
> http://facebook.com/darganlandscape
> Follow me on:         http://twitter.com/mpdargan
> Share :       http://dargan.com/blog
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>
> Post gardening questions/threads to
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> &gt;
>
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>

-- 
Doug Green
Editor-in-Chief,
SGF Publishing
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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