Re: Apple publishing news

**M* P* D* <m*@dargan.com>**

I realize we should not forward the thread in it's entirety, do I hope  
this is PC...what Doug just shared with Graham is worth sending out  
again. Not only was it state of the art and visionary, it is an  
excellent example of the generous sharing available on this list  
serve. Thx Doug and Graham! I learned alot. Mp

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 26, 2010, at 10:58 AM, Doug Green <gardeningemail@gmail.com>  
wrote:

> Graham - points below...
>
>>
>> Very interesting, but your thoughts throw up a couple of points and  
>> I'd
>> appreciate the benefits of your wisdom:
>>
>> 1. Has Apple released any guidance for small independent publishers  
>> (I
>> can't
>> find any)? How, for example, will publishers like Betty Mackey get  
>> their
>> content on to the iPad?
>>
>
> I'm not aware of any guidelines (I'd love to see them if they're out
> there).  Having said that - it depends whether we're going to sell  
> them
> though the ibook store or through the app store (you can turn any  
> document
> into an app) like the Vook.com people already do.   My understanding  
> is
> they've exclusively focused on the "big guys" and cutting deals  
> before the
> release. TV and gaming are far more important than books are to this  
> tablet.
>  Small publishers are ... well... small. :-)  This is one of the  
> reasons
> I've put the ebook releases on hold for the moment - not quite sure  
> how
> rich, how ?? anything they're going to roll on - and whether we'll  
> have to
> do it through apps or through ??.  Way too many questions indeed.
>
>
>> 2. I take your point about video and rich interactivity, but do you  
>> really
>> think that plant monographs, for example, need that sort of  
>> content? Or do
>> you think they would best be published as online databases and not  
>> as books
>> of any kind? Would people pay ?$20 for permanent access a  
>> comprehensive
>> online database on, say, phlox?
>>
>
> Ah niche publishing.  Now here's where there is money to be made  
> imho.  You
> get to charge for real content and "some" people will pay for it.   
> It's a
> smaller market to be sure than the big beginner market but the money  
> is
> real.   The question is not whether there are people who will pay  
> (there
> are) but whether there are enough of them  to make it worth your  
> while other
> than as a hobby.  Or whether a serious plantsman such as  yourself  
> can do
> enough of them to aggregate into a good income (my best guess would be
> aggregation)   Individual authors on individual monographs have  
> never made
> much if any money so that wouldn't change.
>
> Content for niche publishing is equally interesting.  You'll have  
> the option
> to add as many pics as you want and increasingly readers will want a  
> pic for
> every species or plant.  If you're doing the hiking to get the plant  
> pics -
> my guess is there's a video in there somewhere.  Having sat through  
> far too
> many slide shows at rock garden society meetings - a video might be a
> welcome diversion. :-)
>
> The question about niche publishing has and will continue to be (as  
> I'm sure
> Betty will agree) in the topic selection that's big enough to be  
> profitable
> but small enough so the majors don't want it.
>
> And the content there (again my best guess) is that you'll get away  
> with
> text and images for now.  But as the younger visual generation comes  
> along
> through school - they will both change and demand change in the way  
> all
> information is presented.  So the answer is about your timing -  
> right now,
> text/images are going to work.  In a few years, all bets are off as  
> the bar
> / standard is raised.
>
> In some ways it's like video.  At the beginning, any video was  
> good.  You
> had one - people would watch.  Now - if that video is over 1.5  
> minutes,
> isn't professionally done or on-target and people abandon ship in  
> droves
> around the 30 second mark.  So that bar got raised.   The bar on  
> books will
> change in the same way.
>
> That's my best guess on books for the moment.  Small publisher and  
> regional
> publishers may not have the market to compete on the level of tech  
> of the
> big sellers - they'll have to take reduced sales prices as the market
> develops.
>
> Or they'll have to have their own sales channel as well as using the  
> big
> guys.  And having your own sales channel is one really good option for
> serious plantsmen - through the various plant organizations or  
> listservs
> etc. (but yeah, some of those organizations might have to adapt/ 
> change to
> help serious plant authors)
>
> But thanks for the kind words about "benefits of wisdom" :-)  I just  
> happen
> to read all this stuff because I now work almost exclusively  
> online.  I
> don't know how "wise" it is - but it's my best guess.  Right now -  
> who knows
> - in the near future, get used to multi-media "books" for general
> circulation.   Specialist material - well, the rarer it is, the less  
> tech
> you'll need but the smaller the audience.
>
> Best I can do this week. :-)
>
> Doug
> -- 
> Doug Green
> Editor-in-Chief,
> SGF Publishing
> http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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