Re: Apple publishing news

**"* M* <B*@verizon.net>**

Hi, all! Seeing my name in Graham's post I add my two cents.

I have published garden books for over twenty years, but mine is a micro 
business, just me, the authors, and occasional use of a consultant or 
service. I have switched over to print-on-demand for all new books. I also 
have three Kindle titles but there's not much action for me there yet, so 
far. My newest book ("Best of Green Space: 30 Years of Composted Columns") 
by Duane Campbell is ideal for the POD mode. It's informative, witty, 
well-written, and a bit outrageous. All it needs is all the words. Just for 
fun I added my own little ink sketches. This book does not need a video of 
Campbell showing and telling us what to do. It sells as a black and white 
paperback with a glossy color cover. That's it.

I have avoided expensive production because that's beyond my reach and I 
don't need it. What I focus on is content. If your content is original 
enough and good enough, you can compete with the big guys in the open 
market. You don't have to gild the lily. Not all content needs multimedia, 
but some does. Think about whether it is a natural fit with your content.

I'm still nervous about the security of products that are ebooks, videos, 
Kindle books, or other purely digital modes such as iPad. Look what happened 
to the music industry when people began swapping mp3 files. I am not going 
to be the first to explore multimedia books as a product to sell, but I do 
use multimedia for free publicity and have a couple of YouTube videos 
posted. A few years ago I made a free ebook on small-space gardening and 
thousands went around (thanks, Doug!) and still do. It led to some orders 
for sure (snail mail on the included form) but for online orders I can't 
tell.

Change happens and it always takes years longer than anyone expects. You see 
it a long way off down the track. Then when everything quiets down, all of a 
sudden the great shift takes place (HDTV for instance).

I will look into the iPad and try it out, same as with Kindle. But I remain 
centered on great content and originality. [Nellie Neal, that means YOU.]

 All best,

Betty

www.mackeybooks.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graham Rice" <grahamjfr@gmail.com>
> 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?
> 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?

_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
&quot;Gardenwriters on Gardening&quot; &lt;gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org&gt;

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters