tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40690870612464769892024-03-13T14:26:58.274-07:00The L'Stok ePressL'Stok Press Hand-made fiction in the digital ageKirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-35531955054489398052021-03-08T17:59:00.002-08:002021-03-08T21:49:07.216-08:00Fan Fiction, The Metric Of Success<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kyNzDeuwGk/YEbWFoaPfZI/AAAAAAABcqM/vKU7WMOBigUyJYB7_iHXbaa15abamuzoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/Hugo_sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5kyNzDeuwGk/YEbWFoaPfZI/AAAAAAABcqM/vKU7WMOBigUyJYB7_iHXbaa15abamuzoACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/Hugo_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />This is an article I wrote for Jacqueline Lichtenberg's blog <a href="http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2015/11/marketing-fiction-in-changing-world.html"><i>Alien Romances</i></a> back in 2015. It was part of her series entitled '<a href="http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2014/05/index-to-marketing-fiction-in-changing.html">Marketing Fiction In A Changing World</a>' which writers who want their works to be read would do well to study. What has marketing got to do with fan fiction when we can't sell it, I hear you ask? It all depends on how you define the success of your work.<p></p><p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Fan fiction is a strange beast not least because there is no clearly definable metric that can be placed against it to show which is successful, either in terms of popularity or quality.</p><p>Success for the professional author is relatively easy to define by sales, by which author tops the best seller lists, but does financial success mean that their works are more worthy of critical acclaim than works which were not as popular? Commercial success does not always equate to the critical acclaim of posterity. I don't recognise any of the books in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishers_Weekly_list_of_bestselling_novels_in_the_United_States_in_the_1950s#1954">the top ten best sellers list for 1954</a> whereas The Lord Of The Rings, the first volume of which was released that year, is universally known and loved. To be a best selling author doesn't guarantee that your works will be remembered as classics. Ever heard of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Patten">Gilbert Patten</a>?</p><p>That is why awards such as the <a href="http://www.thehugoawards.org">Hugo</a> and <a href="https://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards">Nebula</a> are of value, they represent works which are considered by an international convention of their readers and fellow writers to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Novel">the best for that year</a>.</p><p>By contrast, fan fiction has no 'best-seller' lists. By their very nature transformative <a href="https://transformativeworks.org/what-do-you-mean-transformative-work">works</a> cannot currently be sold for copyright reasons and commercial publishers, even print on demand companies such as <a href="http://connect.lulu.com/t5/Lulu-Basics/Lulu-FAQ/ta-p/33495">LuLu</a>, will not even print them.</p><p>The printing and distribution of hard copy stories based on copyrighted subjects had to wait until the invention of methods of printing that were within the reach of non-professionals. This heralded the birth of the fanzine but, again, there are no 'best selling' fanzine lists because profit was never a factor in their production (although <a href="http://www.strangenewworlds.com/issues/fandom-04-zines-collectibles.html">some classic 'zines have taken on a collectible value)</a>. Awards, on the other hand, have been a staple part of the fan fiction world from 1977 onwards, primarily in the form of <a href="http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fan_Q_Awards">the Fan Q Awards</a> and their recipients can be justifiably proud of them since they represent the appreciation of their audience and peers in much the same way as the Nebulas.</p><p>There have been immense changes in the nearly fifty years since those first Trekzines came out, which have mirrored the recent upheavals in the commercial market. From the way books have been printed, distributed and sold to the whole relationship between the author, publisher, printer, bookseller and reader, publishing has changed and so too has fan fiction. Just as Print On Demand is <a href="http://www.sfwriter.com/sfwapod.htm">a revolution in printing</a>, the combination of word processing software and home printers can handle most small fanzine runs. Ebook publishing has almost reached 'button-press' automation so that <a href="https://leanpub.com/authors">authors can create their own ePub and kindle compatible files</a>.</p><p>Personally I am a fan of the <a href="http://lstok-epress.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/pdf-publishing-options-give-me-options.html">pdf online publishing platform</a> which we have based our output on at TrekUnited Publishing. And with acceptance of online commerce the fan fiction community has whole-heartedly embraced the internet. It's not just the technology of production and distribution which has changed though. Just as the relationship between the author, publisher and reader has changed in the road from pen to bookshop, the world of fan fiction has changed as well.</p><p>Fifty years ago, print fanzines delivered by mail or exchanged or sold at conventions were the only means of distribution for fan fiction but the internet has created a world-wide audience for anyone who can string a story together. Unfortunately this has created such a flood of material that finding the best quality fiction to read is now a problem. Most fan fiction authors will chose a 'home forum' where they will release their stories. Many of them, such as <a href="http://adastrafanfic.com">Ad Astra</a> and <a href="http://www.thedelphicexpanse.com/archive">The Delphic Expanse</a> amongst many, have challenges, competitions and awards but, good as they are, they still represent niches within the larger world of fan fiction. In this massive but fragmented world of fan fiction, how does a fan fiction author now judge their work to be successful or of value?</p><p>The simplistic method would be to count the number of downloads they get but how do you know if your reader enjoyed it or even finished it? My experience has been that feedback is the coin of fan fiction, whether it is the copper of a thank you note or the gold of a detailed 'concrit', constructive critique. Feedback tells these amateur authors what you liked or disliked about their story but it is usually a localized, popularity feedback that is often just the support of online friends.</p><p>What fan fiction authors need, if they truly wish to hone their craft, is the critique of either an extremely large, motivated, international audience or the reasoned 'concrit' of judges they respect. What is needed is an internationally contested and judged writing competition.</p><p>I shake my head that I have said that because I am not a great fan of competition in the creative arts. I've seen it bring out the worst in people as well as the best and it can spoil an otherwise positive experience. On the other hand showing appreciation for exceptional work is worth doing and, speaking personally, just to have my work considered part of a field which included writers I admire and respect would be creatively fulfilling.</p><p>Taken in the true spirit of sportsmanship, competition stimulates you to strive harder to give your best, allows you to learn from your fellow contestants and analysis of the judging can be an objective critique of your work.</p><p>It is that last, especially, that sways me to support the idea of an online fan fiction award. The medals or certificates are nice but they are nothing compared to the approbation of your peers.</p>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-15849472826509879522020-07-30T06:53:00.003-07:002021-03-08T21:52:51.724-08:00TGBOTWW 01-10: From Homer to Hippocrates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/greatbooksofwesternworld/photos/a.1029436507443786/1357491847971582" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vx5mbjtQ-pA/XyLRKBbX2_I/AAAAAAABWFg/3vb6zkhJOtcoN_PaLXrMLg2jKh018F9BACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/images.jpg" /></a></div>So I have completed my listing of online locations where the first ten books of the Great Books Of The Western World can be legally downloaded or borrowed for free!<div><div><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/greatbooksofwesternworld/photos/a.1029436507443786/1357491847971582" target="_blank">Photo courtesy of Mike’s Great Book Corner</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww">Overview</a></div><div><div><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue">First Edition 1952, Catalogue</a></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-01">VOLUME 1: The Great Conversation; The Substance of a Liberal Education</a> </li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-02">VOLUME 2: The Great Ideas; A Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World Vol.I</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-03">VOLUME 3: The Great Ideas; A Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World Vol.II</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-04">VOLUME 4 : The Iliad of Homer and The Odyssey.</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-05">VOLUME 5: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-06">VOLUME 6: Herodotus, Thucydides</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-07">VOLUME 7: Plato</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-08">VOLUME 8: Aristotle I</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-09">VOLUME 9: Aristotle II</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/lstok-greatbooks/gbotww/gbotww-catalogue/gbotww1-10">VOLUME 10: Hippocrates, Galen</a></li></ul><br /></div></div>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-38203355317943887962020-06-10T09:44:00.031-07:002021-03-08T21:55:01.333-08:00The Greatest Books I could never own<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ecddkxfs-k/XuFrKdl3m2I/AAAAAAABSlc/YMzfXVFA1P4M8Onu9viMtQcsij_xs2RQQCK4BGAsYHg/s1440/BoL-01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ecddkxfs-k/XuFrKdl3m2I/AAAAAAABSlc/YMzfXVFA1P4M8Onu9viMtQcsij_xs2RQQCK4BGAsYHg/s320/BoL-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Like many people I was challenged during the lockdown to list ten books that I loved. Pft! With all due respect, that's like asking Giacomo Casanova to list the loves of his life! I listed the books that changed my life and one of the first of them was Vol.8 of "The Book of Knowledge", the set of encyclopedias that we had at home when I was in primary school. (Wierd, I know)<br />
<br />
This however got me thinking again about the Encyclopedia Brittanica's epic curated collection of The Great Books of the Western World (GBOTWW). If you were rich and wished to flaunt your education, there was no better icon than this bookcase of handsome books! I went through a phase where I lusted after a set of these books so badly I could taste it! Coming from a working class background, they represented to me a secret path to the further education that money and birth had denied me. There was even a ten year reading plan in Vol 1 (p112-131, see more <a href="http://www.greatconversation.com/10-year-reading-plan" target="_blank">HERE</a>) that was meant to guide you through these 'great books'.<br />
<br />
You just had to see them, ranked up on a bookshelf in their state of the art bindings to get a sense that they were a conscious distillation of human knowledge throughout history. I'm a product of my 60's era upbringing, an upbringing that was fixated on the supremacy of the Western world and the idea that seminal works held secrets that their study could reveal about the human condition.<br />
<br />
Sanity prevaled. We were a young couple wanting to start a family and the cost of a set of theses books didn't factor in easily with our practical needs. Life intervened - I'm sure you have had similar pressures - and along the way I started to question whether these books really did have relevance in the modern world as the collection became a quarter of a century old.<br />
<br />
Thirty-something years later I am retired and find myself revisiting them. Whilst I now have the spare time to read widely, that doesn't mean I can invest ten years in a reading program nor, for that matter, does it mean I have the spare cash to buy the collection or even the shelf space to store it! Fortunately in this digital age, knowledge has become free or at least affordable and can be shrunk to the size of the digital memory that records it.<br />
<br />
A night's Googling (that was fun) found that the University of Adelaide had alternative editions of most of the books (that was good) but following their link I found that their online library has been closed down (that's TERRIBLE!). Such a travesty could not be allowed to go unchallenged! The news is not all bad. The 'Wayback Machine' has most of the University's downloads available at this time most if not all of the books available for download and elsewhere on Archive.org has them in other editions and formats, Librivox even has many of them as free audiobooks<br />
<br />
So now I have a new reading and publishing project. To find them, precis them, and record for others what I have found. I've started a Google Sites website to record a comprehensive catalogue of the books in the collection, on a number of levels...<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>To find and link to copies of the Encyclopedia Brittanica's GBOTWW that are available online to download or borrow.</li>
<li>To find and link to copies of any other editions or translations of the same book with critiques of each</li>
<li>To analyse the books and to make a few personal comments about them</li>
</ol>
<br />
I've started level one of the project for the first ten volumes of the GBOTWW on this website so, if you feel the urge to paddle your feet in the classics, go for it! Level 2 is mostly a matter of searching for links, time consuming but not exactly challenging. Level 3 is the challenge, to write up my own thoughts about the book! Although I'm not going to read the books in any great detail - let's get real here: one of them is the complete works of Shakespeare! - the internet gives us access to scholars who have, who can help us place them into context and distil their effect even more. <div><br /></div><div>However there we have the great conundrum of life! Is the search for knowledge simply to distil the interpretations of others? Or should I start from scratch, read the originals and make my own conclusions? </div><div><br /></div><div>The adventure is in the journey! Let's see where this goes!</div>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-7497768192847618442015-12-30T17:13:00.002-08:002021-03-08T21:55:59.456-08:00Plus ça ChangeWhilst frantically adding the script for an old audio drama skit to the latest Personal Logs I realised that I didn't have the original audio online to be listened to by the curious. I'll update this post with more info as I get the time.<br />
<br />
The skit can be downloaded from <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=124Nz2tZIkyWaoZ1Q71UmXci1xto8lXB4" target="_blank">HERE</a>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-46867170069649833492014-03-07T16:47:00.001-08:002021-03-08T21:57:10.654-08:00To double space or not to double space?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/The_Chicago_Manual_of_Style_16th_edition.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/The_Chicago_Manual_of_Style_16th_edition.gif" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
A recent thread on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wendy.stevens.315" target="_blank">Wendy Stevens' Facebook page</a> leads me to dash off a quick post to gather some links regarding the contentious issue of double spaces after periods - ie between sentences. At TrekUnited Publishing I always used <a href="http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/OneSpaceorTwo.html?old=OneSpaceorTwo03.htm%20www.chicagomanualofstyle.org">The Chicago Manual of Style</a> as the provenance for taking out double spaces in published works...
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: TisaWebPro, 'Times Roman', Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px;">The view at </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: TisaWebPro, 'Times Roman', Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CMOS</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TisaWebPro, 'Times Roman', Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px;"> is that there is no reason for two spaces after a period in </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: TisaWebPro, 'Times Roman', Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">published</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TisaWebPro, 'Times Roman', Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.25px;"> work. Some people, however—my colleagues included—prefer it, relegating this preference to their personal correspondence and notes. I’ve noticed in old American books printed in the few decades before and after the turn of the last century (ca. 1870–1930 at least) that there seemed to be a trend in publishing to use extra space (sometimes quite a bit of it) after periods. And many people were taught to use that extra space in typing class (I was). But introducing two spaces after the period causes problems: (1) it is inefficient, requiring an extra keystroke for every sentence; (2) even if a program is set to automatically put an extra space after a period, such automation is never foolproof; (3) there is no proof that an extra space actually improves readability—as your comment suggests, it’s probably just a matter of familiarity (Who knows? perhaps it’s actually more efficient to read with less regard for sentences as individual units of thought—many centuries ago, for example in ancient Greece, there were no spaces even between words, and no punctuation); (4) two spaces are harder to control for than one in electronic documents (I find that the earmark of a document that imposes a two-space rule is a smattering of instances of both three spaces and one space after a period, and two spaces in the middle of sentences); and (5) two spaces can cause problems with line breaks in certain programs.</span></blockquote>
Joel Friedlander's website, The Book Designer - my goto for commercial publishing - has this as the #1 rule of his '<a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/06/10-quick-tips-to-get-your-manuscript-ready-for-publication/" target="_blank">10 Quick Tips to Get Your Manuscript Ready for Publication</a>'...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Get rid of extra spaces. Whether you’ve used them for spacing or between sentences, your file should contain no double spaces at all.</blockquote>
Joel, however points to Dave Bricker's website, <a href="http://theworldsgreatestbook.com/how-many-spaces-after-a-period/" target="_blank">The World’s Greatest Book</a>, which is more conciliatory saying,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Few subjects arouse more passion among writers and designers than the debate over how many spaces should follow a period. If you adhere to a style manual, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t specify a single-space—but popular arguments in support of the single-space turn out to be mostly apocryphal. The single-space after a period is a simple style evolution—and it’s a fairly recent one.</blockquote>
Farhad Manjoo, writing in <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.2.html#ixzz2vKBLSHYN">Slate.com</a> and Business Insider, is absolutely unequivocable...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Can I let you in on a secret? Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong.</blockquote>
Unfortunately there seems to be no consistency in the teaching of typing, with comments on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wendy.stevens.315/posts/10152283987632276?stream_ref=5" target="_blank">Wendy Steven's Facebook thread</a> saying how typing teachers in two consecutive classes at the same school were teaching opposing standards! However perhaps the most helpful from a practical sense (as always) is from Jacci Howard Bear in her web series for <a href="http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/typespacing/a/onetwospaces.htm">about.com</a> on Desktop Publishing...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Professional typesetters, designers, desktop publishers, and anyone who truly cares about fonts and typography should use only one space after a period or other ending punctuation. However, it doesn't necessarily need to be a standard space character. Desktop Publishing software makes it easy to experiment with other space characters to achieve the best appearance on a case-by-case basis. Save the double spaces for typewriting, casual email, term papers (if prescribed by the style guide you are using), or personal correspondence. Learn how to remove extra spaces between sentences. For everyone else, do whatever makes you feel good.</blockquote>
Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-65705714117141517472013-09-28T00:00:00.003-07:002021-03-08T21:58:31.713-08:00What size should I make my cover? 1 - Paperback<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/Kirok01/TrekUnited%20Publishing/MMP-Paperbacks_zps75ff199a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/Kirok01/TrekUnited%20Publishing/MMP-Paperbacks_zps75ff199a.png" width="244" /></a></div>
Probably one of the more common questions asked about eBook
production is, what
size should I make my cover? Like most things, if you ask this of three
people, you'll get three different answers! I make no pretense to
having a definitive but here are my thoughts on the subject which might
help to put things into perspective.
<br />
<div>
The first thing to consider in any
creative endeavor is to ask, what do you want to do,
what is your aim, your end result, what are the design considerations?
What do you want it for? For me, I want a single graphic (I'm late! I'm late!) that can serve
a number of purposes...</div>
<ol>
<li>As a cover that could
potentially be printed out for a
physical, "dead-tree" "A" format mass market paperback book</li>
<li>As a cover for a pdf
paperback</li>
<li>As a cover for an ebook
in ePub and mobi format</li>
<li>As promotional artwork,
both full-sized and as a thumbnail</li>
</ol>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Each of these has different design considerations but I have a template that I'm confident can cover all of them! In the next four blogs I'll step you through the design requirements for each of these end products. (NB all
dimensions are shown width x height)<br />
<h4>
THE HARDCOPY</h4>
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paperback">According
to Wikipedia</a> an "A" format mass-market paperback (MMP) is
110mm x 178mm (4.33" x 7.01")</li>
<li>Allowing "bleed" of 5mm all round, this comes to 120mm
x 188mm (4.72" x 7.40") for just a cover page.</li>
<li>This is only part of the story though! If you want a
wrap-around
cover for your book, you need to allow for "bleed" on the top, bottom and outside
edge *plus* the width of the spine which depends on the number of pages
and weight of paper used!</li>
<ul>
<li>Take for example Lulu, one of the highest profile Print
On Demand (POD) publisher. They don't have a book size that exactly
matches the MMP standard size, but their "Pocketbook" perfect bound
book at 107.9mm x
174.6mm (4.25" x 6.87") is virtually identical, checkout <a href="http://connect.lulu.com/t5/Cover-Formatting-Knowledge-Base/What-dimensions-should-my-one-piece-wraparound-cover-have/ta-p/33338">HERE</a>
for the dimensions and <a href="http://www.lulu.com/publish/books/">HERE</a>
for a templates. They advertise that their Pocketbook
can go up to 740
pages which, according to their <a href="http://www.lulu.com/calculators/bookSpineCalc.php?cid=publish_book">spine
calculator</a> would
be 35.46mm wide (1.40") using publisher grade paper. Sooo... if you want to make a wrap-around cover for your book, you need to know how many pages it is, what weight paper you are going to have it published on, plug this information into the spine calculator and it will give you the spine width, cover size and even where the spine begins!</li>
</ul>
<li>For my purposes <i>a wrap-around cover is not a design consideration</i> for three reasons...</li>
<ul>
<li>You'll notice I said that this was for "<a href="http://lstok-epress.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/fan-produced-books-oh-humanity.html">a cover that could potentially be printed out</a>"? I've given up on the idea of approaching a printer to publish, say, a dozen copies of a fan fiction novel. Realistically, the loss of revenue to a copyright owner from this would be so small as to be incalculable but I still get vents about how it is illegal, immoral and an attack on the very foundations of the western economy. No worries. If you don't want my business it's not my loss, it's just for personal satisfaction anyway.</li>
<li>Without knowing what paper weight I'd publish on or the number of pages of my potential book, I can't make a realistic estimate of the width of the spine for a specific book, and thus can't say how wide my wrap-around cover should be.</li>
<li>Since I want to design a template that can be used for all the books I publish, I am currently working on simply generating a front cover only which will have bleed on all four sides. If I <i>were </i>to get it published, I'd create a separate back cover and a spine that bridges between the front & back. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Next: The pdf paperback!<br />
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-60451961891563895232013-05-30T04:45:00.002-07:002021-03-08T22:05:30.065-08:00Pdf Publishing: Options! Give me options!<b>EDIT 2021:</b> <i>The header for this blog post was a Flash "book case" of TrekUnited books in Issuu. Flash is no9 longer supported by modern browsers and so it is now dead. A pity because it was a really intuitive way of promoting and making available pdf publications. This post was updated in 2015 and deserves to be updated again.</i><br />
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<div>
<embed align="middle" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&documentId=130527133933-0a72539d20da4480add21ed180edf4db&docName=payne-theincident&username=trekunited&loadingInfoText=AL.Payne-Night%20Whispers%201%20%3A%20The%20Incident&et=1369662445423&er=48" menu="false" name="flashticker" quality="high" salign="l" scale="noscale" src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" style="height: 340px; width: 420px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://issuu.com/trekunited/docs/payne-theincident?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com/" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=fan%20fiction" target="_blank">More fan fiction</a></div>
</div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Pdf Publishing: so you have a great looking book you want everyone to read, how do you put it online? Most people just have it as a link to a downloadable file. That works - its simple and it gets the job done - but it doesn't let people browse your work before they download it.<br />
<br />
This is what we have been using to date, that's an example embedded above, is Issuu, however they are putting a lot more weight behind their paid service and limiting their free features... <a href="http://www.issuu.com/TrekUnited">www.issuu.com/TrekUnited</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: Limited free service but they've added a rather good Facebook app.</i></div>
<br />
Scribd is a long-running social publishing site for sharing original writings and documents in various formats, for private or public viewing, in four Languages along with a commercial store. I note that S&S are using Scribd for advance copy. <a href="http://www.scribd.com/">http://www.scribd.com</a><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>July 2015: Scribd is no longer free for readers which creates a problem for fan fiction</i></div>
<br />
DeviantArt, the bastion of amateur art, has a pdf publishing plugin 'scroller' much the same as the one in Scribd. The major value of using DeviantArt is the community, you have a captive, supportive audience here! TrekUnited Publishing has a group here at... <a href="http://tu-publishing.deviantart.com/">http://tu-publishing.deviantart.com/</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: Still a good solid performer</i></div>
<br />
Yumpu is closest in looks to Issuu with flipping documents that they say you can create in only 2 minutes, one click Facebook integration along with Twitter, Linked In, Google+ and Pinterest. German focus but international distribution... <a href="http://www.yumpu.com/">http://www.yumpu.com/</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: Still seems good value</i></div>
<br />
SlideShare is the world's largest community for sharing presentations but also also supports documents, PDFs, videos and webinars. With 60 million monthly visitors and 130 million pageviews, it is amongst the most visited 200 websites in the world. Focused more on the real world than fiction! <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">http://www.slideshare.net</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: Still free but of little use for publishing fiction</i></div>
<br />
Joomag sounds like it has a number of features that Issuu doesn't such as Video & Audio (Issuu actually does support audio), a Photo Gallery, Popups and an iPad app. This one bears looking into! <a href="http://www.joomag.com/">http://www.joomag.com</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: the free option seems to be unlimited and ad sponsored </i></div>
<br />
Zyyne is an online platform that boosts your publications : they are more vivid, easier to disseminate and can be read on any medium. A powerful analysis tool allows you to see who has read them and how. <a href="http://www.zyyne.com/site/en/">http://www.zyyne.com/site/en/</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: The fact that they offer a thirty day trial suggests this is a commercial platform</i></div>
<br />
MegaZine3, a powerful, userfriendly, open source ActionScript3 based page flip engine. <a href="http://www.megazine3.de/">http://www.megazine3.de/</a><br />
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<i>July 2015: They seem to be morphing into a commercial platform</i></div>
</div>
Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-59896704126923229242013-03-16T05:17:00.000-07:002013-03-16T22:21:21.381-07:00Notebooks for modern writers<span class="userContent">How do you write? I mean how do you turn the fevered imaginings that are the seeds of your work into the digital file that you can then release on an unsuspecting world? Most people use a keyboard
but, to steal a classic quote from our esteemed opposition, "There is another!" It uses pen and paper and has been around since... before they had pens and paper!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">Without a doubt, it's more efficient to create your work electronically (the subject of a future article) because there is no conversion needed or further transcription however there is much to be said for handwriting you first draft. Many find writing more intuitive, perhaps from memories of filling school notebooks with fantasies, and there's nothing easier than pulling out a notebook and pen and scrawling out your plot-bunnies. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">You remember notebooks, right? </span><span class="userContent">They don't take batteries nor need charging,
they don't take a month's salary to buy, they do graphics as well as text in 'true to life colour' and I've even
spilled coffee on them without them dying on me and taking all my work
with them to electronic heaven! </span><span class="userContent">I
still use one occasionally, usually one of<a href="http://kirok-of-lstok.deviantart.com/art/Budget-Moleskine-Portfolio-166634469"> a pair of Moleskines</a>, but you are always faced <span class="text_exposed_show">with
the problem of keeping them, carrying them, losing them, finding them, storing them, searching them
and, ultimately, transferring the information in them to an electronic form that
you can build on! This is an outline of </span></span><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">a scene in a prospective flash fiction series which I </span></span><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">dashed
off to show how I use my own notebooks...</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FUWVdL7YzzE/UURkRebgQ3I/AAAAAAAAAz8/ualgbxgorf0/s1600/Notebooks-130316b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FUWVdL7YzzE/UURkRebgQ3I/AAAAAAAAAz8/ualgbxgorf0/s320/Notebooks-130316b.png" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">First of all </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">I
don't attempt to get a finished product. What I'm putting down is a snapshot, stream-of-consciousness outline. I know I'm going to have to type this out later and it is at that point that I will check for grammar, spelling and style (how many times have I used that word in the last two pages?) I don't struggle to make up names for people or places, it is peppered with corrections and notes and it is quite likely to end in mid-sentence because I have had to stop writing to get off the bus!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">The first thing to do is to get an image of the page. Now, obviously, this what scanners were made for but, <a href="http://www.scanningpens.co.uk/">with very few exceptions</a>, scanners are not made to carry around in your pocket so, to use one, you have to be either at home or in a library, etc which severely limits your option. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/884953_317518308351328_1751168817_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/884953_317518308351328_1751168817_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Luckily
most of us have the next best thing, a mobile phone with a camera,
which is quite sufficient for text. The snap on the left is one I took of my
example page, b</span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[1].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_532060}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">asically I just put it on the floor and took the photo. Its reasonably good, you can read it if you play around with it, but I've downloaded a neat little Ap that can smarten it up with a few clicks! Called <a href="http://www.snapseed.com/">Snapseed</a>, it is a matter of a couple of minutes to rotate, crop and automatically correct the brightness and contrast so that I end up with the graphic below. </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Remember,
all this is done on my mobile phone, so I can do this anywhere - on a
train platform, at work during lunch - giving me something useful to do with the phone besides play Angry Birds.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/734317_317519208351238_1180782871_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/734317_317519208351238_1180782871_n.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">So we have our notebook text recorded for posterity - they'll have it 22nd century textbooks when we our genius is finally recognised! If you use your notebook for artwork - and I've seen some stunning work! - you'll want to take high resolution scans but for a working author's notebook this does me admirably. When you come to transcribe your work, probably on your desktop computer just open up the enhanced graphic and your word processor and off you go! I can do this on the run with my netbook, <i>MiniMe</i>, but if you feel the urge to get a head start on your phone you can do so direct from your notebook.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">I have done this on <a href="https://www.evernote.com/">Evernote</a>, another phone ap I have which links my phone, netbook and any desktop via '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing">the cloud</a>'. At this point canny Evernote users will jump in and shout, "but you can take your scanning shot direct from Evernote!" Yes, I know this, but can you open the image and the text window at the same time so that you can read what is on the image and type it into the text window? I know that you can annotate <a href="http://evernote.com/skitch/">Skitch</a> but can you save those annotations as text? I'd appreciate some feedback on this.</span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"> If you have the money,</span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"> the most viable option of using a notebook with Evernote </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">looks like being</span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"> the <a href="http://evernote.com/moleskine/">Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine</a>. </span></span></span></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[51].[1][2][1]{comment317518308351328_531859}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-6885993784197805952013-02-22T14:54:00.000-08:002013-02-25T02:59:18.195-08:00Baen Books: End of a dream or Start of a new era?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z325meNRf1I/UStD4kZIsKI/AAAAAAAAAzI/jioHNbieObs/s1600/BaenBooks-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z325meNRf1I/UStD4kZIsKI/AAAAAAAAAzI/jioHNbieObs/s200/BaenBooks-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It was one of those classic facepalm moments last week when I read in <a href="http://www.darkmatterfanzine.com/dmf/authors-against-libraries-are-short-sighted/">Dark Matter fanzine</a> that English author Terry Deary had <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/13/libraries-horrible-histories-terry-deary">called for the closure of libraries</a>. I thought it was a glaring example of someone who could not accept that sometimes giving something away for free can actually make
more money for you than watching every farthing. I immediately thought
of <a href="http://www.baenebooks.com/default.aspx">Baen Books</a>, the SF & F publishing house that was famous (or infamous depending on your viewpoint) for giving away books in their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baen_Free_Library">Baen Free Library.</a> It has always been a showpiece of the mindset that free distribution of prequels is the best way of authors attracting new sales. One of the
originators of the free library concept, <a href="http://www.baen.com/library/prime_palaver6.asp">Eric Flint, proved with hard figures</a> that this had improved sales!<br />
<br />
Imagine my dismay
when I found that it had been gutted!<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]"><a href="http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx">The Free library still exists</a> but they have ... </span></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">... had to
remove some titles. Others are undergoing alteration and will be brought
back into the Library over the next few months. The Second Editions
with new material will be available for sa</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[18].[1][2][1]{comment334996566602119_1522202}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">le
at all venues; the original editions will be restored to the Free
Library. We are trying to keep as many titles here as possible. We will
also be adding new titles soon, including ones by Larry Correia, and
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller.</span></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
Has Baen Books jumped the shark by trading many of the things that made them unique for the ability to sell their books on Amazon? <a href="http://madgeniusclub.com/2012/12/18/baen-e-books-now-available-through-amazon/">Amanda S. Green</a> jumps to their defence and paints it as a win for Baen authors and has many valid points.<br />
<br />
Personally I think that we need to remember that Baen Books is a commercial enterprise and not a charitable organisation. We, as readers, have no rights to the free ebooks they made available to us however they, in turn, need to realise that they are in danger of losing the gains that it brought them.<br />
<br />
The operative question here is, will the gain be worth the loss? Is the increased exposure that Amazon listing will give them worth the loss of the sales boost that Eric Flint espoused? Just <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/paulsmalera/2013/02/08/in-amazon-wall-street-worships-a-disruptive-god/">what is the Amazon market share</a> of the ebook market and <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/ebook-lawsuit/">will they keep it</a>?Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-14017126830725346892013-02-18T04:31:00.001-08:002013-02-18T04:54:33.388-08:00Trek fanfic of the week - Star Trek: Frontiers<br />
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<a href="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc7/c19.19.239.239/s160x160/401643_10150633513349045_852481440_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc7/c19.19.239.239/s160x160/401643_10150633513349045_852481440_n.jpg" /></a></div>
This <a href="http://virtualseries.a.wiki-site.com/index.php/Main_Page">Virtual Series</a> is something totally different from traditional book/zine-based fiction. It is an iconic, long-running, ground-breaking production that will give you the closest thing to a cinematic experience in the printed word!<br />
<br />
Their long journey started in 2004 but their popularity caused them to become one of the founding members of <a href="http://virtualseries.a.wiki-site.com/index.php/Joshua_D._Maley#Virtual_Star_Trek">VirtualStarTrek.com</a> the following year. This was their heyday which they shared with ST: Renaissance, ST: Star’s End and later ST: Avalon and Knights Haven lasting until 2008 when a downturn in interest caused them to move to <a href="http://virtualseries.a.wiki-site.com/index.php/MZPtv">MZP-TV</a>, which at the time was an active hub for fan-based virtual seasons from many fandoms.<br />
<br />
Their storyline had drawn critical acclaim amongst fans as holding true to the spirit of Star Trek but <a href="http://www.mzp-tv.co.uk/forum/star-trek-frontiers/">their move</a> to MZP-TV was not popular because of the lack of new material and their focus on re-releasing edited and rewritten episodes of their previous seasons. Their tenure at <a href="http://www.mzp-tv.co.uk/">MZPtv</a> (as they rebranded themselves) came to an amicable end in May 2012 when their host changed their focus to Indie Virtual Series and since then Frontiers have been re-establishing a presence on the web, with <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Star-Trek-Frontiers/95940124044">facebook</a> as their major fan interface and an striking <a href="http://www.startrekfrontiers.net/index.php">new website</a>, designed by Cador Davis, housing their resources.<br />
<br />
What impresses me the most about this is the innovative way that the story has been presented! Unlike traditional fan fiction which is book/zine-based, Frontiers and the Virtual Seasons that followed have been made available as movie format scripts. Whilst this might take some getting used to, like audio dramas, the combination of dialog, stage/transition directions and scenery descriptions make the story come alive as a movie in the cinema of the mind!
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_FY4to63ZfE?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Frontiers and the other Virtual Seasons have worked hard to build on the idea of their work as a cinematic production. In Mar 2011 they released their much anticipated Season 1 vDVD (virtual DVD) set. Containing all 17 episodes, many edited and rewritten, it also had special production podcasts, the popular video trailer by Paul Weaver and a gallery of digital images. Perhaps the neatest feature of the vDVD set its groundbreaking menu interface, designed by Paul, that authentically portrayed a "real" DVD set on your computer screen! As with all prototypes it had its teething problems and the season 2 vDVD released in Dec 2012 worked much better! Download the vDVDs and all their other episodes from their website, <a href="http://www.startrekfrontiers.net/episodes.php">HERE</a>.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397643_10150650360889045_1189187684_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/397643_10150650360889045_1189187684_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conceptual art for the vDVD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now is the perfect time to start following this series since, in Oct last year, they announced <a href="http://startrekfrontiers.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/season-3-lineup/">the lineup of their 3rd and final season</a>. If they can build on the amazing body of work that they have created over the last nine years this is going to be an epic ride!</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.startrekfrontiers.net/index.php">Website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/TUPublishing/304579939645165?ref=hl#">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/stfrontiers">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://startrekfrontiers.wordpress.com/">Production Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/startrekfrontiers/videos?view=0&flow=grid">Youtube Channel</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">NOTE: All graphics on this post came from Star Trek: Frontiers</span></i></div>
Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-34606346619926252022013-02-17T03:20:00.002-08:002013-02-17T03:33:51.407-08:00DIY eBooks 101It is no great secret that I'm in the process of teaching myself how to create ebooks - starting with ePubs - of the pdf paperbacks that we've published for TrekUnited Publishing. What have been my major influences so far?<br />
<br />
<h3>
MobileRead </h3>
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<a href="http://s.mobileread.com/i/mr/misc/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s.mobileread.com/i/mr/misc/logo.png" /></a></div>
A massive forum of eBook readers and creators plus an informative and relatively non-partisan Wiki. One example thread you really must at least skim is this thread which, for the past three years, has gathered advice & links to resources which are an invaluable resource for the beginner and journeyman creator alike. <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54309">How and Where to Publish Your Ebooks</a>
<br />
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<a href="http://catherineryanhoward.com/mye-bookstore/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://catherineryanhoward.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/sp_epub.png?w=235&h=300" width="157" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Catherine Ryan Howard</h3>
Her blogging on self publishing is exhaustive and exceptionally accessible to the average person! You can support her by buying her book from her website <a href="http://catherineryanhoward.com/mye-bookstore/">HERE</a> - I did, it cost less than my daily industrial strength size coffee!<br />
<a href="http://catherineryanhoward.com/self-printing-home/self-printing-posts/">Blog</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/catherineryanhoward">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/cathryanhoward">Twitter</a>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://alliterationink.com/store.html#ebook" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://alliterationink.com/s_images/ebook_256.jpg" width="200" /></a>
Steven Saus</h3>
Many of the posts that he later made into his book on self publishing are still on his personal blog which is also a mine of commentary & information on the subject in general. You can thank Steven for his help by buying his book from his website <a href="http://alliterationink.com/store.html#ebook">HERE</a>.<br />
<a href="http://ideatrash.net/search/label/ebooks">Blog</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlliterationInk">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AlliterationInk">Twitter</a>
<br />
<br />
What draws me to these two particular authors rather than the dozens that Google ads throw at me all day long, offering to show me how self publish your own eBooks? They offer most of the information in their books on their websites *for free*, trusting that their readers, as aspiring fellow authors (even fan authors who cannot make any money from their work!) will show their thanks with a little support.<br />
<br />
I did! For the cost of a couple of magazines I did my bit to make sure that these two authors (who on face value espouse diametrically opposed methods) will continue to contribute to the self publishing community.Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-59454307718256229692012-09-03T03:23:00.000-07:002012-09-04T03:58:15.218-07:00Covers That Never Were!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M6ywWqC2Y9g/UEXeperZcMI/AAAAAAAAAwU/vaHPAtlHN7I/s1600/BThumb-Faux-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M6ywWqC2Y9g/UEXeperZcMI/AAAAAAAAAwU/vaHPAtlHN7I/s200/BThumb-Faux-01.png" width="194" /></a></div>
Have a think - and this is open to wider discussion - about the style that
we could or should aim for with fan produced covers. Have a flick through the gallery in the last post and remember we are trying to give the illusion on a computer screen of a paperback. In this respect, patterning our designs on hardcopy principles, there are a number of great resources available to us for free on line, not least of which is <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/monthly-e-book-cover-design-awards/">Joel Friedlander's Monthly eBook Cover Design Awards</a>, even though he sadly does not seem to recognise that a pdf can be in any physical format.<br />
<br />
Do we, for instance want to make a cover that strongly follows a design that has been used in the past? I think when you consider the genre that we are writing in - fan fiction that is meant to resonate the works of past professionals? There are a number of faux covers on the internet, covers of imaginary paperbacks that might have been published in the past. The most recent ones I've spotted are a series of covers done by Arcas-Art on DeviantArt of an imaginary series called The Seekers, which the artist introduces thus...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Remember back in 1968 when the battle fleet from Procyon invaded and our only solution was to use Tesla’s time machine which the Pentagon was keeping secret in their vaults and we had to change to a different time stream where Kennedy was assassinated and Star Trek was cancelled after three seasons? Well I do (perhaps thanks to my tinfoil beanie!?). And I long for what we lost – that spin off series from the hugely successful “Star Trek”, called “The Seekers”.<br />
<br />
For your consideration (as senator Serling used to say) I submit the novelization book covers from that lost timeline. The one-season series spin-off featured the new tiny Federation scout ship designed by 7-year-old Masao Okazaki through the studio fan-mail-in contest. It followed the adventures of this intimate crew on a series of epsidoes that would set a new standard for TV sci-fi that would not be met for decades. Adapted by sci-fi author Frederic Brown, these novels sold at least as well as their Star Trek counterparts….at least in their own timeline.</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/art/Seekers-1-284950035?q=gallery%3Aarcas-art%2F30878717&qo=2"><img border="0" src="http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/f/2012/044/8/d/seekers_1_by_arcass-d4pngur.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/art/Seekers-2-284998899?q=gallery%3Aarcas-art%2F30878717&qo=3" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/f/2012/045/a/6/seekers_2_by_arcass-d4poik3.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/art/Seekers-3-285519428?q=gallery%3Aarcas-art%2F30878717&qo=4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/200H/f/2012/047/f/7/seekers_3_by_arcass-d4pzo78.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/art/Seekers-4-286061198?q=gallery%3Aarcas-art%2F30878717&qo=5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/f/2012/050/d/3/seekers_4_by_arcass-d4qba8e.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/art/Seekers-5-286845181?q=gallery%3Aarcas-art%2F30878717&qo=6" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/200H/f/2012/055/6/f/seekers_5_by_arcass-d4qs35p.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<br />
Browse the artist's gallery for <a href="http://arcas-art.deviantart.com/gallery/30878717">more faux book covers</a> but I thought that these should particularly be brought to your attention to show how following a certain style of book cover - in this case the Bantam novels - can evince a certain era.Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-47680647516999743822012-08-12T04:46:00.000-07:002012-09-04T03:49:16.434-07:00On Trek Fan-produced Book Covers<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-keo_T_USoho/UEXbmvtxHsI/AAAAAAAAAwE/pLhNnxZB2Hk/s1600/BThumb-PLogs-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-keo_T_USoho/UEXbmvtxHsI/AAAAAAAAAwE/pLhNnxZB2Hk/s1600/BThumb-PLogs-02.png" /></a>As the old saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover... and yet this is exactly what we do with our traditional print media! You browse the shelves, something catches your eye, perhaps only the spine, so you pick it up, check out the cover then flip it over and read the back promo-text ... and nine-times-out-of-ten your decision has been made!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The cover is just as much a communication media as the writing inside the book: it tells the prospective reader, using visual cues, what they can expect from this book. Everything written is unique in some way and a publisher treads a fine line
between preserving that unique quality whilst at the same time
presenting the publication in such a way as to make it recognisable and
attractive to its target audience. For example our Trekzine, <a href="http://tupub-books.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/hfo-personal-logs-2-march-2012.html">Personal Logs</a>, needed to be recognisable as... <br />
<ul>
<li>short stories and art...</li>
<li>about Star Trek, any series and era...</li>
<li>a wide range of story types from action/adventure to personal relationship dramas...</li>
<li>Fan produced...</li>
<li>rated PG13 or less...</li>
</ul>
All
of these key points, which by the way would be tags you would need to
apply to your work where possible, should be recognisable from the cover
either by being spelled out in the promotional blurb or by recognisable
memes in the cover art, font, colour scheme or layout of the cover <br />
<br />
Does
an illustration have to accurately record something that happens in the
story? That is a bitterly fought argument! My own thoughts on the
matter are: why can't you have both? A cover that sells the story and
accurately shows a scene in the story? Given that a cover might have a minor
difference with the story but really ticks all the boxes to draw the
casual browser, I would only veto it if the author vehemently disagreed
with it – mainly because if they felt that strongly about it then others
who read it and liked it might as well. <br />
<br />
<acronym title="Marion's Blog, The Profictable Publisher"><a class="external" href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://gropenassoc.com/blog/">Marion Gropen</a></acronym> puts it this way on the <acronym title="Discussion forum of authors and small presses"><a class="external" href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Self-Publishing">Self-Publishing Yahoo Group</a></acronym>,
“If you put art that looks like a cozy mystery on an urban fantasy, it
doesn't matter that the room depicted actually appears in the book. The
reader who buys it will be expecting a cozy, and they'll be annoyed when
it's not. And the reader who actually would like your book probably
won't buy it, based on that cover image.” <br />
<br />
So what do I look for
in a cover? Two things. Primarily I'm looking for something that will
allow the prospective reader to accurately identify the style, genre and
content of the story. This might sound “commercial” to you - a strange
thing to say about a fan production! - but there is a language and
symbology to covers, just as there is to road signs and food packaging,
and it is this that will make the initial connection between your book
and the browsing reader - especially for an online publication where there is no practical need for a back cover.<br />
<br />
However whilst showing how this is
similar to other stories the prospective reader might have read, it also
needs to explain how it is different as well. It needs to show the
unique spark that will make the story memorable for the reader.
Hopefully so much so that they will go looking for others thing the
author has written!<br />
<br />
Remember that what we as amateur publishers want to
do is
to emulate professional publishers right up to, but not including the
vast profits they make! The writer creates the stories, we package it in
such a way as to attract an audience for it and facilitate the
distribution of the finished works. How does one do that for a Star Trek fan produced fiction? Well, how better to find out than to study the history of Star Trek book covers? Have a flick through Arnold E. van
Beverhoudt, Jr's Sandcastle V.I. gallery of scans of the covers in his
possession starting from <a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/tos-bookcvrs-01.htm" target="_blank">HERE</a>...<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/tos-bookcvrs-01.htm" target="_blank">The Bantam TV Adaptations</a> The focus is brand-recognition of Star Trek and
that it is part of a series of a collectable anthologies which you
can follow. Very SciFi from the Analog generation.</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/tos-bookcvrs-02.htm" target="_blank">The
Bantam Original Series Novels</a> The focus is on the fact that they
are Science Fiction - spacescapes and exotic aliens - rather than
the Original Series characters.</div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/tos-bookcvrs-05.htm" target="_blank">The
Pocket Books Original Series Novels</a> This is what most people
think of when you say, Original Series paperbacks – everyone has
some! Follow the development of a standard format, almost a trademark
look, that was instantly identifiable as Star Trek and focused on
the characters - almost always Kirk, Spock and McCoy.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/tng-bookcvrs-12.htm">The Pocket Book TNG Novels</a> Three dimensional serif fonts, photos or photorealistic graphics, no borders, almost Spartan covers</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/ds9-bookcvrs-07.htm">The Pocket Book DSN Novels</a> The later DSN covers between 2002 – 2009 were very artistic, almost
abstract designs with a larger more prominent portrait and traditional
Trek sans serif fonts</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/voy-bookcvrs-05.htm">The Pocket Book Voyager Novels</a> Interesting to note that the Voyager covers went from portraits of
characters in the String Theory series of 2006 to spacescapes in 2009 –
2011, which seems to suggest to me that the books were moving their
focus away from the characters to content</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sandcastlevi.com/scifi/startrek/ent-bookcvrs-02.htm">The Pocket Book Enterprise Novels</a> The variety of themes on Enterprise book covers, in addition to
characters, suggests to me that Pocket Books never really settled on whether
this series should be character focused or plot-centred. Always
good, sometimes artistic design, with the series title once again
featured</li>
<li>The Book covers shown on <a href="http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Upcoming_productions">Memory Alphas' upcoming list</a> don't show any surprises, other than a return from the recent spacescapes to character portraits once again. </li>
</ul>
What are your opinions of the way Trek book covers have changed over the years?Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-56880775257621495752012-08-02T06:21:00.002-07:002012-08-03T08:27:49.513-07:00Pdf Publishing: Control AND Convenience!So...<br />
<ul>
<li>Books are print media which are created by book designers to create a specific reading experience for the reader. To do this they need to have control over the output that you receive - the font, its size, the overall look of the page, in fact the whole book itself from cover to cover.</li>
<li>eBooks are electronic media that require flexibility for the text to be displayed in a legible manner over any number of devises and screen sizes. They also allow the reader the freedom to choose the font and font size they prefer for their eyesight and reading speed.</li>
</ul>
In both cases, either as the book designer or as the eBook reader, you are taking the creative work of another and displaying it how you see fit. In the former case it is placed in a carefully controlled environment to give a specific effect. In the latter you (the reader) take the creative work and you display it however the whim takes you. In some cases it might work well, in most others it will not.<br />
<br />
Do you see my point? I'm treading close to an entrenched discussion I have with my college student son about art as communication (oh, didn't we have fun at last year's Picasso exhibit at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art!!!) Should a literary work be presented to a reader in a controlled environment or should they be given the raw content to experience in any manner they see fit?<br />
<br />
As an amateur publisher of fan produced works, I see my job as being the author's partner in presenting their work to as wide an audience as possible and in as effective and stimulating a manner as possible. It is a fact of our modern world that time pressures are reducing our free time to read so that a convenient, if less than perfectly displayed, medium - the eBook - has its place. I'm still not sold that eBooks must, by definition, be plain. I've not done any development work on what is possible with them but I'm sure there are options that an eBook publisher can take that can improve this medium of display, not least being a great cover!<br />
<br />
The other option, hard-copy, is closed to us because we publish fan fiction. I've long since given up on the idea that I will ever hold in my hot little hands one of the books we publish online as a physical paperback. Book printing has always been a culturally and politically hot potato so expecting the publishing industry to see <a href="http://acruxcontent.blogspot.com.au/2009/05/how-far-can-fan-fiction-publishing-go.html">my point of view</a> is unlikely.<br />
<br />
I believe though that we have found a third option that suits our purposes beautifully! Pdf publishing.<br />
<br />
Before you reach for the 'Close Tab' button, dismissing us as just another bunch of amateurs who can't grasp the 'Big Picture', let me introduce you to our pdf publishing platform - you might be surprised with what you can do with the Old Girl these days!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Issuu-logo-horizontal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Issuu-logo-horizontal.png" width="200" /></a></div>
One of the things, for example, that was a drawback with pdf
was that you had to actually download the pdf before you could open it
up and look at it. This was more of a problem on older systems where
internet connections were slow and expensive. All browsers now have it as a plug-in so that you can click on a link and it will open in everything from Explorer to Opera. There are a number of web-based pdf viewers that have taken this a step further by adding free online storage, making them into on-line publishing
platforms.<br />
<br />
Our choice is <a href="http://issuu.com/">Issuu</a> and this is an example of one of our early books - an anthology of short stories formatted as an A5 Digest.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object style="height: 390px; width: 550px;"><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf?mode=mini&embedBackground=%23000000&backgroundColor=%23222222&documentId=110811140208-75431f3baeab4e6283c8eba0ca59c21e" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="menu" value="false"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" menu="false" wmode="transparent" style="width:550px;height:390px" flashvars="mode=mini&embedBackground=%23000000&backgroundColor=%23222222&documentId=110811140208-75431f3baeab4e6283c8eba0ca59c21e" /></object><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://issuu.com/trekunited/docs/drw-02?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222" target="_blank">Open the publication</a> - Learn more about <a href="http://issuu.com/" target="_blank">free publishing on Issuu</a></div>
</div>
<br />
Go ahead, click the viewer! What you see is just a preview and when you click on it, or on the hyperlink below the viewer, you go to the full-screen viewer. There is so much to say about it that I can only touch on the highlights here.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's Accessible - </span>Sure, the software for ePub and Mobi is free and easy to download but is there a computer operating today that doesn't have Adobe Acrobat on it?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's Archivable</span> - You can download all our books as pdf files for free and they can be stored on any electronic media from your computer's hard drive to your archive of choice in "the cloud". You own it and can save it for posterity.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's Future Proof</span> - One of the more Luddite complaints against eBooks is that the software that your expensive eBooks are saved in might someday become unsupported. One thing you can bet money on is that Adobe Acrobat will be the Latin of 23rd Century computer users! It might not still be commonly used but it <i>will</i> be readable.<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>It's Graphical </b>- How many eBook graphic novels have you seen? You probably won't see many either until <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/business/press-releases/article/Kobo-Launches-in-Japan-with-World-Class-3678152.php">the next generation of eReaders</a> start to take advantage of the new standards. Because pdf faithfully recreates the printed page in high resolution and colour rendering, graphic novels are the mainstay of our book list!<br />
<br />
<b>It's Visible</b> - You can embed viewers that will show different sized teaser viewers on social media sites from Blogger to WordPress and LiveJournal, from Orkut, MySpace and Joomla to Tumblr, Typepad and Facebook! All done using automatically generated code.<br />
<br />
<b>In fact, it is <u>Very</u> Visible!</b> - Ever wanted your very own bookshelf? I embedded this into this page in less than five minutes!<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="185" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://static.issuu.com/widgets/shelf/index.html?folderId=538356fd-2b42-4978-b203-f6c9f3c0dee0&theme=theme1&rows=1&thumbSize=medium&roundedCorners=false&showTitle=false&showAuthor=false&shadow=true&effect3d=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
There's more to be said, much more! Over the next few weeks I'll show you what we've done and how you can do it yourself - online publication that faithfully recreates on the screen anything that you can create with a word processor or DTP software and output as a pdf.<br />
<br />
Of course I can't guarantee it will be a good book - only you can do that!<br />
<br />
I'm a publisher, Jim, not a magician!</div>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-90289430666364111712012-07-28T07:55:00.001-07:002012-08-01T05:01:44.643-07:00A book is a book is a book... right?Most creative amateurs who strive to make something, agree that the way to improve is to learn from professionals. I say most because there are a significant few who have the idea that they have some mutant creative power whereby they know better than the people who have invested a significant portion of their lives to learning their craft, in most cases take pride in their achievements and do it so well that people will pay them to do it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXMk2D9Kw4M/UBPm1VVY9fI/AAAAAAAAAuo/PvE1vl5UotM/s1600/Baseball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXMk2D9Kw4M/UBPm1VVY9fI/AAAAAAAAAuo/PvE1vl5UotM/s200/Baseball.jpg" width="80" /></a></div>
When it comes to publishing, I am strictly Little League! Certainly I try my best to present an author's work in its best light and I have some specific ideas and guidelines that this work allows me to experiment with, but I am a realist: the fast-track to success lies in learning from the experience of those who have 'been there and done that'.<br />
<br />
Luckily a thriving community has grown up around the concept of self-publishing, the idea that authors can publish their own books. I've mentioned before the <a href="http://Self-Publishing@yahoogroups.com%20/"><span class="gD" name="Self-Publishing@yahoogroups.com">Self-Publishing Yahoogroup</span></a>, which is a prolific and supportive group of authors and small publishers, but arguably the most helpful and authoritative website would have to be Joel Friedlander's, <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/">The Book Designer</a>. With information ranging from obscure but important technical details to general commentaries on aesthetics, Joel shows a depth and breadth of knowledge in his field that makes his website required reading for anyone interested in the subject.<br />
<br />
One of the recurring themes that Joel puts forward is that eBooks as they stand are a danger to hard-copy books, that they are <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/01/the-death-of-book-design/">the Death of Book Design</a> and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7buf5AnBxzM">Do Violence to the Concept of a Book</a>"...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7buf5AnBxzM" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whilst Joel is not a one-eyed hater of eBooks, a lot of this is tongue-in-cheek and he has in fact got <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/08/self-publishers-start-here-ebooks-and-ebook-readers/">a substantial section on creating eBooks</a> in his 'Start Here' section, his <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/companion/about-the-author/">professional career</a> revolves around creating beautiful books and he recognises that this is something that eBooks are not set up to allow. I believe I see Joel's point and if I may paraphrase, I see it as a case of the same content being distributed by different media - eBooks and hard-copy books. How, you might ask, can they be different media? They both convey the written word of exactly the same text, and that is precisely the point: they convey the same content but as an entirely different experience.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let me give you an example.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://timbradstreet.typepad.com/the_online_world_of_timot/2010/01/sneak-peeks-of-the-artwork-for-robert-e-howards-el-borak-on-my-facebook-page.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Click to go to the artist's blog - The Online World Of Timothy Bradstreet"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://timbradstreet.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8347569c853ef0120a82c9b32970b-pi" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The last hard copy book I bought was "<a href="http://www.thecimmerian.com/el-borak-and-other-desert-adventures-a-review/">El Borak and Other Desert Adventures</a>", a collection of some of <span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">Robert Ervin Howard's pulp adventures set in the Far East illustrated with copious internal black & white artworks by Tim Bradstreet and Tim & Ruth Keegan. However I live in Australia where pretty much all of these stories are now in the public domain, so I could have downloaded them all from Project Gutenberg </span>Australia as either txt files or <a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600991h.html">html</a> - so <i>why did I buy this book?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Well, besides the glaring editing errors? Whoever had submitted "The Daughter of Erlik Khan" to <span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">Project Gutenberg had failed to note that the opening section was probably a promotional text from the flyleaf and that the closing chapter, "chapter 11" was in fact the opening section of another story, "Swords of the Hills" - probably more promotional text from the inside back cover! Could it be the superlative artwork? The quality construction of the trade paperback? The collector's passion of owning the stories that I loved? The nostalgia factor of holding in my hands lost hours from my youth?</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">I bought an experience. I gained a possession, something that has an intrinsic meaning for me. </span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">Books are more than just the content, the words which the author has strung together so skilfully. They are an artifact, crafted by book designers, to enhance your reading experience and, yes, <a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/does-book-design-really-matter/">design does matter</a>!</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">So why, if we are to believe Joel, are eBooks such an antithesis to good book design? In their current form, nearly all the individual factors that the designer utilises to make them individual are now arbitrary, at the whim of the reader or severely limited in choice. The font, its size, the page size and orientation - they can all be changed by the reader or are dictated by the eReader. This in turn affects the page </span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140"> numbering, the flow of the text, where page breaks occur, the position of illustrations and the amount of white space at chapter ends.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">Joel is arguing semantics of what a book is and I can see his point of view, that an eBook is only slightly closer related to a hard copy book than it is to an audio book, that it's medium is the electronic file and not the printed word.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">But is this the end of the story? Two choices? Hard-copy or eBook? </span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">I don't believe so. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">Because </span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">TrekUnited Publishing</span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140"> publish fan fiction I will almost certainly never see anything printed in hard-copy under our imprint</span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140"> . We've published ePubs and Mobis in the past, courtesy of Richard Merk's help, and I intend working on more in the near future, but...</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">[Cue suspenseful Star Wars music]</span><span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140"> There is another!</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextContainer13050193700108619140">[Fade to black. Roll credits.] To Be Continued!</span></div>
</div>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-53035326451597942382012-07-28T00:57:00.000-07:002012-07-28T00:57:35.534-07:00The Crossroads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://resumbrae.com/ub/dms259_s06/02/gutenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://resumbrae.com/ub/dms259_s06/02/gutenberg.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
The printing and publishing industry stands at a crossroads at the time of writing.<br />
<br />
Major book retailing chains in Australia and the United States, are trying desperately to “trade out” of what could amount to receivership. Many blame the changing face of publishing brought about by the computer age and the internet in particular and there can be no doubt that the public's buying habits have changed dramatically.<br />
<br />
Our lives as readers have changed. Whereas in the past I would spend my afternoons ensconced in the local library or buying comics from my local newsagent, now I am more likely to find my reading material online. In the not-so-distant past my only option for buying books would be a bookshop, either the small local shop or one of the specialist stores in the city. Today, the physical limitations of getting my reading material have all but disappeared. Book not available locally or in Australia? Out of print? With the click of a few buttons I can search for and buy a far wider range of books, in most cases at a more competitive price as well.<br />
<br />
I love books and reading. My house and every available storage space in it is filled with hardbacks and paperbacks ranging from a family heirloom, Sunday School prize of my mother-in-law's to a new hardback best-seller I bought for my birthday.<br />
<br />
I have a lot of sympathy for the printing industry and I feel that they are the victim of being dependent on the publishers who are now abandoning them in favour of new manufacturing and distribution practices. Authors need to think outside the square and avail themselves of the myriad of options that are open to them. Publishers are no longer the omnipotent Gods of the publishing pantheon! The tyranny of scale that made them the sole providers of mass produced books for the common folk have been broken by new technologies and business models.<br />
<br />
On the one hand we have seen them all but replaced by the new leviathans of online commerce – Amazon and Barns & Noble. Shopping from home, I can browse a catalogue that not only holds the latest best-sellers but the obscure titles of an author's back-list. I can order a copy in any format it has been released in: hardback, paperback, audiobook, video or graphic novel. I have to wait for it to be mailed out to me and freight is an added expense but if price is an issue I can often get second hand copies at ridiculously low prices.<br />
<br />
This is the mass-marketing approach that is the equivalent of the 'convenience food' outlet, but when a Macdonald's moved into your town, did all the restaurants go out of business? No, they survived by focusing on the niche market, those who wanted an intimate, personal service.<br />
<br />
I believe we will see the rise of specialist or "boutique" printers in the same way that small breweries, bakeries, and wineries have found that they can prosper by providing a quality, exclusive product rather than competing with the multinationals for the bulk, mass market.Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-61044080409656431572012-06-08T19:47:00.001-07:002012-06-08T20:18:50.103-07:00Originality in Fan ProductionsLack of originality is another defect that is pinned on fan productions and I will go so far as to say that breathing originality into *any* derivative work, irrespective of whether it is fan-made or professional, is one of the many major challenges a writer and producer is faced with.<br />
<br />
As regards the originality of fan productions, I don't believe you can just throw out a blanket generalisation over them all because some are more susceptible than others. <br />
<br />
As I've said before, your base level fan fiction author couldn't give a Tinker's what you think of their work because they are doing it for their own satisfaction and although they will be pleased if you complement their work, they aren't really interested in your critique because they didn't write it to exercise their art and are not interested in trying to improve. I'll not condemn them because writing for any purpose can lead to bigger and better things and bring them closer to the realisation that there might be a bigger audience than one for their work and will some day start to listen to critique which will lead them onto the path towards learning how to express themselves better.<br />
<br />
You might have noticed that I have made the distinction between fan productions that use Canon characters and those that use OC's or Original Characters? This is no idle speculation, it is at the same time one of the things that frees us and a responsibility that binds us.<br />
<br />
I very seldom do anything with canon characters because to write something that develops our appreciation of them is hard, *very* hard. I do however use canon races, settings, technology, backgrounds, etc so I'll stand up and be counted on that part. Have I used them with originality? That's for the audience to say, I suppose. I've had positive feedback, from die-hard fans as well as audio buffs, I am only one part of the small cast and crew who made it what it is but in general I think of it is something I'm proud to be associated with.<br />
<br />
Star Trek Excelsior, Outpost, Eras, Henglaar MD - there is quite a healthy list of Star Trek fan audio dramas thank you very much - are examples of fan productions that use OC's and yet the canon details that they are built on are meticulously checked to make sure that they conform with the ideas of the original writers. The Klingons are honourable and warlike, the Vulcans are logical and unemotional, the Feddies are driven by an ethical code of conduct whilst playing the wildcard of humanity.<br />
<br />
The Star Trek universe was created by professional writers, actors, designers and producers using an investment of hard cash from the entertainment industry which means that, no matter how loosely your production is based on the copyrighted work, it is still a fan production and as such must be bound by the fan production rules of engagement - no diverting revenue, all credit acknowledged...<br />
<br />
How much harder is it to reconcile making a derivative work using canon characters? To my mind that is an immense task and, if done well, adds immensely to the franchise - done poorly, it can ring its death knell!<br />
<br />
I'll admit to being a Batman fan. The tortured, brooding character is iconic. I was entertained but only occasionally impressed by the early movies, I was stunned by the Batman Begins reboot, I've listened to some of the OTR classics and I've heard promo excerpts from Dirk Mag's Knightfall which one of these days I've got to buy a copy of. I enjoyed Pete Milan & Seth Adam Sher's Ace of Detectives (a finalist for a 2007 Parsec Award) and I absolutely loved Laura Post's Batman: No Man's Land, which has been sadly in abeyance for two years.<br />
<br />
Why did the early movies fail to convey the essence of the Dark Knight when the fan productions did? Because the studio played it for kitsch, they thought the public wanted an entertaining Batman and so they gave them a Batman (Val Kilmer) who actually smiled once! It was only with Batman Begins that they actually started to show the character the respect it deserved and were rewarded by critical acclaim.<br />
<br />
Therein lies the crux of creating something based on an earlier work, especially something that was successful or has a strong fan following - you have to find the essence of the character/s and create something that respects that core and develops on it.<br />
<br />
This is the usual failure of baseline fan fiction because a fan will generally want to write something that shows a character as they would like them to be and in so doing flies in the face of canon. Spock loves Kirk, the Emperor Palpatine cries, Dante from Devil May Cry becomes a Pokemon trainer! Yes, it has all happened in the fertile mind of a fan but is it Trek / Wars / DMC? Hey, I believe in IDIC so do whatever turns you on baby, just don't expect me to include it with fan productions that attempt to address their canon with some degree of accuracy. In the over-the-top world of Star Wars, the Emperor Palpatine, certainly in ep's 1-3, is as caring-and-sharing as Atilla the Hun! Works that make no attempt to rationalise these changes of character are called character rape by the unkind and I find them hard to defend.<br />
<br />
The three times I can remember writing something using Trek canon characters I have tried to write about them based on my understanding of them from canon but taking it just a little further. I would no more have one of the canon characters I have gained so much enjoyment from do something out of character than I would write a lie about a real person.<br />
<br />
So does that mean we need to regurgitate carbon copies of canon episodes? That would indeed be unoriginal but using canon characters to say something new? Why is Nechayev such a hard case? What would it have been like at the Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Enterprise-D at Veridian 3? What would happen if...? What happened next? Why didn't they...? What are the consequences of...?<br />
<br />
Hard to do in Star Trek but even harder in any franchise that depends on the characters for its driving force: Buffy is a perfect example because without those central characters Sunnydale is just the same as any other Hellmount! <br />
<br />
I suppose my point is that originality of premise, whilst creatively admirable, is not an automatic ticket to greatness just as it should not be assumed that it is impossible for a derivative work to be original. I've listened to some Indie audio dramas that have laboured valiantly to create an interesting, original fictional setting for their work and just not made it, whilst I've also heard some fan shows that either re-captured the original nicely or took them in new directions... and vice versa!<br />
<br />
Whilst I will admit to open admiration of anyone who creates an interesting original fictional setting are we saying here that anyone's work which is based on another's fictional setting is to be automatically castigated? Dirk Maggs' Batman? Joss Whedon's Avengers? Joss is not averse to wanting to place his own personal stamp on franchises that he admires and I dare say the suits at DC are collectively kicking themselves for not letting him have his way with Wonder Woman... creatively speaking of course!<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Talk to me of originality and, I will turn on you with rage. I am a crowd, I am a lonely man, I am nothing</i> </blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/y/Yeats_WB/quots/quot5.htm">Yeats</a></div>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-53039883047449328072012-06-08T02:44:00.000-07:002013-04-08T05:27:08.536-07:00On The Honesty of Star Trek Fan ProductionsFan productions have a number of innate advantages over professional
work. Being free from commercial restraints is one such boon – I only
have to worry about what I want to put into my creation, not what my
audience demands. If I wish to write a political polemic that espouses
the virtues of Ferengi existentialism I don't have to worry that it
won't sell! We can, and many do, put whatever message we want into our
fiction without worrying about the interference of media executives.<br />
<br />
Because
my work is free from the need to be a financial success I can take any
chance I desire without worrying if it will make enough money from the
mugs and mouse mats I might be selling from my website to pay for the
server costs for the month.<br />
<br />
If I am confident about what I am trying to do, I can call down to the Engine Room, “Full speed ahead and damn the critics!”<br />
<br />
Without
belittling the required technical knowledge needed to be a critic, all
too often their reviews are not constructive and survive on the
public's vicarious enjoyment of their negative attitude. All to often
they use the cheap-shot yuks of Mary Sue jokes to take a
holier-than-thou attitude towards fan productions. Alas, they suffer
from the same commercial imperative as others who see their work as a
salable commodity: their purpose is not to improve the work of those
being reviewed but to entertain the public and in so doing improve their
Alexa web ranking.<br />
<br />
Years ago I wanted to write an audio drama
series that dealt with the themes of aggression, bravery and honour -
Tales of Death and Honour - and I chose to build my premise on the
diametrically opposed cultures of the Klingon and Vulcan in Star Trek.
Knowledge of he TV program and movies is so pervasive throughout Western Society and beyond that
there would be few who can read the English language who would not have
a working knowledge of it! The very names are synonymous with the concepts of aggression and honour as against pacifism and logic.<br />
<br />
[sighs] So why not do the same thing based on your own fictional universe, I hear you say? Because my story <em>requires</em>
that I use these two memes, because if I tried to make my own fictional
universe that could do the same thing, all I would be doing would be
copying the Star Trek universe and giving it different names. That, dear reader, is true plagiary to my mind!<br />
<br />
I
will accept the slings and arrows that say this is a cop-out and my
only defense is that I'm a Trek fan who has such an immense respect for
the fictional universe which the professionals have created that my own
creative processes march in synch with theirs.<br />
<br />
Like most
Star Trek fan producers, as I've said before, for the most part I don't
use canon characters - all my characters and situations are original
and simply use the Star Trek fictional universe as a framework.
However my work is still a fan production and I must acknowledge my
debt to those professionals who made the fictional universe - the memes
of Klingon and Vulcan - so engrained in popular culture. The actors,
the costumers, the prosthetics makers, Marc Okrand and a dozen
different writers, directors, producers, Paramount, Desilu and The
Great Bird of The Galaxy.<br />
<br />
So, in answer to the question
how do I rationalise using someone else's Intellectual Property to tell
my own story, all I can say is that I honour the purpose of the law
rather than the letter of the law. The purpose of the law is to provide
a mechanism of monetary return to the creator to recompense them for
their work. The copyright owners and licensees of Star Trek have made a
small fortune out of me over the years by my purchase of books,
merchandise, role playing games, movie tickets, costumes (yes, I am the
proud owner of an Enterprise era uniform that I will be wearing to
Supanova this year) and all I ask in return is that they allow me to
develop my fandom along creative lines.<br />
<br />
Douglas Bader in <em>Reach For The Sky</em>
says, "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men."
Rules are created for a reason - find out what that reason is, address
that problem and then you have honoured the rule. The purpose of
copyright is to either make money for the creator or to make sure that
they do not lose any money that they might otherwise make.<br />
<br />
If I do <strong>NOT</strong>
write my audio drama series it will not make one extra penny for
Paramount. I am not given any realistic mechanism for paying Paramount
for using their IP. I could buy a license but since I don't have a
six-figure sum sitting in my back pocket this is unrealistic. If I could
pay Paramount $10-$50 for a mini-license to write a fan production on
the proviso that I make no profit on it, I would be delighted to do so
but I can't.<br />
<br />
So if I want to exercise my fan experience
creatively as an audio drama I have two choices: give them indirect
profit and ensure that no money is diverted from them that they would
otherwise make.<br />
<ul>
<li>My story supports their fictional universe, develops it and, hopefully, enhances it.</li>
<li>By
doing so it keeps interest alive in their IP so that existing fans
will continue their support of the franchise and new fans will be
introduced to it.</li>
<li>This is viral promotion - something that
professionals paid thousands are struggling to do for them
commercially. I give it to them for free.</li>
<li>Nothing that I do generates any revenue - I don't have any <em>Tales of Death and Honour</em> T shirts, mugs or mouse mats for sale. If I did, these could be seen as a revenue that is trading at least in part on their IP.</li>
<li>In
the same way, I don't have a tip jar for myself or a charity (more's
the pity) because these could be seen as a revenue that is generated in
part on their IP.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Yes, I am using their Intellectual
Property but I'm given no realistic way of paying for it, so I use it
in a way that gives them indirect revenue and does not divert revenue
from them. All I ask in return is to add a rider to my work: <i>"The author reserves the moral right
to be identified as the creator of any original work."</i> This is not
just ego on my part, it also safeguards them if my work generates any
negative publicity. If the public thinks it is crap, its my fault but
if it is good I would ask that my original contributions be
acknowledged.<br />
<br />
Not too much to ask I think.<br />
<br />
By
the way, with regards to usage of canon characters, I've since
remembered that the audio drama, Star Trek Grissom uses canon characters
and extrapolates on the classic movie era storyline leading up to <em>The Search For Spock</em>.
However the characters are a small part of the whole production and
the audience's foreknowledge of the Grissom's tragic fate gives the
whole production a dramatic flare that tinges our developing love of
the characters. Only an Irishman could think up this!Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-92099733240621884712012-05-04T07:59:00.000-07:002012-05-05T09:30:22.464-07:00Writing For The Media 1: Graphic NovelsIts not immediately apparent that the same story needs to be written different ways to suit the media.<br />
<br />
One of the best investments I ever made was to buy a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Book-Scriptwriting-Michael-Straczynski/dp/0898795125">Straczinsky's Scriptwriting</a> - invaluable advice from someone who has produced works in all the disciplines he writes about: film, TV, stage, radio, animation... For each of them you, the aspiring author, have to follow certain rules to avoid the common pitfalls and make the most of the strength's of each medium.<br />
<br />
A comic or graphic novel, for example, has to be written to deliver its story via words <i>and</i> pictures, so the successful comic or graphic novel creator needs to pay equal attention to both. Ever read a comic book adaptation of a film and wondered why it is different in subtle details from the original? Its because things that are impressive on the screen don't always translate well into two dimensional graphics, for example an action sequence, and conversely there are ways that a comic can go beyond a film, for example by verbalising thoughts or emphasising the '<a href="http://www.melmenzies.co.uk/blog/creative_writing_and_a_godlike_or_omniscient_point_of_view">God view</a>'.<br />
<br />
By the same token, you need to be an artist as well in that you need to create a story on the page that conveys the plot as effectively as possible, creating images that bring the storyline to life for the reader. To do this you need to design the impact of the page usually, but not always, done with a storyboard, even before you start creating the graphic resources to make up your
panels.<br />
<br />
By graphic resources I mean the pictures and this used to be the sticking point for amateurs in the past. Dreaming of breaking into comics meant paying your dues at art school, developing skills in sketching, inking, colouring, learning about composition, anatomy and the use of light and colour. If you weren't planning on taking it up professionally, it was too much for an amateur to take on.<br />
<br />
As with many skill-sets from the past, technology has come to the rescue of the modern Everyman. Don't get me wrong, there are many amateur artists who have the skill and talent to use pencil, pen and colour to create comics on paper and I am truly in awe of some of the work I see on deviantArt today. For the rest of we mere mortals, there are drawing aids that show that you are using your brain as well as your artistic talent.<br />
<br />
I, for example, have used rotoscoping effectively to help me with composition and anatomy but it is by no means the only reason for using a light table. If you go the traditional pencil - paper - pen route, a light table was generally used to turn a rough pencil sketch into 'tight pencils' and later, with a clean sheet of paper, to the final inks as shown by <a href="http://www.sidewalkbubblegum.com/comic-strip-tutorial/">Clay Butler</a> on his tutorial of how he has drawn his comic strip over the years. Paul C. Stauffer III also has <a href="http://youtu.be/UNKPbH5Yezs">a good Youtube video</a> - be sure to check the comments. <br />
<br />
Computer graphics software are the new light box! You've got more ways to go
than you can shake a stick at!<br />
<br />
I'm lucky to be associated with two rather talented graphic novel creators
who work in Bryce/Poser/DAZ. It's popular, it can give you a close to
photo-realistic finished product, but it is by no means the only way to
go. Machinima - using a game engine to capture your graphics - is even
easier and fans have used programs ranging from Star Trek: Elite Force
to Star Trek: Online - Ray Martin has done some great work on <a href="http://www.starshipsaladin.com/index_files/Page430.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Star Trek: Saladin</a>
and his STO comics are under his third era at the bottom of the page.
You can read how they do it plus browse another webcomic on the STO
forum <a href="http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=176921" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br />
<br />
Of
course, I wouldn't try to do it yourself. Just as you probably couldn't
voice the audiobook version, animate the cartoon, program the video
game and write the music for the opera of "Knight's Haven", you'd do
best to find the best designer and graphics editor you can.<br />
<br />
How would *I* do it? Ah! Now that would be telling!Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-75904673675788629662012-04-27T20:40:00.000-07:002016-12-15T02:46:18.623-08:00The Producer's Chair<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lscyVjZib4U/T5tmKRbtswI/AAAAAAAAAsw/nEky8EZQF0g/s1600/conduct.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lscyVjZib4U/T5tmKRbtswI/AAAAAAAAAsw/nEky8EZQF0g/s200/conduct.png" width="131" /></a><span dir="ltr">I am by no means an expert at being the head of a production but I base my ideas regarding the group dynamics of project management on Larry Nemecek's management style when I worked with him on SciFi Studios Magazine, which I call the "Conductor" approach...<br /><br />When people go to an orchestral recital they go for the experience of listening to an orchestra. They don't go to listen to the piano, the brass section or the clarinet player, they go to listen to the whole orchestra. This means that the orchestra has to perform as a group - they have to be in time and in tune. As the brass fades out, the strings fade in with the percussion giving a subliminal beat to it all. If one section of the orchestra is bad then the whole production suffers. If the percussion is out of time or the piano out of tune, then no matter how good the strings are, the recital will get bad reviews.<br /><br />The conductor doesn't just wave his baton to keep them all in time - watch him next time. You'll see him point to the lead violinist when it is time for him to start, he'll wave in the cellos when they have to come to the fore and punch a fist to the base drummer when he has to give a roll of thunder. During a practise if any of the sections or players doesn't follow his direction, he'll stop the orchestra, talk to them, maybe get them to run through their section and they will re-start. He'll work with the individual sections and with individual players as required.<br /><br />This goes beyond talking about the interaction of people in a project, you can include all the resources of a project in this analogy! Imagine that the strings are the visual aspects of the production, the wind might be the audio, the brass is the promotion and the percussion the content, for example the script. Just as the conductor chooses the members of his orchestra, the producer of an animation will choose his animators, his promotional agent, script-writer and voice actors. These are the manpower resources of the project, to which are added the infrastructure resources such as software, special effects, music, etc. <br /><br />Once chosen the conductor's or producer's job is to maximise the efficiency of every aspect the "orchestra". In the case of infrastructure the responsibility for their efficient use lies with the production staff who use them, for argument's sake we'll say the producer, but for manpower resources - people - he has to work *with* them to encourage them to produce their best. This might require him to give direction sometimes, as in "Jenny, your character is a Klingon warrior - I need more raspy, gutteral lower registers." However he CANNOT do the performance himself, all he can do is help and encourage the performer. Your pianist might be the best in the country, but in the context of this production, he takes his direction from the conductor.<br /><br />I can't stress that highly enough. The conductor can't play every instrument because frankly that's not his purpose. He's there to lead the whole orchestra to encourage them to give their very best in the performance, to act as quality control by giving them feedback on what they are doing and to give them direction to perform their role in this particular performance. Just as a musician auditions for a spot in an orchestra, a voice actor auditions for a spot in an audio drama and a writer will pitch their story for inclusion in your anthology. They sign on because they want the gig, because they want to perform Bach or Beethoven, it might be because they want to expand their creative horizons, or, if they are a professional, because they want the money. They <i>want </i>to give their best, if they are a pro it might be because they have to protect their reputation, as an amateur its because of the like to play their instrument, they enjoy being part of an orchestra and they want to "push the envelope" creatively.<br /><br />Performers perform, actors act. This is in their nature, this is what you sign them on board to do. To sign them on and then <i>not </i>allow them to act, to control the lift of every eyebrow, flies in the face of reason. If you want this kind of control then you need to think very seriously about whether you want your project to be a group production or a one-man-show. This is a viable option - <a href="http://www.borgwarmovie.com/">Geoff James' Borg Wars</a> is the perfect example - but it is more labour intensive, slower and, unless you are a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath">Renaissance man</a>, there is a very real possibility that an aspect that you are weak in will drag your production down unfairly.<br /><br />If you choose to make your project into a group endeavor then you are still the prime-mover for the production but you have to learn to delegate work without micro-managing. Give direction and quality control to keep all the individual parts of the production, the performers in the orchestra, working together to deliver the best possible result, but allow the individuals involved to give creative input, respect what they do and give them credit for it on the night.<br /><br />When I publish a magazine, I work with the individual artists and authors to get them to deliver their very best. If an artist is doing the cover art for a story, I have to make sure the two match - a line art of Kirk in the foreground with Spock looking on will be totally inappropriate for a story which is all about Spock and where Kirk only has a walk-on part. However I can't control the pen that does the sketch, the airbrush that gives it colour or the mind that writes the story, all of these things have far more to do with the success of the 'zine than my editorial direction.<br /><br />When I write scripts for an audio drama, I'll add a single word to a line of delivery to show how I want the line delivered: angrily, slyly, sneeringly, whispered, with awe, testily. I might give more detailed direction when I hand the lines out: "try to exude strength of character even though totally exhausted" was one I gave one time and astonishingly the VA gave me exactly what I wanted! In fact she added something to it that I had never considered and thus made it that much better! Your cast and crew will deliver more if they are encouraged than if they are ordered.<br /><br />So whether you are shooting a film, publishing a newsletter or coaching a football team always keep in mind that you are part of a team and that your contribution is simply to keep the group's overall performance on track for achieving your goals by encouraging all the individuals involved to deliver their part to the best of their ability.<br /><br />They might throw roses at <i>your </i>feet but you have to share every bouquet with your ensemble.<br />
</span>Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-55653764753942477282012-04-24T19:03:00.000-07:002012-04-24T19:34:46.544-07:00Book trailers - Virtual book covers?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseLStok" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ojoxf_yo8j0/T5dhcNxzYMI/AAAAAAAAAnE/ziFGAMb8lcw/s320/YouTube-Screenshot,120425.png" width="320" /></a></div>
This post came about in most circuitous manner! The idea was stimulated by a correspondence thread on the <a href="http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Self-Publishing/">Self-Publishing Yahoo Group</a> that led to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/scott-sigler-used-free-media-become-best-selling-170005749.html">a great article about Scott Sigler</a> which made me update the ol' House L'Stok YouTube channel and make up a playlist of examples to help me crystalise my thoughts on them. These are my choices below, three top-line professional jobs, Scott Sigler's semi-pro and a first-time DIY job....
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLDE5592C66A365E76&hl=en_GB" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<br />
So what are they? I mean, obviously they are promotional pieces to entice the viewer to read the book they promote, but *how* do they do it? If we know this we can assess what is needed to make an effective book trailer.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, promoting a book was
the job of the book itself, its physical "packaging" if you will - the cover, the spine, back cover and dustcover flaps. These were
where you would get the promotional blurb about the book, the author and
the series or fanchise that it was a part of. This sent me off on a tangent defining my thoughts on book covers and, since it is vital to the artistic direction of our books, I've posted the result on our deviantArt account, "<a href="http://tu-publishing.deviantart.com/journal/On-Book-Covers-298166503">On Book Covers</a>"<br />
<br />
What struck me the most was that, of the elements that I mentioned - cover, spine, back cover and dustcover flaps - only the front cover exists on an eBook! Now, you can do a lot with a cover, identify the fanchise, the genre and make a unique statement that can draw the reader, but there is a lot that you've dropped. What about all the material that was covered on the back cover? Often you'd get a continuation or wraparound graphic from the front, two or three paragraphs of promotional text and icons that would show the trademarks, copyright, age classification, prequel/sequel info... A relic of the hardcover, the inside back flap was the domain of information about the author, usually presided over by a cheesy photograph. All of this information was there in the reader's hands when they picked it up from the bookshelf. How is an eBook reader going to get that kind of in-depth information?<br />
<br />
Could a video book
trailer take their place?<br />
<br />
[To be Continued]Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-53844188875867164892012-04-07T06:14:00.001-07:002012-04-07T06:16:58.136-07:00eBook 101What, I hear some of you say, is an eBook? Some people have very
specific ideas and swear allegiance to one "flavour" ar another however I
take a broader view by saying that ePublishing covers the electronic
publishing of virtually any written works on the internet. What do they
look like? What can you do with them that you can't do with a Newsgroup,
forum post or blog? Why, in other words, should an author go to the
bother of publishing his work as an eBook at all? There is no shortage
of general commentary on the advantages - and disadvantages - of ebooks
on the internet. There are specific <a href="http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/eBook+White+Paper.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-415198-0" target="_blank">cost benefits</a>, <a href="http://www.idealog.com/blog/the-other-comparison-ebook-royalties-versus-ebook-self-publishing" target="_blank">author</a> <a href="http://www.seek4media.com/tech/9255-amazon_s_kindle_3_ereader_-_invigorating_the_digital_book_indust.html" target="_blank">incentives</a>,
and the big debate at the moment is (to oversimplify) whether the
retail price of eBooks should be artificially inflated to be <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/technology/personaltech/10kindle.html?_r=1" target="_blank">the same as the hard copy</a> <a href="http://theharperstudio.com/2009/02/the-kindle-and-questioning-the-economics-of-ebook-publishingthe-conversation-continues/" target="_blank">or not</a> - they are definitely more <a href="http://www.ebookweek.com/ebook_environment1.html" target="_blank">environmentally friendly</a>!<br />
<br />
How does all this affect the fan fiction community? Cost considerations
mean nothing to us because we can't profit on any Star Trek works. What
we <i>can</i> take from this is that eBooks are coming of age! They are no longer an
immature technology, replete with a half-dozen different formats
competing on hardware exclusive platforms - reminiscent of the wars
between Apple and Microsoft or VHS and Beta. Today we have a technology
that has become accepted not only by the great unwashed but the chic,
the rich-and-famous and the tech-savvy. People are now looking with envy
over the shoulders of those who are flicking through their iPad as
against the "what-a-geek" sneers I used to get when I read stuff on my
iPaq years ago.<br />
<br />
<br />
What we have is a whole new frontier to explore, a new readerbase.<br />
<br />
Specifically, this wide acceptance of eBooks means that fan fiction
writers can now list their books right alongside those of professional
writers! Maybe not on the same websites, you'll not get your fanfic
listed on Barnes & Noble or Amazon, but there is no reason why we
can't have them listed on similar amateur fiction sites. Production-wise
we are on pretty much an even playing field, unlike the traditional
printing industry, where making a book requires printing and and binding
equipment that is beyond the grasp of the amateur (or is it?). With
care and attention, you can create an eBook that looks exactly the same
as the eBooks made by professionals!<br />
<br />
How do they compare to the pdf books that we published in 2008? I'll be
honest with you and say that eBooks are not as pretty. The
'page-turning' reading applications like Issuu are to my mind, the
closest thing you can get to the experience of reading a book on a
computer.<br />
<br />
Have a look at <a href="http://issuu.com/richmerk/docs/the_black_gate" target="_blank">"The Black Gate"</a>, a book by <a href="http://issuu.com/richmerk" target="_blank">Richard Merk</a>, part of his <a href="http://banshees.merknet.com/" target="_blank">Banshee Squadron</a>
fan fiction series. Richard has whole-heartedly thrown himself into
making eBooks and it is only fitting that we use one of his books as an
example of what we are doing. <br />
<br />
The heart of your eBook library is, like any library, the way that it is
organised. Think about what a public library has to do. They get all
sorts of new media in, they prepare it for distribution, catalogue it
then lend it out to the general public. Your eBook library needs to do
exactly the same thing and, although I will be the first to point out
that there are other good options out there, I use <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/" target="_blank">Calibre</a>
to do it. Calibre is a freeware, open source software program that acts
as an eBook organiser and reader. It is available for free download
from the creator's website and, once installed, you are led to the heart
of the system which, as user interfaces go, is pretty much self
explanatory.<br />
<br />
Firstly you add books to it. These can be of any one of a dozen
different formats ranging from plain text (txt) through rtf , html and
pdf, to a couple of the larger eBook platforms, such as the Mobipocket
file formats, and what is fast becoming the defacto standard, ePub. Once
they have been 'registered' and 'catalogued' on the system, they appear
on the main screen as a list in the central screen with the
"metadetails" shown in the right hand screen. When it is on the system
there are a number of cool things you can do with your books but, to
keep things simple, let's just look at the main purpose you are going to
be putting this to - reading your books. It couldn't be simpler! Point
and double-click on the entry on the listing or click the listing and
then "view" (the magnifying glass) on the toolbar. This will open a
viewer to suit whatever format the book is in.<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A7W0wkczyDs/TOkeTiFhJ5I/AAAAAAAAAT8/xI-VDYfI3vo/s1600/screencaps_bg1.png" target="_blank"><br />
</a></div>
What's the use of a library unless you can read the books
though? Once a new eBook is imported into your library you can open up a
viewer to read it no matter what format it was originally in. Your book
also has a neat title page with a table of contents in a separate
window on the left hand side of the screen which you can close down when
it isn't needed. Regular users of Adobe Acrobat reader - the ubiquitous
reader of the pdf format - might point out that it too has a window
that acts like a contents with screenshots of the pages that can be
opened down the left hand side of the screen. But can a pdf remember
your spot and open there when you close your book up at the end of your
session? Can you change the size of the font and still get word wrapping
within your screen without navigating around what is in effect a "big
picture". Can you set it to night reading mode, annotate the text, check
a dictionary...?<br />
<br />
Would I be generalising if I said that pdf is pretty but not flexible and eBooks are practical but not as pretty? What has been your experience?Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-57283813651003402722012-04-07T06:05:00.001-07:002012-04-21T03:45:11.613-07:00Fan Produced Books? Oh! The humanity!A fan book? Shock! Horror! <br />
<br />
What did you just visualise? A hard back novel or a mass market
paperback with your name on it, on a bookseller's shelf right next to
Pocket Book's latest offering? Dream on buddy! Just to clear the air,
I'm not talking about producing something for sale, that would be a
clear breach of the copyright laws and as such I would encourage you to
report such a thing to Paramount or Simon & Schuster. No, I'm
talking about an author who would like a copy of their book to sit on
their bookshelf at home, maybe a few copies to give away to friends and
family, the local Trek fan club... I can hear the snorts of 'Vanity
Publishing' springing to the lips of many to which I shrug and say, why
not? Who amongst us is without ego? Where it has gained a justifiably
questionable reputation - dare I say, bad press? - has been because in
the past the only way that traditional printing was viable was in
commercial quantities of at least a couple of hundred units per print
run which were a large expense up-front sending many people broke.<br />
<a href="http://www.diybookbinding.com/diy-book-binding-equipment-binding-jig-for-perfect-bound-books/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://www.diybookbinding.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/bindingjig3.jpg" width="270" /></a><br />
Modern technology has spawned Print On Demand (POD) publishers who do
exactly what the name implies: they will print one or any number of
copies of a book on demand. They have no massive logistics of printing,
shipping, storage and selling, because they are usually offered online,
paid for with electronic funds transfer and delivered by mail.
Unfortunately, although <a href="http://acruxcontent.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-far-can-fan-fiction-publishing-go.html" target="_blank">I see no substantial, ethical reason for not doing so</a>, the current stance of most POD publishers such as <a href="http://www.lulu.com/" target="_blank">Lulu</a> is that they class all fan fiction irrespective of quantity as a breach of copyright and will not print them. <br />
<br />
So what are your choices? I assume there are a number of printers,
especially small local printers, who will see the reality of the
situation that the world of Intellectual Properties will not crumble and
The World As We Know It will not fall because of your fanfic and will
print it for you. Whether you will be able to find one who can do one as
a one-off job rather than a print run of 200, I'm not so sure. <br />
<br />
Alternatively, you can publish it yourself. You can print it out in
folio A4 / US Letter (ie printed in landscape and folded in half
vertically) as a 12 page "booklet", sew them and bind them. Yes, I'm
serious, <a href="http://nomediakings.org/doityourself/doityourself_book_press.html" target="_blank">it can be done by amateurs</a>! It's not easy, probably on a par with skilled woodwork or needlework, but it can be done.<br />
<br />
...or you could think outside the square. <br />
<br />
For example, when is a book not a book? When, for that matter, is a film
not a film? Although we call them fan films, they're not shot on
celluloid like <i>Ben Hur</i> or <i>Casablanca</i> was nor, with a few
notable exceptions, will you ever see them on the big screen of a
cinema. Likewise audio dramas are really a subtly different thing from
radio plays (I could wax elloquent on that subject).<br />
<br />
You could, for example, publish them as an eBook.Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-53933437329455634652012-04-07T06:03:00.001-07:002012-04-07T07:24:13.698-07:00What's missing from Fan Productions?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/Kirok01/TrekUnited%20Publishing/FanProducedLogo-12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s240/Kirok01/TrekUnited%20Publishing/FanProducedLogo-12.png" width="200" /></a></div>
In the five years or so that I've been reporting on fan productions
we've come a long way! Fan films have matured from the shakey beginnings
that their producer's would have us forget to productions that in many
ways rival their professional counterparts. Audio dramas have given a
new lease of life to a form of media that had been relegated to a
historical curiosity - the radio play. Animation perhaps more than any
other form of media has amazed me with the way in which it has empowered
those with the creativity and talent to produce some astonishingly good
shows.<br />
<br />
Look at where they've come from, where they are now and where they might
end up, how has this happened? What it boils down to for me are two
things: society and technology. Modern attitudes are swinging towards
the "me generation" - what can *I* do or what can *I* get out of it -
and this is being reflected in modern, mass media with the explosion of
reality shows that we see on TV and the way that citizen reporting on
blogs and Youtube is taking us to 'ground zero' of the worlds trouble
spots. In this respect, it is technology that has become the liberator.
New technology has made available to the average wage-earner of western
society a range of tools that were the exclusive domain of the
professional ten years ago.<br />
<br />
The expense of the equipment involved for example was one of the things
that held back amateur cinematography, freed by digital, high definition
cameras now available at a fraction of the cost, a situation that is
paralleled by lighting and sound recording equipment as well. In the
case of animation, it was the sheer magnitude of the task involved in
doing traditional, hand-drawn cels that balked amateurs. For them the
revolution has come in the form of computer software packages that allow
one person to create two and three dimensional images that before were
the result of a production line of artists. Many of the computer
generated special effects that before only Spielberg could afford can
now be created by 'Everyman'. Parallel advances have been made in the
spread of expertise and knowledge that was once only acquired by working
one's way up through the appropriate branch of the entertainment
industry. <br />
<br />
However none of this would have had the same effect if amateur producers
could not get their work seen or experienced by others. The cost of
maintaining a TV or radio network is phenomenal, as is the
infrastructure involved in movie theaters. Once again, it was technology
that came to the rescue by the creation of a new distribution network,
the internet, which has become the defacto distribution network that
connects and binds us together as a culture and a society. <br />
<br />
Fans are riding this wave of technology to new heights - fan films, fan
audio dramas, fan animation - however there is one component of the mass
media market that we have not assailed: fan publishing. Where there are
fan film-makers there are fan films, where there are fan voice actors
there are fan audio dramas but although there are probably an order of
magnitude more fan authors... <br />
<br />
Where are the fan books?Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4069087061246476989.post-41665319978921367602011-01-30T04:22:00.000-08:002011-01-30T04:23:43.163-08:00A Kodak Moment - Book publishing roundtable.Kodak recently hosted<a href="http://whattheythink.com/news/48863-kodak-hosts-discussion-future-book-publishing/"> a roundtable discussion on the future of book publishing</a> with executives from book publishing, manufacturing, retailing and distribution companies... and an author for good measure! The full release is <a href="http://whattheythink.com/news/48863-kodak-hosts-discussion-future-book-publishing/">here</a>, but I found this precis most interesting...<br />
<blockquote>Topics, highlights and points-of-view shared by various participants included:<br />
<br />
- The fluctuating revenue model for e-books as publishers have assumed a number of new costs, such as licensing and privacy protection, associated with e-books.<br />
- High-speed inkjet printing will have a significant impact on book manufacturing—“the biggest development in publishing in the past 50 years,” according to one panelist.<br />
- Inkjet printing will allow for more and shorter production runs, saving on inventory, waste and obsolescence costs, and providing a means for niche books to be printed that otherwise wouldn’t get produced.<br />
- E-books make it possible to offer new promotions based on an individual’s interests, such as bundling similar e-books into one download or including a sample of a different author’s work with an e-book purchase.<br />
- Print-on-demand book production minimizes losses associated with returns, which can average 15% for many titles.<br />
- While children have access to computers and other electronic devices, they typically prefer the printed book.<br />
- All players in the publishing market need to remain agile and always ready to adapt their business models.<br />
- Publishers will continue to add value and play a critical role in bringing books to the marketplace.<br />
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“The bottom line: people will have greater access to books and related content, what, when and however they want it, which should mean more people reading more often,” said Jim Milliot, Editorial Director, Publisher’s Weekly, and moderator of the discussion. “And that certainly bodes well for the future.”</blockquote>Licensing is just part of the current model of handling IP but "privacy protection"? They're not talking about <a href="http://computer.howstuffworks.com/drm.htm">DRM</a> are they? I know how they can solve that problem - scrap it! <sighs> Evidently agility and readiness to adapt their business practises does not include ditching their sad devotion to an outmoded concept that you can own information. </sighs><br />
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They talk up a storm about why DRM is needed to protect their "property", making honest people who have paid for the eBooks jump through hoops, when they allow internet eBook pirates to traffic their stolen goods in apparent impunity.<br />
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Come on! Get serious!Kirok of LStokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05342385515015039320noreply@blogger.com0