lit and tech linkage
By Anne Stameshkin
Can Twitter help publishers and stores sell books? Check out Ann Kingman’s findings on the Booksellers Blog.
David Pogue hearts the new Kindle and answers concerns about the end of print publishing with three words: “Don’t be silly.”
But Tim O’Reilly offers this “bold prediction”: “Unless Amazon embraces open e-book standards like epub, which allow readers to read books on a variety of devices, the Kindle will be gone within two or three years. [...] Open allows experimentation. Open encourages competition. Open wins.”
Launching in March, Kachingle is a new online service that will encourage people to donate to newspapers, blogs, and other websites they love reading.
As part of an experimental program, 500 students at Northwest Missouri State are using e-readers instead of print textbooks.
This Kachingle idea is fantastic (except for the name, which I’m unable to say out loud without making verbal sarcasm quotes).
I have repeatedly freaked out about the sudden demise of my favorite websites, especially the fantastic Elastic Waist, which was hosted by Self magazine. In that case, Self abruptly shuttered the blog and laid off its amazingly talented writers with no warning whatsoever. I happily would have donated money and even endured a year-long subscription to Self to keep it going, but that option was never available. Kachingle (ugh) could be the answer…