Comments on: What Publishing Can Learn from Music http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/ at the intersection of technology, philosophy, and politics (and some other things). Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:16:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Dan Oja http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/comment-page-1/#comment-7700 Dan Oja Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:22:41 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/#comment-7700 I think many people may be missing the point. The future of digital publishing doesn't revolve around digital versions of paper pages. The future lies in full utilization of the power of the computer and the power of the Internet to create a compelling new reading experience offering features and benefits to the reader that make up for the inherent nuisance of reading on-screen. I'm talking about books that use the Web, video, animations, sound, and user interaction. I'm talking about books that blur the line between the traditional concepts of a book and interactive software. There are some examples out there today, including some of the best-selling college computer textbooks, but they are flying under the radar of the publishing industry which remains mired in a static page/PDF mindset. For examples, visit http://www.mediatechnicscorp.com, http://www.mediatechnicscorp.com/pub/bookon/, and http://www.sixstarsinthewindow.com. I think many people may be missing the point.

The future of digital publishing doesn’t revolve around digital versions of paper pages. The future lies in full utilization of the power of the computer and the power of the Internet to create a compelling new reading experience offering features and benefits to the reader that make up for the inherent nuisance of reading on-screen. I’m talking about books that use the Web, video, animations, sound, and user interaction. I’m talking about books that blur the line between the traditional concepts of a book and interactive software.

There are some examples out there today, including some of the best-selling college computer textbooks, but they are flying under the radar of the publishing industry which remains mired in a static page/PDF mindset.

For examples, visit http://www.mediatechnicscorp.com, http://www.mediatechnicscorp.com/pub/bookon/, and http://www.sixstarsinthewindow.com.

]]> By: Alexandre http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/comment-page-1/#comment-7575 Alexandre Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:17:21 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/#comment-7575 A possible advantage of music is "short form." In fact, one of the main changes in the way people listen to music, in general, is the move from albums (as neatly packaged bundles of tracks recorded by a given artist or by artists represented by the same label) to libraries (which include personalized collections of tracks, wherever these tracks may come from). Sure, "people still love albums." There are people who still buy albums and LPs have even made something of a comeback ("people love the smell of LPs" is the nostalgia market's motto, it seems). But the iPod revolution is about having individualized collections of very diverse musical tracks on the same device, being able to mix-and-match, or even mashup musical elements. Concept albums still have a place, but the "individualist" tendency with musical tracks is as important as the possibility to distribute said tracks online. Going back to books... We may be near the end of this short historical period during which single-author, long-form text has been dominant. The Era of the Novel, as these "monolithic" bookstook over form many other forms of writing. This era had interesting connections with the social changes which have been happening during the same period (the importance of social mobility, the continuing influence of Romantic ideals, the creation of "The Artist" as an important social character...). But aren't we now moving toward a more "polyvocal" tendency in writing and reading? Isn't there a move toward collections of shorter texts or, simply, user-focused text aggregation? While people do still love books (including their smells), some people are able to customize their "libraries" to contain numerous excerpts from varied authors, regardless of their origins. Books from a given collection still look cool (say, La Pléiade). But there's a level at which you may want very fine control over how much textual content from a given author you may want to read. This is something textbook publishers have a hard time understanding. They do create customized textbooks but they don't grok the "modularity" of the texts which are included. They still want to sell "bundles" which they have prepared themselves, regardless of what diverse readers want. Not only has LibriVox understood all the lessons from changes in the ways people listen to music but LibriVox is in the ideal position of providing short-form which can be part of the "remix" culture people are currently describing. With LibriVox, polyvocality goes much deeper than Bakhtin's notion. You actually hear different voices of readers. And you can "mix and match" LibriVox content with all sorts of audio and video content you may have in a given "library." No need to stick to David Copperfield as it's being read: you can switch a podcast about coffee or to a selection of songs by a band a friend has recommended. We do live in fascinating times. A possible advantage of music is “short form.” In fact, one of the main changes in the way people listen to music, in general, is the move from albums (as neatly packaged bundles of tracks recorded by a given artist or by artists represented by the same label) to libraries (which include personalized collections of tracks, wherever these tracks may come from). Sure, “people still love albums.” There are people who still buy albums and LPs have even made something of a comeback (“people love the smell of LPs” is the nostalgia market’s motto, it seems). But the iPod revolution is about having individualized collections of very diverse musical tracks on the same device, being able to mix-and-match, or even mashup musical elements. Concept albums still have a place, but the “individualist” tendency with musical tracks is as important as the possibility to distribute said tracks online.
Going back to books… We may be near the end of this short historical period during which single-author, long-form text has been dominant. The Era of the Novel, as these “monolithic” bookstook over form many other forms of writing. This era had interesting connections with the social changes which have been happening during the same period (the importance of social mobility, the continuing influence of Romantic ideals, the creation of “The Artist” as an important social character…). But aren’t we now moving toward a more “polyvocal” tendency in writing and reading? Isn’t there a move toward collections of shorter texts or, simply, user-focused text aggregation? While people do still love books (including their smells), some people are able to customize their “libraries” to contain numerous excerpts from varied authors, regardless of their origins. Books from a given collection still look cool (say, La Pléiade). But there’s a level at which you may want very fine control over how much textual content from a given author you may want to read.
This is something textbook publishers have a hard time understanding. They do create customized textbooks but they don’t grok the “modularity” of the texts which are included. They still want to sell “bundles” which they have prepared themselves, regardless of what diverse readers want.

Not only has LibriVox understood all the lessons from changes in the ways people listen to music but LibriVox is in the ideal position of providing short-form which can be part of the “remix” culture people are currently describing. With LibriVox, polyvocality goes much deeper than Bakhtin’s notion. You actually hear different voices of readers. And you can “mix and match” LibriVox content with all sorts of audio and video content you may have in a given “library.” No need to stick to David Copperfield as it’s being read: you can switch a podcast about coffee or to a selection of songs by a band a friend has recommended.

We do live in fascinating times.

]]> By: What Publishing Can Learn Music http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/comment-page-1/#comment-7551 What Publishing Can Learn Music Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:14:39 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/10/14/what-publishing-can-learn-music/#comment-7551 [...] Read the Full Story Opinion Tags: publishing « AC/DC Resists Online Music Distribution Trend [...] [...] Read the Full Story Opinion Tags: publishing « AC/DC Resists Online Music Distribution Trend [...]

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