It's the content stupid...

OK - lets get something straight - books are NOT music.

Publishing industry pundits continue to try and divine how books (and publishing by extension) will survive the coming exponential shift in how readers consume them.  And because we have had the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and watch the digital music revolution take over that industry it has been assumed that we now have a blueprint for book publishing going forward.  That assumption could not be further from the truth!

Look, recorded music has always needed a device for the consumer/listener to enjoy an artist’ work.  That fact has spawned a mega-industry like no other.  Digital music players, most notably the iPod as well as stereos (home and mobile), headphones and speaker systems are incredibly popular consumable goods and they run the gamut in price and quality.

So what did the book industry do?  Create devices.  After all, devices are what drives the music industry, without a device for playback, we would all be limited to hearing music only in its live form.  And, devices can enhance the listening experience.  With the use of equalizers, playlists, and functions like shuffle, we can literally customize how and what we listen to on an individual level.  Long gone are the days of trying to catch and record our favorite song on the radio!

On the other hand, books have been bound and printed the same way for hundreds of years.  The book IS the delivery mechanism.  However, with the use of content creation tools such as Microsoft Word by authors and editors the end of the creative process has now meant a book that no longer is bound by one format - paper and ink.  Instead, a publisher can now easily convert a book to digital form.  And so that means we must right?  Take that book and slap it on a device.  However, doing so doesn’t do for the book, what the iPod does for music.  It doesn’t enhance the reading experience.  Sure, it might make it more convenient, but it doesn’t make it better.

Thus the title of this post, it’s the content stupid!  If you want to sell more digital content (read: books) then take the book out of the book and enhance it!  Add in author video and audio.  Create an audio track using the author’s voice so the reader can choose to close their eyes and listen if they want to hear the author read it instead of doing so themselves.  Include interactive enhancements that give the reader a peak into the author’s research and back story.  Add “Easter eggs” for superfans to find.  The sky is the limit, and so will the price tag be.

Selling (and reading) a book in digital form is boring and adds no value (or profit).  Digital content creation and delivery will allow publishers to think outside the book, to add more value to their content and to eventually allow the reader to customize their experience.  And that is something that people will pay for!

When Jesus Meets Tiger (or any of us for that matter)

Over the last two weeks we have witnessed the decimation of an American icon.  There are so many conversations swirling regarding the personal failings of Tiger Woods.

• Is Tiger guilty of all the infidelity he’s been accused of?
• Is Tiger addicted to pain killers and/or sleep meds?
• Should Tiger’s wife leave him?
• Should Tiger be given complete privacy to work out his issues?
• Is Tiger’s career as a golfer over?

But I have been thinking about a different conversation, it’s the one I think we should all be thinking about.  What conversation would Jesus have with Tiger, or with any of us for that matter.

In the scriptures we can see three primary groups of people that Jesus addressed.

1. The Disciples - these were the devoted, though often confused and misdirected, followers of Christ.  They did not represent the wealthy, the religious or the political elite.  Jesus words to this group were mostlyinstructional and preparatory.  Often with the tone of a father, Jesus wouldcorrect this bunch of their misperceptions and wrong-headed thinking.  In the end, most of these guys died for believing in and following Jesus.
2. The Hard-Hearted - usually represented by the religious, political and cultural “elite”.  Jesus heart broke for this group, his words to them were stern and extremely pointed.  He exposed their self-righteous hypocrisy through parables that pinned them as the antagonist.  Jesus rhetorical genius could cut straight to their hearts with surgical accuracy.  Oftentimes though, the pride that enveloped their hearts like a thick crust would prohibit them from acknowledging and turning from their narcissistic and self-serving ways.  Occasionally however, there would be one who would break, whose heart would turn, and in response they would pour their life out as an offering to the King.
3. The Sinner - certainly a group that in the broadest since of the term includes all people.  But these folks, the ones referred to officially as “sinners”.  These are represented by people who have been “caught” in the act.  Adulterers, prostitutes and thieves.  A woman about to be killed for sleeping with a married man, a woman who had been with multiple men and had a mixed up view of God, a “sinful” woman who wept and washed Jesus feet as an act of worship.  In Jesus’ culture, the sick and the poor were also viewed as sinful, it was their sin after all, that got them into their situation.  And what were Jesus’ words to this group?
   • “her sins, which are many, are forgiven - for she loved much.  But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
   • “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
   • “Today salvation has come to this house.”

You see, when Jesus meets the “sinner” in each of us, he speaks healing and restoration.  Each of the people labeled as sinners in the bible came to recognize their need for healing and forgiveness.

Honestly, I don’t know which of these categories Tiger Woods would fall into today. What I do know is that the progression God wishes for all of us is to move from being hard-hearted to a “sinner” who recognizes our sin and need for mercy, to a disciple who points people to the mercy and love of God.

So, which group are you in today?  What would Jesus’ words to you be today?

Why e-book price competition will soon be a moot point

The current issues

• E-books currently do not add significant value to the reading experience.
• E-books do not currently have broad-based distribution, due to device exclusivity, channel exclusivity and legacy issues related to platforms, standards and development costs.
• Publishers are not retailers, and trying to figure out how to connect directly with the reader will prove difficult long term.

The future solutions:

• E-books should be immersive, 3-D, audio/video/print experiences.
• E-book reader software should be free, device neutral and will dramatically improve the reading experience with built in annotation tools, word-level bookmarking and cloud-based synching.
• Such e-book readers will be available for booksellers (yes, traditional retailers) to utilize and offer channel (even retailer) exclusive content that is easily updated by the publishers.
• Retailers will set prices on these products and compete based on the perceived value each retailer/channel can add by negotiating exclusive content with publishers.

These solutions are on the very near horizon with the new KNFB Reading Technology which Baker & Taylor is launching in December.  I have seen this new reader, and I am telling you, it will change the e-book market forever!  For more information, go here.