Update 2/19/2014: After I posted this, a friend pointed me toward a post that delineated the costs of the various steps toward self-publishing. Developmental editing costs $45-$65 per hour. The minimum cost for 280 typescript pages is $2,520. Maximum could be as much as $18,000 depending how much work the book needs. Copy-editing costs $25-$50 […]
Publishing and Self-Publishing: The First Copy Read More »
Science fiction writer Charlie Stross recently wrote an interesting post called “Why I Don’t Self-Publish.” It isn’t necessarily designed to discourage writers from self-publishing, but it does show why the process can be daunting — and why the publishers expect the lion’s share of all revenue. Here’s a partial list of what a publisher does:
What Publishers Do Read More »
Alexis Madrigal, technology editor of the Atlantic, recently wrote a funny and disturbing piece called A Day In the Life of A Digital Editor, 2013 The great thing about the story is that it cuts through the debate about the future of journalism by using the simple math that every editor uses when planning his
Cold Equations: The Simple Arithmetic of A Digital Editor Read More »
“When discussing media, if someone says, ‘let’s take the case of the New York Times,’ say ‘Let’s not.’” Someone (David Carr?) recently reminded readers that the Times is sui generis. Almost nothing that applies to the Times can be generalized to the newspaper business as a whole. It is bigger, more national, has a stronger
Dear recommendation engine: Sometimes I want to experience the interplay of human emotion and other times I want to see stuff blow up. Plus, it is my daughter who likes fairies.
Source is the name of the Knight-Mozilla OpenNews project, dedicated to encouraging the community of journalists and coders that make up new media. On New Year’s day, they published an analysis of the New York Times’ Snowfall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, a ground-breaking piece of multimedia web journalism. I’ve gone back to both again
How the New York Times Made Snowfall Read More »
Jon Steinberg, COO of Buzzfeed, explains how the rise of digital media closely mirrors the history of newspapers. Based on a reading of Michael Schudson’s “Discovering the News,” Steinberg sees that technological innovation, the “democratization” of news and rapidly adapting revenue models are nothing new. The Times has been riding these trends for 150 years.
What Buzzfeed Learned from the New York Times Read More »
Yesterday Jeffrey L. Bewkes, chairman and chief executive of Time Warner, announced that the company was spinning off its magazine division. “After a thorough review of options, we believe that a separation will better position both Time Warner and Time Inc.,” Mr. Bewkes told the New York Times’ Amy Chozick. “Time Inc. will also benefit
Why Time Inc. (and Everyone) Wants Out of the Magazine Business Read More »
Karen McGrane, author of “Content Strategy for Mobile,” recently wrote an interesting A List Apart post about the difference between work that is good and work that is great. Both groups focus on getting the details, large and small, absolutely right. But the great also express their personal values in the work, and try to
Separating the Excellent from the Great Read More »