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July 7, 2008
CanWrite Conference A Success
Well, this past weekend – July 3 to 6, 2008 – I took part in the Canadian Author’s Association Can Write Conference, an annual clambake and whoop-up for Canadian writers. Pretty cool that the thing was staged in E-Town this year. We played the good hosts and had a blast showing that we’re a pretty decent bunch. I had the most excellent opportunity to hang out with a bunch of very cool people and even do a little event hosting and presenting. I hosted the welcome night open mic event with my pals in the Raving Poets. My good pal Thomas Trofimuk and I delivered a little presentation called “The Writer Online”. We talked about blogs and websites and how an internet presence is essential for all writers. We yakked about best practices, Facebook, privacy, and a bit on copyright. The ‘net is a BIG topic, and I know that we only scratched the surface. Thomas delivered in excellent, experienced fashion, and I think I held my own on my end, the “tech” end of things.
The topic that didn’t get covered as much I would have liked is the growing requirement for authors to be more savvy with media in general. In my opinion, it’s becoming essential that writers take control of their destiny in terms of design, branding, merchandising, and talking with the media. Things like cohesive, well-executed graphic design across several pieces of media – book cover, website, business cards, postcards, merchandise – is becoming more important. Consistent attention to detail raises the bar of every endeavor, and it’s what can potentially separate one’s work from the pack of “me-too’s”.
One big area of interest for me is the distribution of books over the net. I’m not talking strictly about standard e-commerce along the lines of Chapters / Indigo or Amazon, although that’s still part of the idea. I’m talking making books of verse and prose available via paid PDF download wherein the PDF is a different experience, perhaps even containing content not found in the physical book. How about an HTML version of a book that contains animation or rich imagery? A spoken version of a novel disseminated chapter by chapter via podcast or download? These things exist, but I’d like to see them implemented as additional ways of enjoying the work, meaning that they would exist beside a real book. They would enhance and expand the reader’s experience and (possibly) make the author more money. Podcasts and the like aren’t cheap, easy, or quick to implement, but one could charge a nominal fee for such things. Problem is finding the right model. It could work for established writers, perhaps not so much for little guys like me.
I envision writers selling their books online themselves via easy to implement e-commerce engines geared specifically to books. I’d love to see a drop-in solution that was dead easy to install and maintain. That way authors could increase access to their work and provide a more complete experience. One wouldn’t have to jump into Amazon.ca or Chapters.ca to buy a book. Not all authors would be into ideas like these. Most would prefer to simply bow out of promotion, distribution and the like and leave it to publishers – after all, that’s part of their job. Could be of great use to the self published. It’s become critical for authors to separate themselves from everyone else. Seems to me that, these days, it’s not enough to simply write the book. One has to push the envelope and do things differently. The ‘net will play a huge role in that endeavor.
Writers, what are your thoughts?
3 Comments (Closed)
Erinne – Agreed. You never know, though. I could see a book of poetry existing solely online…maybe, if it was executed exceptionally well.
I don’t think I could read an entire novel on a computer screen. I have heard good reports on Amazon’s Kindle, but it sounds more gimmicky than anything. Who knows…I haven’t tried one.
michael, I totally agree with your views on writers taking control of their destiny. just as musicians have been liberated from traditional recording contracts, distribution etc. there is tremendous opportunity for us.
as for writers being media savvy. I’ve had two experiences this past year that have been extremely intense… a CBC National interview (about a personal family tragedy) and a Globe and Mail interview (about my writing)… both have made me extremely cautious and nervous. the viral nature of the print and television media is astonishing. within 24 hrs. of giving the t.v. interview, my telephone never stopped ringing, my email was bombarded, and I found myself quoted in newspapers and online editions from around the world, as well as photos of me reproduced (some with mouth agape!) that were taken from the video site. fortunately, I hadn’t said anything stupid.
to this end, I endorse what you are saying and recommend that writers totally take control of their visual as well as their verbal images.
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Erinne Sevigny
I can’t ever imagine reading an entire novel on my computer screen. That said, I’m from the school that says “if you can have it, why not?”
I agree that pdfs and podcasts should accompany an actual book, and despite technological advances I don’t ever see a book that is published, in text, solely online, ever being successful. I might eat my words one day but I feel it would be like a pill you could take instead of eating actual food – very possible, but in the end just not “human” enough.
Jul 08 2008 · 17:47