Episode 013: INTERVIEW with Jane Friedman

Posted by Caleb J. Ross Feb - 26 - 2011 1 Comment

Episode 013: INTERVIEW with Jane Friedman [ 22:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (18)

Caleb J Ross and Nik Korpon sit with Jane Friedman during the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Projects) conference in Washington DC to discuss the role of social media in the author’s life.

Jane’s passion for the world of e-media is evident. She is the former publisher and editorial director of Writer’s Digest, has spoken at 36 billion writing events since 2001 (give or take a few), and is known within the publishing industry as an innovator, cited by sources such as Publishers Weekly, GalleyCat, PBS online, and Mr. Media. Jane currently serves as a visiting professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati, and is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest.

Playing the role of the tech-deficiant, Nik Korpon (Stay God) joins us for this hallway conversation (please, pardon the background noise).

	Interview Notes
00:01:21	Jane Friedman introduces herself“The intersection of literary culture and tech culture”
00:02:52	What are writers so attached to the physical book as an object? Books have been around so long “Author” from “authority” Technology pushes us faster than our hearts would like A book can become a luxury item Kevin Smokler’s comment about the biggest growth area of the music industry is vinyl
00:06:11	Is the aversion to electronic media generational? Interestingly, studies are actually showing that the YA market doesn’t buy eBooks. Why is this? Older people seem to be more accepting of the eReaders, because of accessibly and feature issues
00:08:17	Does spreading content throughout multiple platforms make any single platform weaker? Multiple platforms makes sales tracking difficult Time and investment may make multiple platform development impossible
00:11:43	What is the ultimate benefit of being able to track reader habits? Traditional publishers are publishing into a void. They have no idea who buys the books. They publish for bookstores and libraries and middlemen. Authors could have the power when they know their readers
00:15:36	What are some tools authors can use to establish R.O.I formulas for their book sales?
00:17:24	Al Katkowsky’s comment about the level of engagement required of writers; what sort of social media tools allow for building trust with readers? Twitter is about sharing information and building awareness, so it’s not directly about selling products Email newsletters are under-utilized
00:19:56	What should authors stay away from in terms of social media?
00:55:13	The Lastlies
	Caleb J Ross Jane Friedman Kevin Smokler Andy Hunter (Electric Literature) Al Katkowsky