12.19.06
Posted in Blogs / Sites, Book Related at 3:35 pm by jon yang
This is what blogs are for! A whole blog dedicated to reviewing and showcasing book covers. Nifty covers will definitely catch a browser’s attention so it’s important to have something that sets your book apart from the crowd. As they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” But really, who doesn’t? A great cover can really make your time spent with a book feel more impressive, or cool, or embarassing.
I mean, try carrying this thing around and maintaining the “No, this is not chick-lit” image up. During our book club reading of this particular book, someone mentioned that they had this exact problem and would have to flash the title just to make sure people knew she was reading a “real book.” These are the kinds of stories that book covers should generate. We all know that little details like knowing when to flash, or not flash, a book cover as you ride the subway or sit in a Starbucks can make or break a stranger’s first impression of you. Right?
Plus, an awesome cover can generate added excitement on your book shelf. Just as if you were to line up your best DVDs, stuffed animals, or porcelain figurines impressive-side out, you would do the same to your books right? I mean, doesn’t everyone do that?
You only have one chance for an acquaintance to check out your stuff, make it count. Make sure you get them to ask “So, what is that book with the Eskimo with a laptop on the cover?! Intriguing… Oooh, pink, I love it!”
The most exciting thing about this list of Best Book Covers 2006 is that I’ve actually read (and own) the first cover on the list. I’m so now-tro.
There’s also quite a bit to be said for the tactile qualities of a book cover, but I’ll get into that some other time.
While we’re at it, a few more interesting things to look at:
(1) Amazon Sales Rankings explained (2) .
(2) Guardian Unlimited Book’s Top Ten Literary Blogs
(3) Plug Your Book: a really great book selling and online book marketing blog.
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09.30.06
Posted in Articles, Book Related, Topical at 3:11 pm by jon yang
Saturday, September 30, 2006. Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D2
“Nationally, though, blogs are increasingly being tapped by businesses seeking to build their brands with customers and clients by going beyond mere Web sites.
They’re still only a blip on the blogging scene, however. Of the estimated 25 million to 35 million blogs in the United States, only 5 percent are business-related, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Among the few notable business executives who are blogging are Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz. There’s also a number of business blogging consultants who preach the benefits of blogs as marketing tools.
But for the most part, it’s not mainstream, at least yet. ‘Business and blogging don’t naturally mix,’ said Jonathan Yang, a Bay Area blogger who wrote ‘The Rough Guide To Blogging.’ ‘It’s not really working yet, but businesses are trying to figure out how to make it work.’
…
Another reason some business blogs don’t catch on is they try too hard to hawk their products.
‘Concentrate on explaining what it is that you do,’ said Yang. ‘If what you are doing is interesting, and if people can find you, a (blogging) community will build around it.’”
-Mehul Srivastava, Going to the Blogs-
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09.13.06
Posted in Book Related at 11:47 pm by jon yang
Tomorrow morning I’ll be on NBC 11’s “Bay Area News” program at 10am. They do a series every Monday highlighting recommendations from independent book sellers in the area, Quills. I’ll be on the regular news show to discuss the book. Wish me luck.
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09.07.06
Posted in Blogs / Sites, Book Related at 2:29 pm by jon yang
girlondemand.blogspot.com is the blog of an anonymous published author who focuses on print-on-demand books. We should thank her for having the energy to wade through the often god awful world of self-published books.
Many bloggers have a dream to make it big by publishing their own novel. Here’s someone who’s paying attention to that dream and in certain cases, helping that quest along. Thanks POD Girl!
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08.05.06
Posted in Book Related at 1:40 pm by jon yang
John Scalzi, prominent author and blogger, took a look at the book and this is what he had to say:
“A quick glance through the books shows it to be what a Rough Guide should be: Easy to read, lots of useful information, good advice on how to get started, and tons of links to popular sites. I imagine other bloggers will be doing what I did and checking the index to see if they made the cut; I can see a few of them going, “Why am I not listed? I’m on the A-list, damn it!” We are a petty, petty lot, we bloggers.
Anyway, on first read I can say this is a really fine book to give to that friend of yours who’s been muttering something about wanting to start a blog but doesn’t know where to begin. This will get them up to speed pretty painlessly. And if you get them this, that’s one less conversation explaining the difference between Blogger and Typepad that you’ll have to have. Which leaves you more time for what’s important, like beer and video games.”
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07.31.06
Posted in Book Related at 2:26 pm by jon yang
The book is out in stores today. Rejoice.
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