When Technology People are also Book People

A lot of things are changing in publishing, and they're changing fast. I don't believe this is the death of the paper book, but I do believe books will be read electronically at previously unimagined levels. As the medium is tweaked and improved and made more and more user friendly, e-books will find even bigger audiences.

Sisters In Crime, an organization I highly encourage you to join if you haven't already, is on a "summit" trip this week, and the video clip below talks a little bit about their visit to Google and Apple in California. The president of SinC, Marcia Talley, gave me permission to post this video. I hope you find it heartening.







CR: I'm still reading the book I'm not entirely sure about, looking for the story.

It's all better with friends.

Amazon Kindle

While the debate rages, I have to admit I'm kind of crushing on the Kindle.

eBooks have NEVER intrigued me. Cold. A screen. Blick.

The Kindle is way improved from those first attempts. I'm pretty sure I sold one to our computer guy who had to fix my horrible virus--his wife should thank me--I'm that enthusiastic about it. The only glitch in my dancing (yes, literally) description of all the cool features was when he asked me if I had one.

I still hold out a dream for a partnership between Amazon and Apple to come up with the best bells and whistles (think iPod) and the access Amazon provides. What a gift and HUGE step forward that would be. Of course, a drop in price would be a good thing too.

And one more thing that would be so cool . . . publishers realizing that the ability to share a few chapters through Kindle could equate easily to more sales. Sometimes letting go means an easier path to create buzz about a book, and money in the pocket.

The cost of producing bound books filled with paper and ink (think trees and environmental hazard) isn't going to come down. With Kindle, it goes away.

I wonder if a way to hand sell will come along?

It's all better with friends.