Category: Uncategorized

Punk rock (self) publishing

Digging through Google Reader this evening I found a mention of Open Site Explorer (posting link here for my own reference). Did a quick search to see who was linking to Bibliofaction and found an old article titled: This is Why Self-Publishing isn’t Taken Seriously.

I was worried I’d find a critique of what we’re trying to do with Bibliofaction, but was pleased to find an article that pretty much agrees with what we think is important in self-publishing.

I loved this note on Punk rock publishing:

“The ethic of: anyone can do it.  Just learn two chords and you can start a rock band.  It was revolutionary.  Self-publishing most certainly has the potential to have that same kind of attitude and purpose, and until that happens it’s going to be perceived as a self-released slush pile, rather than a place where innovative writers use the new, innovative technology because traditional publishers are too timid to take a chance.”

Everybody smash up your seats and rock to this brand new beat…

Business vs. Charity

Andy and I have been reviewing our last 5 years or so working on Bibliofaction and we’re thinking about what shape the site will take going forward. Lots to consider – no decisions made yet. 

If I review the site as a business (which in legal terms it is), it’s an embarrassing failure. But, as a social enterprise designed to encourage creativity and the arts, then I’d like say it’s going really well.

I’d rather be a patron than an investor anyway.

The People Formerly Known as the Audience

I’m working my way through Clay Shirky’s Cognitive Surplus at the moment. That’s the book, rather than his free time and mental capacity.

He’s quoted this phrase from a colleague, but I love the title The People Formerly Known as the Audience. We talk about audiences a lot in marketing, and we’ll probably need to stop that soon.

The evolution of The People Formerly Known as the Audience may well be the biggest change in the way society works in my lifetime.

I’ve not yet decided for myself if this change is simply us enabling our distributed networks to behave more like pre-media societies. ie, returning to some kind of natural social equilibrium that has been upset in recent years by the one-way media model. Or, whether it’s another step forward into some as yet unknown social structure.

For now, just be pleased that you can contribute.

You must create.