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Story Cubes August 27th, 2010

I ran across Rory’s Story Cubes the other day and am trying to decide if my son is old enough to play. He has quite the imagination an I wonder if it would carry over to this game.

How fun would it be to sit around rolling dice, helping each other build on each other’s stories? Though not really a book-themed game like some of the others we have, I do think it would be a nice addition to the game closet. There is also a $1.99 iPhone app. Which is handy, but really doesn’t impress me as much as the analog version. I think we’d do better with a handful of dice to toss around the floor.

I have not found them in a Birmingham-area store yet, though the site says Barnes and Noble stocks them. I’ll let you know if I find them around town, if you’ll do the same! Have a good weekend.


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Free eBooks from Birmingham-Area Libraries August 25th, 2010

It is 11pm and I just checked out a book from my local library.

This week the JCLC system turned on its Overdrive-powered eBook network. So far it’s very very cool. The only complaints I have are tied to the CRAZY complicated hoops Adobe Digital Editions (which you will have to download) has in place. But that’s no fault of the library system and is required by most publishers anyway. But once you get the Adobe Digital Editions set up right, it’s great.

Via my JCLC account, I have “checked out” an eBook and am reading it on both my laptop and on my desktop. I have not tried to put it on my Sony eReader yet, as it needs a new battery and won’t hold a charge (yeah yeah, I know. That’s not a problem people reading print books have, but hey… did I mention, I just checked out a book at 11pm!) Anyway….

Here is the one tip I can offer: Once you download your eBook file (it has a .acm extension), “right click” (or ctrl-click) and choose “Open With…” and navigate to Adobe Digital Editions. The permission drm-wrapped file that is downloaded is not a straight up ePub and this seems to work better than opening Adobe Digital Editions and trying to import the .acm file into the library.

Cool factoids of the new system:

  • You get to choose your “check out period”. You elect 7 days, 14 days or 21 days at checkout.
  • You can checkout up to 5 titles at a time
  • Every digital file has icons showing which platforms/devices that book can be read on
  • So far there are 477 fiction books and 435 non-fiction books listed

The eBooks are not Kindle-friendly nor iDevice-friendly, but here is a list of all compatible devices. I’m going to take a look at checking out books to the Sony Reader and various iDevices.

Kudos to the JCLC System in bringing another great service to us. You guys really are something Birmingham can brag about.


#Bham – They Sell Books at The Red Cat August 23rd, 2010

I had a project-update meeting at The Red Cat coffee house last week and walked out with more than just a good cup of coffee. Down on the bottom shelf of one of the bookcases are… books! Used books at that. Apparently, the owner and employees bring in books, from their personal collections, to sell.

RedCat_bookcase

Hardbacks and textbooks are $5 and mass/trade paperbacks are $2. I’ve had Goldstone’s Used and Rare for quite some time, but have never bought the next two in the series. So I was quite pleased to find a great copy of Slightly Chipped, which I was able to walk out after literally counting out pennies. It’s the kind of serendipitous find that will set your day back upright!

SlightlyChipped

It’s just the one shelf right now, but I am told that turn over is high. So I’ll be checking back to see what’s new.

Also, I want to mention that the Alabama Bloggers group is getting together for lunch this upcoming Friday, August 27 at 11:30a at The Red Cat. If you’re downtown stop by and say “Hi”. If you’ve never been, don’t be shy, this will be my first meeting too.


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Tilting Bookshelves August 21st, 2010

I am in need of some bookshelves at home and can’t quit lurking at places like bookshelfporn.com, but check these built-ins I just ran across:

I don’t know why it plays with my sense of balance so bad. Every time I look at it I feel as if I’m just catching myself before I tip over backwards in my chair. Have a good weekend!


Books Etc. – Bookstore PhotoTour August 17th, 2010

IMG_00290

Books Etc. is the latest addition to our chronicling Birmingham-area bookstores. The shop is going on three-years-old and let me tell you, this is my kind of used-bookstore. It’s one of those places that is crammed with books to the point that you just have to meander about, letting serendipity do its thing. But you can also tell that a true book-person is over seeing the store. Most everything is shelved under category signs, which helps when you’re in a hurry.

More photos and details, after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »


IPSA Presentation slides July 20th, 2010

Here is the slide deck from my presentation at the June IPSA meeting. I only wish there was a way for me to display the Q&A that followed, the questions were great and just what one would expect from a room full of technologists, when the subject is ebooks and book publishing.

Book Publishing 2.010 :: IPSA :: June 2010

Books-A-Million Buying Used Books and cd’s June 18th, 2010

This is the sign that greets you as soon as you enter the Books-A-Million on Highway 31 in Hoover:

bamm_used

Last week this location started buying used books, cd’s, dvd’s and video games. They only accept used books and such between 11a and 5p and they only pay cash.

I can’t find any information on their website about this new program (which I’m guessing is spurred by the success of their selling “used library books”). But here are the bullet points off of the flyer at the store:

  1. We pay cash for your books, printed or recorded merchandise, and computer games.
  2. We cannot make an offer until we see the merchandise.
  3. Each buy is different and will be evaluated individually.
  4. We will make you an offer based on: a) Supply and Demand b) Condition
  5. No appointment is needed – we buy daily, between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
  6. Sellers must remain in the store until merchandise evaluation is completed.
  7. Sellers under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  8. We may ask to see valid proof of purchase for the items you sell to us.
  9. State and local ordinances regarding buying and selling used merchandise must be observed.
  10. We reserve the right to decline to buy merchandise.
  11. Government-issued identification required on any merchandise sold.


I have no idea if other locations are trying this too or where else this program has been rolled out too. I wonder how many other book sellers will expand their store models in this way?  And I have no idea what the going rate for a used Harry Potter or Steven King book is these days either, but I do have a ton of cd’s I wouldn’t mind unloading, if they’ll take them. Maybe, what… ten cents a piece? Who knows.

So if you have some books or cd’s or dvd’s to sell, take them over and see what they offer. And let us know about your experience. We’d love to know if it’d be worth our while to throw some of our stuff in a grocery sack and head down 31.


Four Publishing Conversations Worth Following June 10th, 2010

There is a TON of information online about books and the ever-shifting landscape of publishing. It just takes so long to sift through everything to find something of worth, that you could actually use. But there are four conversations I always check in on, via Twitter. Sometimes I look back through the conversations, days after it’s over to see what I miss and often learn tons I didn’t know. If you are interested in publishing, fire up search.twitter.com and plug-in these hashtags:

#dbw – Digital Book World – this is one GREAT conversation by folks involved in helping change the landscape of publishing. Digital Book World is a new annual conference (the one I wish I had gone to), that focuses more on the how-to and strategy rather than the crystal-ball gazing and the “where will we be in 10 years” like some conferences. It’s well worth your time to follow this hashtag daily. It’s maintained through @DigiBookWorld and @glecharles feeds. (BTW, Guy Charles has a personal blog worth checking out, too.)

#followreader – Follow the Reader – this is a weekly chat covering a specific topic each week. I’m constantly surprised by the quality and depth of the topics. Not too mention the techincal knowledge of the folks who chime in. This hashtag and site are sponsored by NetGalley and maintained by @charabbott and @katmeyer.

#ISBNHour - ISBN Hour – @ljndawson runs this weekly chat, every Friday at noon Eastern. It’s worth checking in on during the week to see if the slant of the current chat is of interest. This is one of the more open threads, as the conversation is really built on sussing out ideas and possible solutions for future problems. Lots of good talk of ISBN, categories, libraries and indexes here. Smart people trying to solve the issues facing the publishing industry before they become crippling problems.

#ePrdctn – eProduction – this is a recent add for me, but is the only one of these four that has earned a permanent column in TweetDeck. If you follow this hashtag you’ll find people chiming in and helping each other from all over the eBook production workflow. Full of solid advice and help regarding Adobe products, indexes and lots of  “has anyone dealt with this before” kind of camaraderie. This is an ongoing conversation by lots of people actually doing the production work that so many in the industry and media try to analyze. There have been some weekly topic-focused chats organized by @crych.

Think of those as four separate cocktail parties attended by just publishing-industry folks and we can walk from party to party listening in on conversations from publishing insiders in New York City, Los Angeles and maybe even Birmingham, AL. Yes, they can get a tad technical (which is sorely needed) and we could think of these as four different publishing workshops, but I promise you this will be a lot more fun if you read through all the conversations with a cocktail in hand.

I know that there are lots more conversations out there. Please, plug your favorite in the comments so I can check it out, if I’m not already.


Free eBooks and Free Coffee June 7th, 2010

Barnes & Noble is finally leveraging their greatest asset: their stores. A “boots on the ground” plan is exactly what they need to help them continue to compete with the changing landscape for publishers, booksellers and readers. That’s exactly what they currently have going by giving away free eBooks (for any device running their app) and free coffee (to get you to hang out in the store).

So if you have an iPhone, Android phone, BlackBerry, laptop (or if you want to lug in your desktop pc or Mac), iPad, Nook, etc. this post is for you.

They are three weeks into this promotion (sorry I didn’t blog about this sooner), giving away one free book per week. To get yours just stop by any store and ask for the code. They usually have them at the Customer Service Desk or the Nook kiosk they’ve all been moving up by the front door. Again, you don’t need a Nook, just any device running the free B&N eReader app. Once you have the code, you go here and get your copy. They next time you log-in to your eReader app, it will download the book.

This week they’re giving away Elizabeth Berg’s Home Safe. Next week, Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail.

Now I have not tried this myself – yet – but ComputerWorld is reporting that if you show that you have the B&N eReader app installed on any device, you score a free coffee. The idea being that you’ll sit down and peruse more books via the free wi-fi at the store. I’ll let you know if this promotion works as reported or not, as soon as I swing by a B&N and try it out.


Free Comic Books April 27th, 2010

May 1st is Free Comic Book Day this year. It’s been a looooooong time since I’ve kept up with comics, but some of the coolest publishing experiments are coming out of that area of publishing apps, e-readers, digital art and… free comic books! So this Saturday, comic book stores all over the country will host special events and have some free comics to give away.

I remembered I wanted to remind both of my blog readers of this fact after running across this Crankshaft comic over on Sam’s Book Chase blog…

How cool is that? It’s fun when the rest of the world notices what’s going on in the publishing world.


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