Turning free web material into books

The NY Times ran an article on blogs/sites moving into printed products. Pretty interesting though nothing really new is mentioned. They don’t even mention the word “blook“. Which is a book mainly consisting of blog posts (and one word I hope never makes it into the dictionary). Basically some marketing folks look at a blog’s traffic stats and see dollar signs, but over the last two years, publishers have realized that a high number of unique visitors does not always translate into dollars.

Though it seems that comics and illustrations do seem to do better than fiction and narratives.

Basically, Frank Warren (of Post Secret fame) summed-up the whole business model when he is quoted in the article saying “I don’t think there is a formula,” Mr. Warren said. “There is a bit of magic there that can’t be replicated.”

Out of the brambles

Alabama is getting a new magazine this month… Thicket is set to hit newsstands in mid-January, promising six issues a year. Lots of notable names in their inaugural issue and a couple of local celebs on their blog.

I’m looking forward to what they have to feature on Alabama and Birmingham. I’ll let y’all know how the first issue looks.

{via Bham Terminal}

List of lists listing lists

I should have posted this a couple of weeks ago, because by now I think we’re all listed out. But it’s new to me and I thought it a pretty cool thing. It’s a site and meta-list that’s new to me. It lists all of the “best of 2007” lists on the web. It’s constantly changing.

As of this post, 66 “best books of 2007” lists, have been submitted. But there are whole bunch more topics to read through too. The best food blogs was another of my favorite categories.

The Literacy Council Used Bookstore

lc01.jpgThe Literacy Council
2301 First Avenue North, Suite 102
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: 205-326-1925 and 1-888-448-7323
Fax: 205-326-0538
Email: info@literacy-council.org

It’s easy to miss this place. The doors are tucked up under an awning along 1st Avenue North. Most days you have to ring the doorbell to be let in. Just tell the person at the desk that you are there for the book sale and they’ll wind you around the office to the back area with all of the books. This space also doubles as a conference room. So if someone is having a meeting, you’ll have to come back later. But you can’t beat the prices and you never know what you’ll find. There are plenty of remainders but then also, just as many pristine copies of donated books.

The book store is open 8:30- 5:00, Monday through Friday.
Hardbacks $3.00, Softbacks $2.00,
Used books and advance copies $1.00
Buy 5 and get the 6th free.

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Books, Publishing and Birmingham