Evo Terra's Blog, page 8
February 14, 2014
RIP, PDF.
Reading .pdf files on your computer screen may be a thing of the past. IBM has announced ...
RIP, PDF.
Reading .pdf files on your computer screen may be a thing of the past. IBM has announced they will "support EPUB as the company’s primary packaged portable document format."
That's huge, and probably speaks to the increased prevalence of ebook readers (device or software-based) in the business world. That, and PDFs provide for a poor on-screen experience.
But don't expect this to happen overnight. It's the rare PC in a business setting that has EPUB reading software installed, and the process of sideloading an EPUB file onto a ebook reading device is anything but straightforward.
Reading .pdf files on your computer screen may be a thing of the past. IBM has announced they will "support EPUB as the company’s primary packaged portable document format."
That's huge, and probably speaks to the increased prevalence of ebook readers (device or software-based) in the business world. That, and PDFs provide for a poor on-screen experience.
But don't expect this to happen overnight. It's the rare PC in a business setting that has EPUB reading software installed, and the process of sideloading an EPUB file onto a ebook reading device is anything but straightforward.
Building a sustainable business modeled on free.
Editorially, a tool you probably haven't used is shutting...
Building a sustainable business modeled on free.
Editorially, a tool you probably haven't used is shutting their doors. If you did use them, you have time to export your data and find another service provider.
But what happened? A clue comes from the linked blog post:
"We’re proud of the team and tool that we built together and incredibly thankful that so many of you were willing to give it a try. And we continue to believe that evolving the way we collaborate as writers and editors is important work. But Editorially has failed to attract enough users to be sustainable, and we cannot honestly say we have reason to expect that to change."
The emphasis is mine and details the key problem; sustainability. As read story after story of shuttered startup, they all tell the same story. While they were busy building a fantastic product, the money ran out.
Steve Blank (Lean Startup) says "a startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." But far too many startups (IMHO) don't get this, instead forming to create a cool product or service that everyone (obviously) will want to have, thereby positioning the company for a liquidation event. Before the money runs out.
In Editorially's case, some will question whether free is sustainable. Truthfully, I've questioned the same thing many times in the last nine years I've been running Podiobooks.com. But we're in a very different position than Editorially, so I don't want to paint a comparison.
Instead, I want anyone taking the free route -- which can pay off quite well -- needs to be focused on sustainability. Run ultra lean. Find generous partners. Praise, appreciate, and find ways to compensate those you're asking to do work, and don't be afraid to pivot if it looks like your business model isn't shaping up the way you thought it would.
Editorially, a tool you probably haven't used is shutting their doors. If you did use them, you have time to export your data and find another service provider.
But what happened? A clue comes from the linked blog post:
"We’re proud of the team and tool that we built together and incredibly thankful that so many of you were willing to give it a try. And we continue to believe that evolving the way we collaborate as writers and editors is important work. But Editorially has failed to attract enough users to be sustainable, and we cannot honestly say we have reason to expect that to change."
The emphasis is mine and details the key problem; sustainability. As read story after story of shuttered startup, they all tell the same story. While they were busy building a fantastic product, the money ran out.
Steve Blank (Lean Startup) says "a startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." But far too many startups (IMHO) don't get this, instead forming to create a cool product or service that everyone (obviously) will want to have, thereby positioning the company for a liquidation event. Before the money runs out.
In Editorially's case, some will question whether free is sustainable. Truthfully, I've questioned the same thing many times in the last nine years I've been running Podiobooks.com. But we're in a very different position than Editorially, so I don't want to paint a comparison.
Instead, I want anyone taking the free route -- which can pay off quite well -- needs to be focused on sustainability. Run ultra lean. Find generous partners. Praise, appreciate, and find ways to compensate those you're asking to do work, and don't be afraid to pivot if it looks like your business model isn't shaping up the way you thought it would.
February 12, 2014
Paid Likes Are Worthless.
If you pay for Likes on Facebook, you will wind up with fake Likes. Worse...
Paid Likes Are Worthless.
If you pay for Likes on Facebook, you will wind up with fake Likes. Worse, the lower level of engagement due to these fake Likes requires you to spend money to promote your posts, leading to a self-perpetuating spending cycle that's difficult to get out from under. But will anyone do anything about it?
If you vote yes, you're betting that Facebook will adapt and weed out the bots, clickfarms and fake accounts. It's a big-data problem, but we live in a world of big data solutions. Doing so is in Facebook's best interest to keep the money flowing toward them.
If you vote no, you're a cynic who understands this is not a unique issue to Facebook. Edge cases aside, the impact of this behavior isn't enough to impact the big brands that spend big dollars to have bragging rights.
Which side are you on?
If you pay for Likes on Facebook, you will wind up with fake Likes. Worse, the lower level of engagement due to these fake Likes requires you to spend money to promote your posts, leading to a self-perpetuating spending cycle that's difficult to get out from under. But will anyone do anything about it?
If you vote yes, you're betting that Facebook will adapt and weed out the bots, clickfarms and fake accounts. It's a big-data problem, but we live in a world of big data solutions. Doing so is in Facebook's best interest to keep the money flowing toward them.
If you vote no, you're a cynic who understands this is not a unique issue to Facebook. Edge cases aside, the impact of this behavior isn't enough to impact the big brands that spend big dollars to have bragging rights.
Which side are you on?
The dollar that no one would steal.
This sad specimen of a dollar bill has been sitting on the edge...
The dollar that no one would steal.
This sad specimen of a dollar bill has been sitting on the edge of my desk for nearly two months. But no one will steal it.
It's not that I work with dishonest people. It's that the opportunity is ripe. My desk is off the beaten path, sheltered from prying eye. And I'm rarely at my desk. Seriously. You couldn't pick a better desk to lift a buck from.
But no one has. Not the cleaning crew. Not the part-time resources. Not the maintenance people. Fine. I get it. The world is full of good people. I guess I better spend it to keep the economy strong.
This sad specimen of a dollar bill has been sitting on the edge of my desk for nearly two months. But no one will steal it.
It's not that I work with dishonest people. It's that the opportunity is ripe. My desk is off the beaten path, sheltered from prying eye. And I'm rarely at my desk. Seriously. You couldn't pick a better desk to lift a buck from.
But no one has. Not the cleaning crew. Not the part-time resources. Not the maintenance people. Fine. I get it. The world is full of good people. I guess I better spend it to keep the economy strong.
SPOILER ALERT: Takeaways from the Author Earnings Report.
Yes, it's a long report. Yes, you should ...
SPOILER ALERT: Takeaways from the Author Earnings Report.
Yes, it's a long report. Yes, you should read it. But many of you will not, so here are the main points:
* Correlation exists between high ebook price and low ebook rating.
* Indie authors sell more genre ebooks than any other segment, even the Big 5.
* ebook sales for genre titles eclipse all other formats, accounting for 92% of sales for the Top 100 titles, and 86% of the Top 2500.
* Indie authors earn nearly half the total author revenue from genre fiction sales on Amazon. (You may want to read that again.)
* Authors currently earning $250,000 or less from Kindle sales are 2-3x more likely to be Indie published than Big 5.
Don't believe it? Read the report for yourself. Still not convinced? Download the data and run the charts yourself? And if you remain steadfast in your resolution, provide your own data to support your claim.
http://authorearnings.com/the-report/
And yes, I know a link to this study was posted already. But no spoilers were given, and I'm rather known for that.
Yes, it's a long report. Yes, you should read it. But many of you will not, so here are the main points:
* Correlation exists between high ebook price and low ebook rating.
* Indie authors sell more genre ebooks than any other segment, even the Big 5.
* ebook sales for genre titles eclipse all other formats, accounting for 92% of sales for the Top 100 titles, and 86% of the Top 2500.
* Indie authors earn nearly half the total author revenue from genre fiction sales on Amazon. (You may want to read that again.)
* Authors currently earning $250,000 or less from Kindle sales are 2-3x more likely to be Indie published than Big 5.
Don't believe it? Read the report for yourself. Still not convinced? Download the data and run the charts yourself? And if you remain steadfast in your resolution, provide your own data to support your claim.
http://authorearnings.com/the-report/
And yes, I know a link to this study was posted already. But no spoilers were given, and I'm rather known for that.
Today in Geek History: Happy Darwin Day! Celebrate science with your chimp relatives. * Flings poo *
Today in Geek History: Happy Darwin Day! Celebrate science with your chimp relatives. * Flings poo *
February 10, 2014
Yelp + Yahoo = better search?
That's what Yahoo is hoping for, but we'll see. Oddly enough, it's being...
Yelp + Yahoo = better search?
That's what Yahoo is hoping for, but we'll see. Oddly enough, it's being seen as a way to differentiate Yahoo! from Bing. And that sounds like odd behavior for a "partner".
My prediction: Yahoo! and Bing will part ways in 2015.
That's what Yahoo is hoping for, but we'll see. Oddly enough, it's being seen as a way to differentiate Yahoo! from Bing. And that sounds like odd behavior for a "partner".
My prediction: Yahoo! and Bing will part ways in 2015.
What goes to a beer/wine/food Fest, doesn't use all it's tickets, comes home and drinks a Marshall Black...
What goes to a beer/wine/food Fest, doesn't use all it's tickets, comes home and drinks a Marshall Black Dolphin Imperial Stout, and has two thumbs?
This guy!
This guy!
