Has Social Media Made Search-Driven Publishing Irrelevant?

The growing importance of social media, coupled with the powerful wrath of Google, have shaken the once-hot world of cheap search-driven publishing. About.com recently dumped its CEO. Yahoo’s $100 million acquisition of Associated Content (now Yahoo Voices) has yielded a network of 700,000 freelancers who produce secondary content on sites like Yahoo Sports and OMG, but advertisers say they haven’t heard about it in more than a year. Meanwhile, AOL’s Seed project is essentially in limbo. In fact, visitors to Seed.com are currently greeted with the message "We are in the process of reformatting Seed.com and new assignments are currently on hold." In a statement, AOL said it has reduced the number of Seed freelancers “as we evaluate how best to integrate its strengths within [the company].” And then there’s Demand Media, which pioneered the practice of churning out thousands of articles based on Google search data. Last week, three of Demand’s founders exited, a year after its underwhelming IPO. Its signature property, eHow.com, is still massive (around 50 million unique users) but has lost about 10 million users since Google adjusted its algorithm to weed out low-quality content. Demand has very publicly pivoted to celebrity-centric content and splashier design to attract advertisers. Still, Facebook and Twitter likely have more to do with the category’s decline than Google. Wetpaint and BuzzFeed are among a new breed of publishers mastering the creation of highly... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2012-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #necessarily viewed #selling point #horizon media #founders left #team monitors #fans react #specific characters #smart strategy

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Buenos Aires sees publishers bet on niche markets

Publishers have been upbeat at the 41st Buenos Aires International Book Fair, which concludes today (11th May), highlighting strong sales in the Argentine market of adventure, fantasy and self-help books. They told The Bookseller that they planned to focus on these genres as they sign new talent. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #niche markets


Whittingdale made new culture secretary

John Whittingdale has been appointed as the new secretary of state for culture, media and sport, taking over from Sajid Javid. Newly returned prime minister David Cameron has given Whittingdale, MP for Maldon, the brief that includes the arts and libraries. Javid moves to the position of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john whittingdale #sajid javid #vince cable


The Evolution of Digital Publishing in China and ChineseAll

Tong Zhilei of ChineseAll.com discusses ebooks, UGC, and the evolution of digital publishing in China, growing at 40% each year, and valued at $40 billion. The post The Evolution of Digital Publishing in China and ChineseAll appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishing


The Changing Face of STM Publishing

A recent report valued STM Publishing at $35 billion annually. The report itself makes for a long but interesting read and really serves to highlight the sheer scale of this sector, the importance of technology, and the value attached to licensing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #changing face #stm publishing #sheer scale


Made in Chelsea's Pratt to Headline

“Made in Chelsea” star Stephanie Pratt is to give “an exclusive insight into the trials and tribulations of life on reality TV” in a new book to be published by Headline. Deputy publishing director Sarah Emsley acquired world rights to Made in Reality from Ariella Feiner at United Agents. As... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reality tv #united agents #big brother


Publishers prepare Independent Bookshop Week exclusives

Deals on Picador Classics, exclusive editions published by Macmillan and money off Hachette Children’s Books series are among the promotions being offered to indies in celebration of Independent Bookshop Week (IBW). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette children #books series


Latest UK Book Publishing Statistics Show Stable Market

The Publishers Association released statistics about the UK book publishing industry that show a stable market and increased digital and export sales. The post Latest UK Book Publishing Statistics Show Stable Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stable market #export sales


Amazon Publishing Marches On

Amazon Publishing may have scaled back its plans to have a major New York City trade publishing presence since the departure of Larry Kirshbaum in early 2014, but the company still continues to expand its overall operation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon publishing #scaled back #larry kirshbaum


PA: publisher revenues 'steady' in 2014

The invoiced value of UK publishers’ annual sales remained absolutely flat year on year in 2014, with a top-line total of £4.3bn, precisely the same as 2013. The figure combines publishers’ revenues from both physical and digital editions and from journals’ income, and is revealed in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher revenues #uk publishers #digital editions #publishers association


Mixed Signals From Three Publishers

First-quarter reports from three of the largest U.S. trade houses gave mixed messages about the state of book publishing at the start of 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mixed signals #book publishing


Self-Publishing

Kim Kardashian has been taking selfies since 1984. That was the year she first immortalized her own face in an admiring close-up—round cheeks filling the frame, flash shining in her toddler eyes like a premonition. Some other baby Kardashian wails beside her, unmoved by the photo op, but Kim... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HealthiNation Pitches Media Buyers on Mobile Lifestyle Video

For its first Digital Content NewFronts presentation, video startup HealthiNation kept its pitch short and sweet. In what was possibly this year's quickest NewFronts sell so far, HealthiNation showed a seven-minute video skimming over the publisher's fitness, cooking and health content to... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short video #mexican food


Amazon Publishing buys Russell trio

Amazon Publishing has acquired three books by Leigh Russell, who has previously been published by independent No Exit Press. Russell’s Journey to Death and two further titles will be published by Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing’s crime imprint. Senior editor Emilie Marneur bought world... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leigh russell #amazon publishing #exit press #thomas mercer #crime imprint


PW Inks Archive Deal with NA Publishing

PW has struck a deal with NA Publishing that will result in the entire archive of 'Publishers Weekly' print magazine, some 750,000 pages, to be digitized. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #entire archive #print magazine


Baltimore Theologian's Book on Violence To Publish in Wake of Riots

The riots in Baltimore have made the publication of 'Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God' -- inspired by the death of Trayvon Martin -- unfortunately timely. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Ratings Council Issues Interim Guidance for Mobile Viewability, Adds a Not-Quite-Viewable Category

The Media Rating Council has issued interim guidance on what it takes for ads on mobile devices to be considered "viewable" and introduced a new category of mobile ad between "viewable" and "not."Advertisers and web publishers use viewability standards to determine whether ads that were served... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #web publishers #major publishers #ad spending


Four Questions for...Yellow Kite Publisher Liz Gough

The U.K. lifestyle publisher talked to us about coloring books for adults, when the paleo diet will have its moment across the pond and what she believes is the 'holy grail' of self-help books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coloring books #holy grail


The Arab World Slow to Adopt Digital Publishing

There is a state of confusion in the Arab world regarding digital publishing, with educational institutions at the forefront, though take up is slow. The post The Arab World Slow to Adopt Digital Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arab world #digital publishing #educational institutions


We Review a Self-Published E-Book About a Russian Werewolf

For our second review of a rather absurd Kindle ebook, our intrepid reviewer chose Tender Kiss of a Russian Werewolf. The post We Review a Self-Published E-Book About a Russian Werewolf appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Suzanne Gibbs Taylor Named Publisher of Gibbs Smith

Suzanne Gibbs Taylor, associate publisher and creative director at Gibbs Smith, has been promoted to publisher and COO of the press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #associate publisher #gibbs smith #creative director