Pocklington Post makes a virtue of parish pump stories written by readers

Pocklington - nicknamed Pock - is a small market town in the Yorkshire Wolds, about 13 miles (or 21 kms) from the city of York.Its population of 8,337 is served by a weekly newspaper, the Pocklington Post, which was chosen by its owner, Johnston Press, to pioneer the publishing of user generated content (UGC).Since January, the editor has aimed at having 75% of the paper originated by the town's residents and readers. Last time the paper's circulation was audited, in the final six months of 2012, it sold a weekly average of 3,302 copies.So Steve Dyson, the former Birmingham Mail editor who monitors local and regional papers, decided to take a look at "all this UGC palaver" for his HoldTheFrontPage column.The result? He was genuinely delighted and discovered that the readers also seemed to appreciate the initiative. After detailing pages of content, here are Dyson's key comments:"I know, I know - much of the above is parish pump stuff, but before you make that cynical leap remember: that's largely what very local papers should be about.The resulting copy may be a little loose in style, but there seems to me to be finer detail, more names and probably fewer factual errors."It will be fascinating to see what effect it has on both print sales and online subscriptions. The irritating thing, because the Pock Post's sales are now audited on a yearly basis, is that we won't know until spring 2015.Regional & local newspapersJohnston PressNewspapersCitizen mediaRoy... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #online subscriptions

Other news stories related to: "Pocklington Post makes a virtue of parish pump stories written by readers"


Wiley looks to make $80m annual savings

Wiley will endeavour to make $80m in annual cost savings going forward as part of an ongoing bid... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


New UK Ebook Platform to Allow Readers to Share Titles via Facebook

In the UK a new ebook platform Boosh will allow readers to share an ebook with a fellow Facebook user to read for free after its read and deleted from their own account. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sharethrough Launches Own Take on Sponsored Stories

Companies like InPowered and Disqus have rolled out ad platforms for brands to promote articles and other more media-ish content with paid placements on publishers’ sites, and now Sharethrough is upping its stake in the game. Last September, the San Francisco-based ad startup launched Sponsored... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #regular users #gaining traction #american express #traditional banners #latest model #land rover #long tail #sales team


T Magazine Gets Heat From Readers On Lack of Diversity

After reader pushback, The New York Times’ magazine is looking to include more ethnicities, and the larger media landscape should, too. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


APN Posts Profit of A$54m For 2012

Australian publisher APN has posted a profit after tax before exceptional items of A$54m (€42m) for the year ended 2012 in line with expectations. The company said that net debt has been reduced by A$180m while cost initiatives delivered sa ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #net debt #exceptional items


Amazon makes White Glove push to agents

Amazon is pursuing more direct relationships with literary agents and authors, targeting them... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #direct relationships #literary agents


Huffington Post Loses Executive Editor Tim O'Brien

Arianna's right hand is out at The Huffington Post. Huffington announced today via company memo that Tim O'Brien, executive editor of the online publisher, will be leaving the site to work on the second of his five-part book deal. Per the memo, Huffington noted, "In the next few days, Tim's... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #gain traction #digital projects #nonelection year #pulitzer prize


Mantel makes headlines over Middleton comments

Double Man Booker Prize-winner Hilary Mantel has made newspaper headlines today (19th February)... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


A Crossmedia Love Story: Cadaver by Jonah Ansell

Writer and filmmaker Jonah Ansell shares how he took his story "Cadaver" from a poem written for his sister to a short film to a graphic novel and, hopefully, a feature film. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #feature film #short film


Rebuck and Mackenzie make Woman's Hour's top 100

Random House c.e.o. Gail Rebuck and author J K Rowling are both among the top 20 most powerful... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #random house #gail rebuck


Hillary Clinton's story released

A biography of Hillary Clinton's time as US secretary of state will be released on 5th March... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #5th march #hillary clinton


Foyles to make redundancies

Foyles is to make up to eight employees redundant as it seeks to "counter the downturn in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #make redundancies


Blonde 'Anne of Green Gables'? A new cover displeases loyal readers

A new book cover for the classic novel 'Anne of Green Gables,' showing Anne as a blonde without freckles lounging in a plaid shirt, has Amazon users up in arms. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book cover #green gables


Readers 'flock to beautiful books'

The extra focus publishers have started to put on producing beautiful hardbacks has borne fruit,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #borne fruit #beautiful books


Curtis Brown launches Jeffrey Archer Short Story Prize

Curtis Brown has teamed up with Kobo to launch a short story competition, to be judged by author... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #curtis brown


Readers sue Armstrong and US publishers

Two US book buyers are suing cyclist Lance Armstrong and his publishers Random House US and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book buyers


Vickers and Okereke shortlisted for Costa short story prize

Salley Vickers and Chiome Okereke are among the authors shortlisted for the Costa Short Story... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #authors shortlisted


Why WHSmith Remains the Most Remarkable Story in UK Bookselling

A tightly focused strategy on maintaining margins has enabled WHSmith to persist after than two centuries at the heart of UK bookselling, inspiring admiration and ire alike. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #remarkable story


Support for Seven Stories as it fights funding cut

Seven Stories, the national centre for children's books, is making a final push to galvanise... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #final push #national centre


Amazon quietly introduces Kindle rentals for US readers, bases prices on duration

Think you can finish a 168-page novel in a month? It might pay to opt for Amazon's new Kindle rental feature, now available on an incredibly limited number of titles. A few options published by Princeton University Press appear to represent the site's introductory offering. The 5 Elements of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #comments section #list -- #eligible books