Record Crowd for ePublishing Panel
The ePublishing panel discussion, The ePublishing Tsunami: Who Will Sink and Who Will Swim?, drew a record audience. Hosted by Poets & Writers as part of a regular series of panel discussions of interest to writers, the event drew a record audience, according to Amy Holman, director of the organization's Literary Horizons program. Seating was full, and attendees were even standing on the balcony to watch in the wonderful, library-like space at Housing Works Used Book Cafe.
And it wasn't a passive audience, either. When the Q&A began, it was clear that the audience consisted of eager, inquisitive people who wanted to know more about "this ePublishing thing." Most of the discussion centered around how to get exposure for ePublished works, how to safeguard rights, and what it takes to promote eBooks.
Panelists included MJ Rose, author of three novels, columnist for Wired.com, and all-around ePublishing hero; Rob Trucks, publisher of Smallmouth Press; and Jason K. Chapman.
Trucks' wry, friendly style didn't disguise his passion for books and literature as he explained just what it was that got him to move into the ePublishing arena. He sees the Internet as the key to getting exposure for quality authors who get lost in the "big publishing" rush for the next blockbuster.
MJ Rose, one of ePublishing's biggest success stories, touted the importance of promotion for eAuthors and ePublishers alike. Fresh from Michael Cader's Publisher's Lunch, where she announced a new promotional venture called The Intercom with author Douglas Clegg and entrepreneur Janet Cadsawan, she showed how ePublishing worked to fill the areas where the publishing machine is broken. Travel books, cross-genre fiction and literary fiction are broken, she says, and ePublishing can fix them.
Jason K. Chapman, author of THE HERETIC, explained how corporate sponsorship was one way to help boost awareness of eBooks. Using his own success as an example, he showed how the pairing of content-hungry Web sites and audience-hungry fiction could come together to the benefit of both Web publisher and author. The key is to match the two by subject matter, thus taking advantage of targeted marketing and shared demographics.
It was a very successful event for all concerned. If it hadn't been for Housing Works' 9 pm closing time, the audience and the panelists would have gone on for hours. This enthusiasm will likely lead Poets & Writers to spend more time focusing on the ePublishing arena, as more and more people start seeing the advantages for readers, writers, and publishers.
