The Blog Phenomenon and the Book Publishing Industry

Transcription

1 The Blog Phenomenon and the Book Publishing Industry Meredith Nelson Blogs have introduced a myriad of new voices to the channels of information exchange online. In fact, more blogs are created every day than there are books published in the United States each year. 1 The blogosphere is a massive conversation that's playing an increasing role in establishing trends, reporting news and opinion, and generating buzz. Publishers may view blogs as just another source of competition for readers. However, blogs have also created many new and important opportunities for publishers. Blogs allow publishers to monitor trends and "listen" to the conversations online about their books. Bloggers often act as filters for the information online, making it easier for agents and editors to identify the most interesting and unique new voices in the blogosphere. Bloggers who wish to be authors offer publishers ready-made platforms and opportunities to publish into established audiences. Blogs allow publishers to access previously untapped communities of readers, create new readers, and access influential communicators and business people that spread information about books. Blogs are opening new, low-cost channels for book publicity and advertising as traditional media outlets are shutting them down. Book publishers are taking advantage of these opportunities and even launching their own blogs to connect and communicate with niche audiences that are deeply interested in their books. Blog Basics A "blog," short for "weblog," is a frequently updated Web page that includes streamof-consciousness entries by a single writer or group of writers. Blog entries, or "posts," are usually marked with the time and listed in reverse-chronological order. 2 Blogs include links to news sites, other blogs, , online advertisements, video and audio files, 3 or other online content. 4 Links are embedded in the text of entries or appear in the sidebars. Blogs can also include a biography of the writer, or "blogger," archived posts, a search mechanism, comments, and a "blogroll" a list of the blogger's favorite Web sites. 5 The subject, style, and length of blog posts are entirely up to the blogger. The first weblogs were literally that: logs of new or noteworthy sites on the Web. 6 Several other types of blogs have evolved. Writers of "filter" blogs pre-surf the Web for stories, links, or other snippets similar to the way a DJ chooses songs or topics for a radio show. 7 "Personal journal" blogs focus on bloggers' thoughts and "notebook" blogs typically include longer essays. "K-logs" (knowledge compilations) share information within an organization, and "community" blogs allow multiple users to post entries) Marketing guru Seth Godin offers another perspective. He believes that all blogs fall Address for correspondence: Meredith Nelson, 80 North Moore Street, Apt. 10E, New York, NY gmail.com.

2 4 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 under one of three categories: cat blogs ("for and by and about the person blogging"), boss blogs ("used to communicate to a defined circle of people"), or viral blogs (written by individuals or organizations who want to spread their ideas). 9 Bloggers spread ideas or "memes" virally by linking to each other's sites. 1~ Memes define bloggers' personalities and connect blog communities through common interests.h The technical features of blogs and the social conventions of the blogosphere encourage cross-linking. The web of interlinked blogs is called the "blogosphere? '12 Memes can travel through the blogosphere very quickly--sparking, extending, and amplifying conversations online among small groups or thousands of people. Bloggers build an audience by linking to other blogs, especially popular blogs. According to Rebecca Blood, "traffic is currency" in the blog world, and "links--to and from other sites--are the coin of the realm. ''~3 Blood was discussing popularity in the blogosphere, but her description is quite literal today. Many writers are making a living, sometimes a very good living, by blogging in "lucrative niches" such as entertainment, gossip, politics, or gadgets) 4 The earnings of professional bloggers depend on how much traffic their blogs receive. The "'network theory'" explains that blogs' popularity can be measured by the number of "inbound" links to a blog. Inbound links are links from another Web site, and they are an "80 percent-accurate predictor of traffic. The more links point to you, the more readers you have. ''~5 The Blog Phenomenon Growth of the Blogosphere In the early 1990s, Internet enthusiasts began keeping weblogs with links to new items on the World Wide Web and readers' comments about the items.16 The first bloggers used HTML to hand-code their weblogs? 7 Blog creation exploded in late 1999 and in 2000 because blog software had been developed that allowed people with no knowledge of computer programming to create a blog? 8 Blogs were suddenly accessible to anyone who could operate a personal computer and access the Internet. As Rebecca Blood explains, "The promise of the web was that everyone could publish, that a thousand voices could flourish, communicate, connect. The truth was that only those people who knew how to code a web page could make their voices heard. Blogger, Pitas, and all the rest have given people with little or no knowledge of HTML the ability to publish on the web...,,~9 The blog phenomenon, perhaps the "most democratized revolution in media ever, ''2~ was made possible by software that is widely available and often accessed for free. Blogger, Pitas, Moveable Type, Radio UserLand, 2~ Xanga, MSN Spaces, AOL Journals, Live Journal, TypePad, and GreatestJournal are all types of blog software. 22 Basic online blog accounts are free, while more advanced programs are subscription-based or available as a download or packaged program purchased individually or as part of a suite of personal Web publishing services

3 Nelson 5 Cultural Impact No so long ago, blogs did not exist. Today blogs are described as "the most exciting area of the Internet fight now--by a long way. ''25 More people are writing and reading blogs every day. For example, in May 2005, the Pew Research Center reported that 11 million American adult Internet users had created blogs. 26 Technorati, (a blog search engine company) reports that on average, a new blog is created every second, and that the blogosphere is now more than 60 times bigger than it was three years ago. 27 Technorati is currently tracking more than 47 million blogszs--this number doubles about every six months. 29 If this growth continues, all 6.7 billion people on the planet could have a blog by April Blogs are finding large audiences of readers at a time when people aren't reading as much as they used to. 31 In May 2005, Pew researchers reported that 32 million American adult Internet users were reading blogs. The blog reader population is about 40% of the talk radio show audience and about 20% of the newspaper-reading population Traditional news outlets are still the dominant source of news for the majority of the American public, 34 but blogs are increasing in popularity. Some now have larger audiences than Web sites such as Forbes, PBS, and MTV. 35 Blogs are attracting interest and investment from Fortune 500 companies and corporate media. In May 2005, the cover of BusinessWeek declared, "Blogs will change your business. ''36 Blogs have been the subject of numerous articles in newspapers and magazines across the country. Major companies have launched blogs, encourage employees to blog, have acquired blog networks, 37 and advertise on blogs. 38 Bloggers are creating communities around interests and activist causes. 39 There are hundreds of political blogs, food blogs, 4~ shopping blogs, and video blogs, or "vlogs. ''41 Many journalists, scholars, and business experts describe blogs as "possessing socially-transformative, democratizing potential ''42 that enables a "global village. ''43 Bloggers serve as filters for vast amounts of information and sources multiplying online and throughout the world. 44 Many argue that blogs are making an important contribution to the pool of human intelligence and turning the Internet into a two-way discussion. 45 However, it's important to keep the blogosphere, touted by evangelists as fast-paced, nimble, and highly interconnected, in perspective. Although about 3.9 million bloggers update their blogs at least weekly, 46 the large majority of blogs are not updated regularly, and less than one-third of blog entries have any links at all. 47 Also, blogs have not actually hit mainstream culture. Generally, somewhere between 37% and 62% of Americans do not know what a blog is Bloggers have some influence in media and political circles, but outside the media bubble, many people don't know the words "blog" and "podcast. ''5~ The speedy growth of blogs is impressive, but public awareness of blogs has not reached a "tipping point "'51 Impact on Book Publishing Blogs have impacted many industries and communities, but especially the media and publishing industries. Newspaper and magazine publishing is not the focus of this study,

4 6 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 but it is worth mentioning a few points about these industries. Although skepticism about citizen journalism persists, bloggers have earned some respect in the journalistic world. Bloggers broke several major stories and offered first-hand accounts of social unrest, political events, wars, and natural disasters. Blogs are delivered as quickly as talk radio, can be as "nuanced and well-sourced" as newspapers and magazines, 52 and can present information and opinions that mainstream sources cannot23 Blogs, RSS readers, and other new online content formats or delivery systems have caused traditional newspapers and magazines to rethink the content they deliver and how they deliver it. (RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication, technology that broadcasts "feeds" of information from Web sites. RSS readers, or aggregators, collect and display all the feeds requested by a reader in one place. 54) Rather than just printing one or two papers a day, media companies are moving online and providing content updated throughout the day. Companies such as Weblogs, Inc. (now part of AOL) and Gawker Media are publishing blogs that compete with business-to-business magazines for advertisers and for the attention of niche audiences.52 Blogs have created a new point of entry for outsiders into the book publishing industry. Blogs enable an alternate literary culture that allows members that lack the "connections" that serve as barriers of entry in the traditional publishing world. 56 Writers are using blogs to build audiences that strengthen book proposals. As a result, many publishers have offered book deals to bloggers over the last few years. In June 2006, a search for "blog" in the book Deals section of Publishers Marketplace returned eighty results. 57 There are books based on blogs, novels by bloggers, and a number of published or forthcoming books that cover the blog phenomenon, how to write a blog, and corporate business blogging. In October 2005, the self-publishing company Lulu announced the "Blooker Prize" for the best "blooks," or print books based on blogs? 8 Professionals at all stages of the publishing process are blogging. 59 Readers have launched literary blogs, fan blogs, and genre blogs. Librarians are writing about issues in library science, new acquisitions, and funding. Booksellers access blogs for news and recommendations, and sometimes they "cyber sell" a book that they really like through a biog. 6~ Web sites such as Publishers Marketplace and MediaBistro support blogs on industry-related topics and monitor blogs for news. Literary blogs contain novel reviews, personal essays, information about authors, and links to news about books. Literary bloggers offer sharp opinions and commentary about positive and negative trends in the publishing industry. 6~ Several publishers have launched blogs including Soft Skull Press, First Second, Harper Perennial, and Holtzbrinck Publishers. Discovering Influencers and Niche Communities Blogs can help book publishers address some of the major challenges of their businesses. Publishers need to figure out how to attract more demographic segments to their products. 62 Book publishers are also challenged to find more "influencers" to spread recommendations and news about their books to many smaller communities. Blogs offer solutions for both of these challenges. The blogosphere is highly interested in books and authors 63 and it includes many small communities that are enthusiastic about specialized

5 Ne~on 7 topics. Bloggers are influencers who spread news about books to interested individuals from various demographic backgrounds. Communication in the blogosphere is often very effective because blog readers choose, or opt-in, to the blog media for information. 64 Publishers can expect to reach two groups of people through blogs: bloggers and blog readers. Bloggers read blogs because they keep a blog themselves--bloggers are all watching each other. 65 Blog readers read blogs for entertainment or information. Understanding the demographics and behavior of bloggers and blog readers can help publishers target the ideas they want to spread. Bloggers Bloggers are usually younger adults 66 with several years of experience with the Internet. 67 There are more male bloggers than female bloggers. 68 Compared to the general population, bloggers usually have higher levels of education and earn higher incomes. They are likely to live in urban or suburban communities and to have high-speed Internet connections. 69 The sidebar on a blog often conveys considerable demographic information about the blogger. 7~ Formal studies and informal browsing show that people create many types of blogs that serve many purposes. Authors use blogs to help them write. 71 Many people start blogs to position themselves as experts in their field, to network, or to increase the visibility of their businesses. 72 Some bloggers are just keenly interested in a topic and want to talk about it, which, according to one blogger, is probably one of the best reasons to blog. 73 Success in the blogosphere can earn a blogger media attention, benefit a blogger's professional reputation, attract a book deal, or improve the blogger's business. However, most successful bloggers do not write only for money or promotional purposes they actually enjoy the process and the activity. TM Bloggers are "influencers" who spread information quickly along the links and channels of the blogosphere. Serious bloggers aim to give their audience "'something new to read everyday,"75 and the average blogger spends about four hours a week writing his or her blog. 76 Technorati tracks about 1.2 million posts per day, or 50,000 posts per hour. 77 Bloggers, who often act as news filters, are very quick to spot and link to new stories and other items of interest. Bloggers follow breaking news, trends, and other blogs 78 in order to have material to post to their sites. They track and filter "buzz" as much as they create it themselves. 79 Generally, blogs are exciting marketing tools for book publishers because they allow access to many very small, dedicated groups of people. However, there are three types, or communities, of bloggers that are especially important for publishers. A small number of "A-list" blogs and bloggers attract large numbers of readers and are beginning to impact mainstream media. 8~ (On charts displaying data on attention to blogs or inbound links to blogs, "A-list" blogs show up at the top, "B-list blogs at the curve, and "C-list" blogs in the "long tail? '8~ 82) The "power-law distribution" theory explains how A-listers maintain their popularity. Just as a small number of wealthy people control most of the world's capital while everyone else has little or no capital, A-list blogs enjoy many inbound links while other blogs get very few. In addition, "popularity breeds popularity" in the

6 8 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 blogosphere--people choose to read A-list blogs because lots of other people are reading them. 83 A-list bloggers are often consulted by journalists, activists, and politicians about what is happening online. 84 People trust their opinions and recommendations. These wellknown bloggers are able to spread ideas more quickly because they reach more people and their readers give them more leeway to say something new. 85 Perhaps the most important group of blogs for publishers to watch is "the magic middle" of the attention curve, or what might be called "B-list" blogs. This group includes about 155,000 blogs that have about 20-1,000 people linking to them. 86 This area includes some of the most interesting, informative, witty, and influential bloggers writing on topical and niche subjects. These bloggers define communities in the blogosphere, identify trends that never appear on A-list blogs, and produce the most significant conversations in the blogosphere. 87 Publishers should also monitor literary blogs. Literary bloggers are tightly connected to book publishers' core audience. 88 They work independently and together (a good collaborative example is the LitBlog Co-op) to champion books, especially literary fiction, overlooked by "conventional establishments "'89 Literary bloggers' casual, unconventional style blurs the line between amateur and professional literary criticism. Many literary blogs are professional, but some are "amateurish and self-referential. ''9~ Observers have criticized some bloggers for critiquing certain books harshly while plugging books by their friends. 91 No one is exactly sure how influential literary bloggers are. According to some reports, literary bloggers have become the "new darlings" of the publishing industry--they get review copies, interviews with prestigious authors, and access to many publishing and writers events. 92 However, publishers feel that literary blogs' influence is limited 93 because their reach mostly extends to the publishing world. Commentary on literary blogs can contribute to a book's success, but it is unlikely to cause a book to fail. 94 Blog Readers Generally, studies show that blog readers are more likely to be young, white, single men Many reports indicate that men and women are equally likely to read blogs, 97 but Blogads, a blog advertising company, reports that 75% of blog readers are men. 98 Blog readers are twice as likely as the general public to have college degrees and higher incomes. 99 Bloggers and their audiences are enthusiasts--they are highly interested in particular topics, and they share a love of using the Internet to converse about the topic. 1~176 Blog readers engage with blogs frequently and voluntarily. Blog readers check blogs for new information every few days, TM or even every few hours. In the first quarter of 2005, blog readers spent about 23 hours online per week, and viewed 77% more Web pages than did average Internet users. 102 Blog readers have been described as "trendsetters, early adopters, opinion makers, news junkies, and the biggest advocates of their own personal interests... people who represent the prototypical mavens, connectors, and salesman [sic] 103 that are supposedly responsible for every viral phenomenon and trend. ''1~ Blog readers are not "cybergeeks" and are more likely to serve as opinion leaders. Blog readers are "'Influentials,'

7 Nelson 9 the Americans who 'tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation.'" Influentials are sources of information for their friends, relatives, and colleagues. 1~ Blog readers are also similar to the audience publishers seek for books--"savvy, educated, funny, widely interested readers. ''1~ Blog readers actively look for information from unexpected sources for longer periods of time. According to Blogads, about 75% of blog readers say that they read blogs for news that they cannot find anywhere else. 107 Opportunities and Challenges for Book Publishers Blogs are a new source of competition for consumers' attention and pose other challenges for the publishing industry, but they offer many good opportunities for book publishers. Book publishers can utilize blogs at many stages of the publishing process toward positive results. Monitor Trends and Opinions Business and marketing experts advise companies to "listen" to the chatter online about their businesses and products. Publishers should be "listening" to discussions on blogs to spot trends and monitor readers' opinions about their books. The blogosphere is a rich source of data about readers' interests, readers' communities, and the latest publishing news. Agents and editors can also use blogs to identify topics that attract large numbers of readers, or how readers respond to different types of material. Book marketers can use data collected from blogs to target viral marketing campaigns or advertising. 1~ Importantly, book marketers should amplify the positive comments they find about their books, and reach out to the readers or bloggers saying good things. 1~ Book marketers and editors can use simple, cheap (or free) technology to monitor topics and trends in the blogosphere, watch buzz as it happens, and follow the comments of every blogger who expresses an opinion about their books. 11~ 1H Observers can request RSS feeds related to particular search terms, keywords, names, or URLs. H2 Similar to Internet search engines, blog search engines locate blog posts about particular topics, show results for the most popular blogs, or show the most popular links zipping through the blogosphere at any given time. Popular blog search engines include Technorati, Pub- Sub, Feedster, IceRocket, Google Blog Search, BlogPulse, ~13 Daypop,~14 and Blogdex. H5 Although it is relatively simple to monitor the blogosphere in-house, a publisher could also hire one of several companies that provide blog monitoring services. Starting at about $225 per month, companies such as CyberAlert will monitor and "clip" content related to search words that a client chooses. ~16 Find Fresh Content The blogosphere is a breeding ground for new ideas and fresh voices. In addition, the writing in blogs can be interesting, entertaining, and may possess many other important literary qualities. 117 Many talented writers maintain blogs to talk about their interests. Other blogs exist to provide a forum for writers or to promote little-known authors. So,

8 10 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 depending on the genres or subject areas they focus on, editors might search community blogs, filter blogs, viral blogs, and personal journals for ideas or new authors. Blogs, by nature, make it easier for agents and editors to find good ideas. Bloggers gain an audience and a platform through smart thinking and good writing. Interesting blogs are rewarded with an audience, and uninteresting ones are not. ~8 Essentially, the public "pre-filters blogs." Agents and editors can also use bloggers that they trust as filters. They can rely on the bloggers, experts on their community, to provide good recommendations for the best blogs to explore/~9 Most successful blog-to-book or blogger-to-anthor projects are very similar to typica] book publishing projects. There is usually little interest in a book that's just a copy of a biog. Editors who have acquired books based on blogs explain that their decisions were based on excellent proposals from bloggers; blogs are usually just the starting point for ideas or new material included in a book proposal, ~2~ In many instances, the most important thing to capitalize on is the blogger's voice. Also, great writing smoothes the transition of a blog to a printed book. Since success in the blogosphere requires writing pithy, interesting pieces every day, most bloggers have the opportunity to develop strong writing skills, to "hone a voice," and to practice meeting deadlines/2~ ~22 Still, even when a blogger presents a good proposal and is a good writer, editors may face challenges in transitioning a blog to a book, or the blogger to an author. Will the blogger's writing be as good in a book as it is in the blog? Will the content "work" as a book the same way it "works" as a blog? Will the blogger have time to write a book? 123 In addition, critics have questioned the idea that blogs are good sources of content for books. Some suggest that the rise of bloggers as a phenomenon in publishing, especially blogger book deals, is an indication of desperation in the industry, TM and compare the quality of the information available on blogs to "a nightmare vision of a publishing house's 'slush pile' come to life. ''125 Although there are many talented bloggers worth seeking out, agents and editors should cautiously approach blog books. John Williams, an editor at Harper Perennial, pointed out, "it will often be difficult to comfortably transfer the style of a blog to that of a book... I would compare it to stand-up comics--if you see someone do a great stand-up routine, you might want to approach them about doing a sitcom, but I don't think the success of the former will be an exact predictor of the success for the latter? 't26 However, other observers insist that even if 99.99% of the 200,000 new blogs launched each day are a total waste, twenty relevant and useful new blogs remain to explore. 127 Despite these challenges, most publishers agree that the trend of blogs to books benefits both writers and editors. Editors are interested in blog books because bloggers usually have a unique voice and a platform? 2s (And blogs are another means for aspiring writers to create a platform. ~29) A blogger's platform, or built-in audience, is often a powerful selling point for his or her book. 13~ A blog shows an editor that the blogger is committed to the subject TM and already has a connection with readers, or "ready-made fans. ''132 The popularity of a blog can be measured precisely, m so agents can show editors that their bloggers or blog books offer built-in sales numbers. TM Not only does the notoriety of some blogs or bloggers get the attention of editors, it also helps publishers get attention

9 Nelson 1 1 for booksj 35 Similarly, literary blogs are giving books additional exposure. This allows editors to explore acquiring more adventurous or unique books because the books have a better chance of finding an audience. 136 Market Books Book marketers can utilize blogs to access the groups of readers that are most interested in their books. Opportunities include word-of-mouth promotion, low-cost advertising, and new ways to publicize authors and books. In addition, the cost of reaching specific audiences through blogs is extremely small compared to more traditional marketing methods, t37 The main costs include salaries, the cost of maintaining computer systems and Internet access, overhead costs, shipping costs, and the cost of providing books or other materials for bloggers. 138 However, publishers who choose to market books in the blogosphere should realize that they are joining a conversation that they cannot control. Seth Godin points out that this idea "appears to have stumped the first generation of media conglomerates that have tried to control the conversation online. ''139 Marketers who choose to initiate and participate in conversations online need to realize that they and their readers are equal participants in the exchange. "Buzz," or word-of-mouth promotion multiplied across many people, is a prevalent concept in marketing today. Books catch on by word of mouth, and buzz is often credited as the reason some books become bestsellers and others don't. 14~ Buzz-worthy items are easily picked up and amplified by bloggers who are constantly searching for new information to include in their blogs. Marketers can send information to bloggers through RSS feeds or other blogs, through some simple online marketing, or by sending bloggers books or other materials directly. Bloggers spread buzz by linking to each other and to other Web sites. TM This type of online exposure and word-of-mouth promotion are very effective ways to market books. 142 Book marketing budgets are shrinking, consumer attention spans are waning, and reading is incredibly subjective, so it's very important that marketers to find populations of people who really want to engage with their books. 143 Blogs are especially valuable to book publishers because they are as varied and specialized as books. 144 Blogs themselves offer unique opportunities to converse with a target audience. In addition, publishers can use blogs to research communities that might be interested in their booksj 45 A small team of marketers at Holtzbrinck publishers, directed by Jeff Gomez, provides an early example of how to approach working with blogs to market books. Gomez's Internet marketing team works on finding innovative ways to use the Web to access readers. Their Internet marketing efforts include Web sites, marketing, connecting with bloggers, and podcasting; anything the Web has to offer that makes sense as a marketing tool. The Holtzbrinck marketers believe that bloggers who attract decently-sized audiences can be important contacts for spreading information about books. The team contacts bloggers that focus on topics related to the books that Holtzbrinck is marketing with an offer to receive a book for free. They suggest that the blogger to read the book, and perhaps write about the book in their blog. 146 This strategy is not all that new--several other publishers send bloggers reading copies. 147 However, as the Holtzbrinck team pointed out, there are certain approaches that

10 12 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 make the strategy successful. This type of marketing works best for non-fiction books with a focused topic. Books about politics or other ideas that are already blogged about often are ideal. Also, publishers should avoid the mistake of marketing books to only a narrow selection of bloggers. It's better to send books to a variety of bloggers and communities. 148 And although it's best to align books with bloggers' tastes, it may be worth sending really fantastic books to influential bloggers regardless of their interests. 149 Finally, it's very important for marketers to make an effort to develop relationships with bloggers. Bloggers, especially, do not want to feel randomly selected or like one of many influencers being solicited. Marketers should actually read the blog, customize the package, and personalize the offer and interaction with the blogger. 15~ Blogs allow readers to talk back, and it is easy to set up mechanisms to aggregate these comments and listen. TM The Holtzbrinck team tracks reactions from bloggers on an internal company blog. Reactions from bloggers range from short endorsements, ("Do yourself a favor and buy this book. ''152) to lengthy, critical remarks. 153 Marketers cannot control what bloggers say, so their efforts may result in harsh criticism rather than praise. The blogosphere can be an especially volatile place--some bloggers write things or "behave" in ways online that they normally wouldn't in person or in a more formal atmosphere. TM Bloggers' accuracy and motives are often called into question, 155 and some bloggers have been criticized for censoring comments on their blogs or for attacking people, sometimes viciously, with whom they disagree. 156 However, as the Holtzbrinck team explained, sending books to bloggers is actually very similar to the traditional strategy of putting a book out for review. Marketers accept the risk that a blogger will give a book a negative review. Positive and negative comments both generate discussion around a book, and that's the real goal of marketing efforts. 157 Blogs are an important new avenue for book publicity. Space devoted to book reviews in newspapers and magazines has decreased over the last five years, while the number of books published per year has increased by 55%. 158 Many books go unnoticed, and readers don't even know what they are missing. Several book blogs were launched in reaction to the shrinking coverage in traditional media. The blogs pick up where some traditional book reviews left off, 159 and much of the conversation about books has moved online. 16~ Many book blogs focus on areas that are hardly covered by traditional outlets, such as literary fiction 161 and foreign titles) 62 In addition, blogs can go one step beyond print book reviews and create an entire discussion around a book. 163 Blogs allow authors to participate in "virtual book tours," or blog tours. In a blog tour, an author is a guest blogger on several blogs for a day or up to several weeks. The tours usually target blogs whose audiences are especially interested in a book's topic, genre, or style. 164 Publicists or authors can set up virtual book tours for free. There are also companies that will arrange the tours for fees of about $1,500 to $4, In either case, publishers save on travel and lodging expenses that traditional tours require. 166 Although it's not clear how blog tours impact book sales, authors who have participated in them reported watching their Amazon rankings go up shortly after the tour. 167 Regardless, blog tours give authors wide exposure 168 and provide a valuable record of targeted campaigns that can serve as a reference for planning future promotions. 169 Advertising experts agree that advertising on blogs makes sense for products that rely on buzz, 17~ so they offer publishers a new channel for advertising. Blogs are attractive to

11 Nelson 13 advertisers because they offer focused niches and are cheaper than regular newspapers and television. 171 CPM (cost per thousand views) rates for blogs are high because blogs reach very specialized audiences. But because traffic on blogs is light, the overall cost for an advertisement is very 10w.172 Marketers can pitch advertisements directly to bloggers, ~73 or buy advertising through networks such as Blogads. Users report that media buys through Blogads are efficient and as easy as blogging itself. TM Blogads advertising rates range from about $10 per week to $10,000 per week. Most advertisements sold are in the $10 per week rangej 75 However, a blogger can write about how much she dislikes an author fight next to an advertisement for the author's new book, so marketers should carefully evaluate the blogs on which they plan to advertise. Blogs spread information to sales reps, booksellers, and readers that can improve publishers' frontlist, mid-list, and backlist sales. A handful of bestsellers are driving trade book revenues, even as publishers produce more books every year. Publishers and booksellers are struggling to sell mid-list booksj 76 Blogs can show booksellers some of the most up-to-date information about what's going on in the literary and publishing worlds. Booksellers report that they will often read something on a blog that appears a week later in a trade magazine. 17v In addition, the global reach of the Internet allows literary blogs to bring together book lovers from all over, especially from communities that are very different from the major urban centers or suburbs that have large bookstores. For this reason, blogs have the potential to help sales reps identify new sales channels. Importantly, blogs add to the universe of support, discussion, and word-of-mouth recommendations that encourage readers to buy more widely. Blogs give readers the opportunity to find, as blogger M.J. Rose says, "'their own little Oprahs. '''178 Publish a Blog Along with many other types of companies, publishers are beginning to explore launching their own blogs. Seth Godin, a student of the blogosphere, argues that blogging is a great way for marketers to talk to customers that want to hear them. 179 Karen Templer of Readerville writes that highly engaged readers "wish publishers paid more attention to what readers actually want. ''18~ Publishers can build relationships with readers through viral blogs that encourage discussion of their common interestsj They can monitor readers' comments for valuable information that they can leverage 183 in new initiatives or in other parts of their publishing programs. Blogs also give publishers the opportunity to create readers by spreading important and entertaining ideasj 84 In addition, a blog gives a publisher a stronger position in the blogosphere. As John Williams explained, "Having our own blog just gives us control over one particular space on the Internet... I think having our own [blog] might make future partnerships [with already-existing blogs] more likely, in the sense that blogs with common interests tend to work in a synergistic way--linking to relevant material on each other's sites and so on "'~85 Blogs increase the visibility of a publisher's ideas and books online. In fact, many companies are using blogs as an alternative to advertising because they are effective tools for improving search rankings. 186 A publisher's blog could create buzz around particular products or brands, and drive more readers to the publisher's Web site or to online booksellers to buy books.

12 14 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 Publishing blogs is inexpensive, especially considering the potential benefits. Seth Godin describes the cost of creating a viral blog this way: "One person, $20 a month, and an audience of several hundred thousand people! ''187 Depending on the blogging software they choose, publishers could spend between zero and several hundred dollars per month to publish a blog--the same as an individual writing at home. 188 The most significant investment in maintaining a blog is time; blogs only attract readers if bloggers post new memes consistently. Many publishers have their staff maintain a biog. Alternatively, publishers could hire a freelance blogger to write a blog for between $200 and $3,000 per month (according to reports from blog publishing networks) There are millions of bloggers trying to attract people to their sites, 192 and a publisher doesn't necessarily have a larger virtual megaphone than do any of these individuals. So how does a publisher create a great blog? Publishers should utilize the assets they have in-house. Publishing people like to communicate, are great readers, and are often excellent writers; publishers certainly have access to plenty of employees who are well-versed on current events, and who may find their muse in blogging. Blogging is simple; all you need is a good story or piece of news, links, and interesting commentary) 93 Publishers have access to unique information, and can produce behind-the-scenes, newsy blogs very effectively. They can discuss literary and cultural news and the book business. They have access to authors for interviews. For example, Harper Perennial's Olive Reader includes thoughts on news items, cultural tidbits, or other news related to publishing. Contributions come from many people on the Perennial publishing team. 194 Soft Skull Press also maintains a blog that is part news, part thinking from behind-the-scenes. Soft Skull uses the blog for announcements about book acquisitions or on-sale dates, free chapters available for downloading, reviews and criticism of books, and author interviews. 195 Publishers should also rely on the expertise of their designers to create great-looking blogs. Successful blogs not only start interesting conversations, but are also easy to read, easy to recognize, and deliver a consistent look. 196 Obviously, successful blogs include compelling content. But the way that bloggers convey information is also crucial to a blog's success. A successful blog will build an audience of committed, influential subscribers by writing smart posts consistently over time. A good blog gradually shares focused pieces of information that are accessible and relevant to the audience that a publisher wants to reach. Good blogs communicate through short entries, and "images and tone and design and interface" Every post is designed to get another RSS subscription, or be good enough to get readers to comment or other bloggers to link to the post. Importantly, blogs cannot sound at all like corporate communications. Seth Godin writes that, "Social media, blogging especially, is social. Not antiseptic or anonymous or corporate." Overall, Godin points out that great blogs typically include six components: candor, urgency, timeliness, pithiness, controversy, and utility. 197 By utilizing certain features of blogs and the blogosphere, publishers can easily entertain and inform people in their marketing campaigns for books. 198 Publishers can spread ideas from their blog virally by "pinging" blog search engines when a new entry is posted. They should set up RSS feeds from their blogs, and submit the RSS feeds to the top RSS directories, such as My Yahoo! and Bloglines. These simple steps make it easy for readers to find the blog through a search engine or to request regular updates from the blog.

13 Nelson 15 Importantly, RSS feeds allow publishers to "home deliver" updates to readers. ~99 In addition, publishers can use blogs to make certain information more visible to search engines. Companies who have built blogs as an alternative to advertising report that writing frequent posts with certain keywords can improve search engine rankings. 2~176 Also, certain blog features facilitate the linking that connects the blogosphere and helps the best blogs float to the top of search engine results. (The more a blog is linked to, the higher the rank of the blog on a Google search. TM) Publishers' blogs will be more visible to search engines if they appear in the blogrolls on other blogs. Publishers might also set up "permalinks," links directly to particular posts, and "trackbacks," reciprocal links triggered by inbound links, on their blogs. 2~ Publishers should track the impact of their blogs. They can examine what posts get linked to, what posts readers ignore, what posts draw subscribers for RSS feeds, and what ideas spread. 2~ Publishers can monitor the traffic on their blog and gather statistics about the blog from services such as Daypop blog stats. 2~ Publishers can encourage direct feedback by allowing readers to post comments on their blogs. 2~ Publishers who start a blog will face the challenge of maintaining the authenticity of the blog. The larger the company, the harder this is. Small businesses usually have an easier time connecting with enthusiasts in an authentic way. 2~ Publishers can use their blogs to plug their own achievements, but they should do it with attitude. For example, Soft Skull Press files promotional posts or entries about reviews and awards on their blog under the categories "Shameless Hussying" and "Gloating. ''2~ Similarly, blogs would lose credibility if they started obviously selling products, but they do have the potential to be incredibly effective tools for helping readers purchase books. Publishers will need to find a balance. As John Williams noted, "I don't think there's any question that we'll slowly add mechanisms [to The Olive Reader blog] that make it easier for readers to find and purchase our books, but... this isn't going to turn into a Harper Perennial 'store.' I think people will be surprised--perhaps pleasantly--by how little we're looking to shill and how much we're looking to share our enthusiasm for books in general, including those from other houses when it's appropriate. ''2~ Publishers also need to craft their blogs thoughtfully in order to maintain sincere connections to readers. As Williams said, "I think the authenticity of the blog is just a matter of feel--there's no doubt it's connected to a major publisher, and at the end of the day we can't hide from that, but nor would we want to... [but t]he content, look, and direction of the blog aren't being handed down from on high by a lawyer--we know that would quickly render the whole project irrelevant. ''2~ Future Trends In the next few years, people will focus less on blog creation and more on how to search and manage the information in the blogosphere and how to utilize blogs to generate income and to enhance businesses. It's important to note that the blog phenomenon is quite different than the tech bubble of the 1990s. Although worries persist that the hype over the blogosphere resembles the tech bubble and that blog businesses are going nowhere, 21~ weblog entrepreneurs are keeping expectations and overhead low. TM For example, there are blogs that have as many readers as mid-size to large newspapers and magazines that are produced by a staff just a fraction of the size of that at the print publications. 2~2 In

14 16 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 addition, there is no investment bubble around blogs: investment in blog ventures equaled about $60 million in 2004, compared to the $19.9 billion invested in dot-coms in j3 Many business people agree that blogs are more than a fad, and that they will continue to change the way that companies and customers interact. Since the blogosphere has grown to a massive size, a new challenge is to develop ways to locate the most authoritative, influential bloggers writing the most interesting content about the most interesting topics. 214 Soon more readers will be aware of blogs, and of the types of blogs available. Search engines are likely to become more adept at differentiating types of blogs, and at filtering "good" blogs to the top of results. 215 Today, companies, such as Technorati, are using "tags," labels bloggers assign to their posts, and inbound links to sort blogs by relevance and authority. Technorati also uses "the magic middle" blogs as a guide to the most interesting information in the blogosphere. 216 People will certainly continue to utilize blogs to generate income and develop businesses. So far, three main blog business models exist: 1) "the accidental tourist" model in which an individual blogger's strong content is rewarded with a huge amount of traffic or a deal to lease the content to the Web site of a mainstream media source (Andrew Sullivan), 2) publishing many blogs into niche audiences previously served exclusively by trade magazines (Weblogs, Inc.), and 3) publishing a small group of blogs targeted at wealthy, educated, influential audiences (Gawker Media). 2~7 Moving forward, some blogs may start to function more like mainstream media. Blog launches may increasingly be planned and promoted (like The Huffington Post). More blog companies may develop that support professional bloggers paid to do reporting like journalists. 218 Blogs have the potential to revolutionize the way that authors and publishers develop and market books. Since blogs have made considerable headway in the book publishing world so far, what does the future hold? Agent Richard Curtis argues that blogs are the precursor to a "new commercial model" for writing and publishing books. Blogs could enhance writers' ability to build an audience on their own and sell their work directly to readers without going through the "gatekeepers at publishing houses. ''219 Curtis argues that as the publishing industry grows more consolidated and "dysfunctional" more authors will migrate to this new way of publishing. Agents and publishers may have little relevance "in a world where the best judges of taste are readers themselves? '22~ Will it become common for authors to build their own audiences and sell their books to readers directly? TM And will this cut out "the middlemen"--agents, editors, and publishers? It's possible that these changes could occur, but it seems that publishers might head-off this process (and do some good for their businesses) by joining the conversation in the blogosphere today. Publishers that figure out how to work effectively with influencers online 222 and know how to extend the discussions surrounding their books through blogs would remain relevant in the publishing process. For example, Joe Wikert of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. said, "'[A] blog is a great way for an author to extend their book with additional information, points of view, examples, etc... This is a core element for the future of book publishing: I feel it will become more important to truly augment and extend the original product with other types of content delivery including blogs, RSS feed updates, etc. ''223 There's potential for moderate to major changes in the blogosphere and in book publishing in the future, but more imminent trends are fairly straightforward. Publishers

15 Nelson 17 will invest more in blog technology and in using blogs to benefit their authors, generate discussion about books, and create buzz. 224 As John Williams said, "It's just too cost-effective and worthwhile not to see an increase in that direction. ''22s In addition, it's likely that literary blogs and blogging book clubs will become more powerful or influence sales more. 226 These blogs will also encourage more serious literary discussion and appreciation well beyond the media and publishing capitals of New York and Los Angeles. 227 Ultimately, blogs are a sticky phenomenon that will continue to facilitate and enhance online conversations about books, expose talented new authors, and provide publishers with new opportunities to develop, market, and sell books. Notes 1. Seth Godin. Everyone's An Expert. (Squidoo, LLC, 2005). < files/_everyoneisanexpert2.pdf> (25 October 2005) Marshall Brain. "How Blogs Work." How StuffWorks. 25 October < com/blog.htm> (25 October 2005). 3. Michael Cornfield, Jonathan Carson, Alison Kalis, and Emily Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004." Pew Internet & American Life Project. 16 May < BEYOND_Final pdf> (25 October 2005). 4. Marshall Brain. "How Blogs Work." 5. Seth Godin. Who's There? Do You Zoom, Inc., < whos_there.pdf> (25 October 2005) Rebecca Blood. "Weblogs: A History and Perspective." We've Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing Our Culture. ed. The Editors of Perseus Publishing (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group, 2002). 8. Also found at < 7. Marshall Brain. "How Blogs Work." 8. Susan C. Herring, Lois Ann Scheidt, Sabirna Bonus, and Elijah Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs." School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University, Bloomington < (25 October 2005) Seth Godin. Who's There? Seth Godin. Who's There? Richard Curtis. ``Pub ishing in the Twenty-First Century Part Three: On the R ad t Virtual. Backspace. < (4 November 2005). 12. Marshall Brain. "How Blogs Work." 13. Rebecca Blood. 'qntroduction." We've Got Blog: How Weblogs are Changing Our Culture. ed. The Editors of Perseus Publishing (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group, 2002). xi. 14. Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches: The Haves and Have-Nots of the Blogging Boom?' New York Magazine. 20 February Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches?' 16. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. "Blogs Mix it Up in the Media." Year in Review < eb.corn/eb/article ?query=blog&ct=> "biog." (2 October 2005). 17. Yahoo! Inc. "What are blogs, and how did they become so popular?" Ask Yahoo/. 15 November < (10 September 2005). 18. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. "Blogs Mix it Up in the Media." 19. Rebecca Blood. "Weblogs: A History and Perspective." 20. Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 21. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. "Blogs Mix it Up in the Media?' 22. Perseus Development Corp. "The Blogging Geyser: Blogs Blast from 31.6 Million Today to Reach 53.4 Million by Year End." Perseus News & Events. 8 April < releases/release_blogginggeyser.html> (8 September 2005). 23. Andrea Caumont. "Squarespace Lets Users Manage Multi-Page Websites." The Washington Post. 13 September ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 24. Leslie Walker. "A So-So Debut For Microsoft's Blog Service." The Washington Post. 5 December 2005.

16 18 Publishing Research Quarterly /Summer 2006 ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 25. Robert Dwek. "Beating old media in a risk-fight is as easy as falling off a biog." Marketing Week. 28 July ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 26. Pew Research Center. "New data on blogs and blogging." Press Release from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. 2 May < (26 October 2005). 27. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth." Technorati Weblog. 17 April < 28. Technorati Home Page. < 28 June Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth." 30. Brad ey J hns n. ``What B gs C st American Business. AdAge.c m. 24 ct ber 2 5. <http: www. adage.com/news.cms?newsid=46494#> (29 October 2005). 31. Thomas Pack. "Through the Blogosphere,' Information Today. Vol. 21, Number 10. November ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 32. Pew Research Center. "New data on blogs and blogging." 33. According to this report, 40% of all American adults are regular or occasional listeners to talk radio, and 79% of American adults regularly or sometimes read daily newspapers. 34. Lydia Saad. "Blogs Not Yet in the Media Big Leagues." Gallup News Service. 11 March < brain.gallup.corn/content/default.aspx?ci= 15217> (28 October 2005). 35. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search." Technorati Weblog. 14 February < (15 February 2006). 36. Stephen Baker and Heather Green. "Blogs Will Change Your Business." BusinessWeek. 2 May ProQuest. New York University. (21 September 2005). 37. Edward Wasserman. "Corporate media colonize Interact?' The Miami Herald Online. 17 October < (30 October 2005). 38. Mike Stopforth. "Blogging: A Multi-Million Dollar Industry." Biz-community.com. 18 October < (25 October 2005). 39. Thomas Pack. "Through the Blogosphere." 40. Graham Holliday. "Foodies aim for a piece of the pie." The Guardian. 24 February ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 41. Matthew Schifrin. "Blog Power." 42. Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, and Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs." Robert Dwek. "Beating old media in a risk-fight is as easy as falling off a blog,' 44. Thomas Pack. "Through the Blogosphere." 45. Kim Peterson. "MSN Spaces is Microsoft's new, free service courting the online muse." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. 2 December ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 46. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth,' 47. Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, and Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs." Survey information compiled by emarketer Inc < jun05> (30 October 2005). 49. Lee Rainie. "The state of blogging." Jeffrey Goldfarb. "Did you say dogging or blogging? Brits confused." Reuters Information. 28 September 'q'he name given to that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once is the Tipping Point." Malcolm Gladwell. The Tipping Point. (New York, NY: Back Bay Books, 2000) Andrew Sullivan. "The Blogging Revolution." Wired. May < (16 October 2005). 53. Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs" The Young to Publishing (YPG) Brown Bag Luncheon. 9 March Rebecca Lieb. Lecture, "RSS" New York University Publishing Studies Capstone Course. 11 October Anonymous. "New Media Trend Watch: Is Blogging Mind Share from B2B." MIN's B2B Newsletter. Vol. 7, Issue 31.9 August ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 56. Edward Nawotka. "Literary blogs fill a niche; They're growing in importance as a 'point of entry' for book lovers." USA Today. 17 February ProQuest. New York University. (28 June 2006). 57. Publishers Marketplace. < 10 March Lulu. Blooker Prize < 59. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out: As Those Who Read and Write Books Link Up Online,

17 Nelson 19 Blogs Become Places of True Literary Discovery." The Boston Globe. 2 May ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 60. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 61. Randy Dotinga. "Book blogs' buzz grows louder." Christian Science Monitor. 7 September ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). 62. Bob Mecoy, Literary Agent. Creative Book Services. Phone interview. 20 October Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." Publishing Research Quarterly 21, no. 3 (2005). 64. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers: Jeff Gomez, Director of Internet Marketing, Samantha Kopiko, Marketing Coordinator, and Matt Godzieba, Marketing Coordinator. Interview. 17 October Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." 66. Pew Research Center. "New data on blogs and blogging." 67. Amanda Lenhardt, John Horrigan, and Deborah Fallows. Pew Internet & American Life Project. 29 February < (2 October 2005). 68. Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, and Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs." Lenhardt, Horrigan, and Fallows. "Content Creation Online." 70. Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, and Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs" Ralli, Tania. "Dear Blog: Today 1 worked on My Book." New York Times Online. 4 July < (28 October 2005). 72. emarketer Inc. "Blogs and Business." emarketer.com. 4 November < (4 November 2005). 73. Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." 74. emarketer Inc. "Blogs and Business." 75. Rebecca Blood. The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog. (Cambridge, MA, 2002) cited by Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, and Wright. "Bridging the Gap: A Genre Analysis of Weblogs." Jim Bankoff. "Please Welcome Weblogs to the AOL Family." 6 October distribution list . (6 October 2005). 77. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth." 78. Steve Almond. "The blogger who loathed me." Salon.com. October 13, < com/books/feature/2005/10/13/blog/index_np.html> (26 October 2005). 79. Cornfield, Carson, Kalis, and Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond" 80. Circulation Management. "The Circulator- September 21." 21 September distribution list . (27 September 2005). 81. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search." 82. C1Ne Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 83. Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 84. Cornfield, Carson, Kalis, and Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond." 85. Seth Godin. Who's There? Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search,' 87. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search." 88. Kate Lee, Literary Agent. International Creative Management, Inc. Interview. 20 October Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." Los Angeles Times. 17 April < com/cgi-bin/p/psafe/psafe.pl> (11 November 2005). 90. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 91. Nathalie. "Cast of Shadows, Part I of 2." Galleycat. 25 February 2005, 3:44 PM. < of shadows_part_i of asp> (25 October 2005). 92. Randy Dotinga. "Book blogs' buzz grows louder." 93. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October Lydia Saad. "Blogs NotYet in the Media Big Leagues." 96. Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Intemet. "Political Influentials Online in the 2004 Presidential Campaign." The Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University. 5 February < (25 October 2005).

18 20 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer Pew Research Center. "New data on blogs and blogging." 98. Chris Campbell. "An Argument for Small Business Blogging?' Particletree. 14 September < (2 October 2005). 99. Bob Mecoy. Phone interview. 20 October Cornfield, Carson, Kalis, and Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond." 101. Marshall Brain. "How Blogs Work." 102. Chris Campbell. "An Argument for Small Business Blogging." 103. Campbell is referring to types of people identified by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point Chris Campbell. "An Argument for Small Business Blogging." 105. Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet. "Political Influentials Online in the 2004 Presidential Campaign." Source quotes The Influentials, by Ed Keller and Jon Berry. I have quoted Keller and Berry via the IPDI report John Williams, Editor, Harper Perennial. "Masters Thesis on Blogs & Publishing." 8 November personal (8 November 2005) Chris Campbell. "An Argument for Small Business Blogging?' 108. Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual?' 109. Seth Godin. Who's There? Seth Godin. Who's There? Vara, Vauhini. "New Search Engines Help Users Find Blogs; Upstart Sites Aim to Outdo Google,Yahoo in Finding Latest Postings on Weblogs." The Wall Street Journal. 7 September ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Rebecca Lieb, Lecture "RSS?' 11 October Matthew Schifrin. "Blog Power." 114. Daypop. < Leander Kahney. "Tracking Bloggers With Blogdex." Wired.com. 30 July < com/news/culture/0,1284,45546,00.html> (21 September 2005) CyberAlert. "Blog Squirrel: Automated Blog Searching, Monitoring, and Clipping Service." Product Brochure. < Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual." 1 t 8. Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual?' 119. Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October Claire E. White. "The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Biog." The Internet Writing Journal. November < (12 November 2005) Memmott, Carol. "Publishers put bloggers between the covers; Writings on Web get books noticed." USA Today. 18 April ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October Steve Almond. "The blogger who loathed me." 125. James Fallows. '`The Twilight of the Information Middlemen?' The New York Times. 16 May ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) John Williams. 8 November personal Mike Stopforth. "Blogging: A Multi-Million Dollar Industry." 128, Bob Mecoy. Phone interview. 20 October Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October Joshua Kurlantzick. "A New Forum (Blogging) Inspires the Old (Books)." The New York Times. 15 December ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Joshua Kurlantzick. "A New Forum (Blogging) Inspires the Old (Books)?' 132. Rachel Deahl. "Blogs and Bestsellers: One and the Same?" The Book Standard. 2 August < sp?vnu_content_ id= > (8 September 2005) Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual." 134. Bob Mecoy. Phone interview. 20 October Carol Memmott. "Publishers put bloggers between the covers; Writings on Web get books noticed." 136. Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." 137. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 138. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October 2005.

19 Ne&on Seth Godin. Everyone's An Expert Deahl, Rachel. "Getting a Buzz On: How Publishers Are Turning Online to Market Books." The Book Standard. 6 May < jsp?vnu_content id= > (10 September 2005) Cornfield, Carson, Kalis, and Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond." 142. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 143. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 144. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 145. Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." Ms. Weinman explained that as publishers examine blogs on particular topics, they should ask themselves: What is the audience for this blog? How many people are reading it? What other groups and associations do these people belong to? 146. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Rachel Deahl. "Getting a Buzz On: How Publishers Are Turning Online to Market Books." 148. Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." 149. Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." 150. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Seth Godin. Who's There? Matt Godzieba, Marketing Coordinator, Holtzbrinck Publishers. "Blog Post Samples." 24 October personal (24 October 2005) Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 155. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 156. Michael Gorman. "Revenge of the Blog People!" Library Journal. 15 February ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 159. Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." 160. Edward Nawotka. "Literary blogs fill a niche." 161. Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." 162. Edward Nawotka. "Literary blogs fill a niche." 163. Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." 164. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 165. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 166. Claire E. White. "The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Biog." 167. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 168. Claire E. White. "The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog." 169. Jeff Gomez. "Thinking Outside the Blog: Navigating the Literary Blogosphere." 170. Catharine P. Taylor. "High on the Blog" Adweek. Vol. 45, Issue November ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 172. Catharine E Taylor. "High on the Blog." 173. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Catharine E Taylor. "High on the Blog." 175. Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy." 176. Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." 177. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 178. Jessica Brilliant Keener. "Getting the Word Out." 179. Seth Godin. Who's There? Karen Templar. "About Readerville." < about.html> 181. Seth Godin. Who's There? Seth Godin. Everyone's An Expert Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy." 184. Bob Mecoy. Phone interview. 20 October John Williams. 8 November personal Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy." 187. Seth Godin. Who's There? John Williams. 8 November personal .

20 22 Publishing Research Quarterly/Summer Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy." 190. Tom Zeller, Jr. "A Blog Revolution? Get a Grip." The New York Times. 8 May ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Adam L. Penenberg. "Can Bloggers Strike It Rich?" Wired News. 22 September < wired.corn/news/culture/0,1284,68934,00.html> (25 October 2005) Seth Godin. Who's There? Sarah Weinman. Lecture, "Literary Blogs." 194. John Williams. 8 November personal Richard Eoin Nash. "Welcome." Soft Skull News Blog. < Seth Godin. Who's There? Seth Godin. Who's There? Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual." 199. Seth Godin. Who's There? Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy." 201. Seth Godin. Who's There? Cornfield, Carson, Kalis, and Simon. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond." 203. Seth Godin. Who's There? < Seth Godin. Who's There? 1 I Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Soft Skull News Blog. < John Williams. 8 November personal John Williams. 8 November personal Edward Wasserman. "Corporate media colonize Internet." 211. Steve Smith. "In Search of the Blog Economy?' EContent. Vol. 28, Issue 1/2. January/February ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005) Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 213. Stephen Baker and Heather Green. "Blogs Will Change Your Business." 214. Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search?' 215. Internet Marketing Department, Holtzbrinck Publishers. Interview. 17 October Dave Sifry. "State of the Blogosphere, February 2006 Part 2: Beyond Search." 217. Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 218. Clive Thompson. "Blogs to Riches." 219. Claudia H. Deutsch. "Steal This Book. Or at Least Download It Free." New York Times. 21 August ProQuest. New York University Databases. (8 September 2005) Richard Curtis. "Publishing in the Twenty-First Century, Part Three: On the Road to Virtual." 221. Andrew Sullivan. "The Blogging Revolution" 222. Bob Mecoy. Phone interview. 20 October Claire E. White. 'q'he Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Biog." 224. Kate Lee. Interview. 20 October John Williams. 8 November 2005, personal John Williams. 8 November personal Scott Martelle. "The Litblog Co-Op." References Adams, Jared. "Blogging the spotlight." National. April/May Vol. 14, Issue 3. p 38. ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Almond, Steve. "'The blogger who loathed me." Salon.com. 13 October < feature/2005/10/13/blog/index_np.html> (26 October 2005). Anonymous. "The E-Brand That Wouldn't Die." Folio. Vol. 33, Issue 12. ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Anonymous. "New Media Trend Watch: Is Blogging Mind Share from B2B." MIN's B2B Newsletter. Vol. 7, Issue 31, 9 August ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Auchard, Eric. "Blog subscribers seek out small universe of sites." Yahoo! News from Reuters. 10 October < (16 October 2005). Auchard, Eric. "Yahoo puts news, blogs side by side." Reuters via Boston.com. 11 October < st n.c m/business artic es/2 5 yah -puts-news-b gs-side-by-side/> (16 October 2005).

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24 26 Publishing Research Quarterly / Summer 2006 Stopforth, Mike. "Blogging: A Multi-Million Dollar Industry." Biz-communio,.com. 18 October < (25 October 2005). Sullivan, Andrew. "The Blogging Revolution." Wired. May < mustread_pr.html> (16 October 2005). Taylor, Catharine E "High on the Blog." Adweek. Vol. 45, Issue November ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Technorati Home Page. < Templer, Karen. "About Readerville." Readerville. < 7OCzCJ.0@about.html> (26 October 2005). Thompson, Clive. "Blogs to Riches: The Haves and Have-Nots of the Blogging Boom." New York Magazine. 20 February Threlfall, Cory. "The Newest Player In The VIRAL Marketing Is RSS." workz.com. 14 October < (25 October 2005). Vara, Vauhini. "New Search Engines Help Users Find Blogs; Upstart Sites Aim to Outdo Google, Yahoo in Finding Latest Postings on Weblogs." The Wall Street Journal. 7 September ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Waldman, Simon. "Arriving at the Digital News Age." Neiman Reports. Vol. 59, Issue 1. Spring Pro- Quest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Walker, Leslie. "A So-So Debut For Microsoft's Blog Service." The Washington Post. 5 December ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Wasserman, Edward. "Corporate media colonize Internet." The Miami Herald Online. 17 October < (30 October 2005). Webster, Graham. 'q'he future is now at Nawlins confab." Editor & Publisher. Vol. 138, Issue 6. June ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Weil, Debbie. "Seth Godin on CEO Blogs." BlogWrite for CEOs. 18 November < l/seth_godin on c.html> (2 October 2005). Weinman, Sarah. Lecture, "Literary Blogs". TheYoung to Publishing (YPG) Brown Bag Luncheon. 9 March White, Claire E. "The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog." The Internet Writing Journal. November < (12 November 2005). Williams, John, Editor, Harper Perennial. "Masters Thesis on Blogs & Publishing." 8 November personal (8 November 2005). Yahoo! Inc. "What are blogs, and how did they become so popular?" Ask Yahoo! 15 November < ask.yahoo.com/ html> (10 September 2005). Zeller, Tom Jr. "A Blog Revolution? Get a Grip" The New York Times. 8 May ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005). Zorn, Eric. "Blogs redefining secrets, privacy on the Internet." Chicago Tribune. 6 June ProQuest. New York University. (8 September 2005).