The Inner Workings of Magazine Publishing
What is the working protocol of journalism especially for magazines? Also what is the role of editor-in-chief in a magazine and the working hierarchy in a magazine… who reports to whom? Also how much should the editor-in-chief allow the owners/publishers/directors of the media company to interfere in the editorial content? These are just some of the questions that is normally asked about the inner workings of a magazine.
First, I’m not sure what you mean by “working protocol of journalism.” Are you talking about relationships with sources, between editors and reporters, or something else? In the context of your other questions, I wonder if you mean something to do with editorial authority, too.
Second,Various journalism roles can vary quite a bit, actually, from publication to publication. Some companies have more “hands-on” management styles, while others give their executives more autonomy. But, in general, the editor-in-chief has control over the publication’s editorial contents and direction, just as the advertising director has control over the ad contents, placement, and policies.
That doesn’t mean the editor is God, because he/she shares power with other high-ranking executives. The editor’s greatest management skill is in working effectively with people — knowing how to negotiate with other power brokers who have a say in how the magazine is put together, distributed, etc.
I’ll give you an example of hierarchy: In the trade magazine publishing company where I worked, there was an individual editor over each magazine. We shared a pool of in-house writers, and we each contracted separately with freelancers as needed. There also was an advertising director who managed the ad sales and placement for each of the three magazines. If I didn’t like the ad placement in my magazine, I could go to her and negotiate; she was usually agreeable within reason.
(Of course, we usually prevented negotiations by talking in advance about special features that would need special space, and she was conversant with our standard placement of recurring features, etc.) We also worked with execs at various support companies — R.R.
Donnelley printing in Senatobia, Miss., which required us to meet certain format standards with what we submitted and to adhere to agreed-upon timetables; and the company that wrapped, labeled, and mailed our magazines, which required clear directives, correct mailing label files, and adherence to agreed-upon timetables. We also worked with the business office in our publishing company to communicate clearly about incoming bills from freelancers (then signing off on them) and other issues.
In other words, the hierarchy is broader, and less linear, than I thought it would be from my studies in journalism. The real world is much, much, much more “cooperative” than it is territory based. And, sadly for editors, the power tends to reside where the money is (hint: Not in the editorial offices). Often, the ad director swings a bigger stick than you will as an editor. Make close friends with the ad director — do favors when you can. You’ll need to call those favors in at some point. Make sure you develop a relationship as allies rather than as adversaries.
Last, The editor-in-chief has limited options in how much he lets the magazine’s owners, publishers, and other higher-ups interfere with the editorial content. He should establish the extent of his authority when he is hired and, if possible, have it spelled out in writing. Clear upfront communications are the best preventative step. He can help prevent problems by communicating clearly with his bosses about editorial directions and getting buy-in as he goes along rather than waiting for issues to arise.
If issues are raised later on, the editor’s best tool is to be persuasive to his bosses and help them understand why his editorial judgment should prevail. However, when push comes to shove, the editor’s choices are limited: Stay and bow to his boss’s wishes, violate his boss’s wishes and take the consequences, or quit. If he has an employment contract that has been violated, he may consider suing, but that would be rare. Often, compromise (within the limits of your personal ethics) is the best option.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant at http://www.4Magazines.info/ . 4Magazines.info offers the greatest magazine subscriptions from a variety of top publishers. Browse through our selection of Lifestyle Magazines here: http://www.4magazines.info/category/lifestyle.html
7 Basic Steps to E-Publishing
Ok, first we will take a moment just to make sure that you know what an info-product is. Information products are basically a book, video, or audio clip that teaches someone else how to do something. This can be as small as a few pages, a ten minute video, or a week long audio seminar. It all depends on what information is being provided, and how much there is to learn.
Now that we know what an info product is, let’s talk about how to get started with creating your own products.
Step 1) You first need to know what it is that you know a lot about. Take a moment to think of several topics that you know well. Can you carve statues with a chainsaw? Are you an excellent poker player? Perhaps you have a method of saving money on daily household items that no one has heard of before. Anything that you can do, that other people might be interested in learning, or that will benefit them, if they can do it too is considered a great product.
Step 2) Now make a simply list of your topic and all the things that you know about that topic. The better your list, the more effective your writing process will be.
Step 3) Take a moment to organize your list into an outline based on categories. If you’re writing about carving with a chainsaw, you might have a list of which chainsaws to buy as one category, and 10 best types of wood to use as another.
Step 4) As with step 2, you will now list everything you know about each sub-category you listed. Again, try to be as detailed as you can. You will be providing these details to your readers.
Step 5) Ok, now you can get started writing what you already know. You have created a list of your main topic, several sub-topics, and hopefully some text about what you know about each topic. During this step you will simply expand on this by writing out a few paragraphs about your topics and sub-topics. Try to write from the heart, as if you were simply sharing the information with a friend. Do not worry at this point about grammar and structure; you will be able to correct any problems with that later.
Important notes for step 5. If you are not comfortable writing out your product yet, try breaking it down into sections. Take each topic and write a small stand-alone article about that topic. Then go back and do this for each topic. You can then combine your articles into one larger book.
You will basically use the same process for audio of video products, as these products will still need a list of topics to discuss. The only difference is that you will be talking, and if you wrote it all down, then at least you have a script to follow.
Step 6) Proofreading. This is an essential part of your product. Make sure that you take the time to read it, and re-read it for errors and context. If you are unsure, then consider having a friend or family member read it. No one likes to see errors in printed materials, especially if it was your own error.
Step 7) Now all you have left to do is to put it all together. You now have your product topics, some content, and it has been written and proofed. Now you need to get it published through a publisher, convert it to a PDF File, or record it as necessary.
That’s it. You’re done with the product creation process. Now that you’re done, you can move on to the hard work. Selling your product!
Have you wondered how others make money online? Visit My Site: http://www.beginnerebookpublishing.com/
Derek Wood is a successful online entrepreneur, and has been actively involved with internet-based technologies and online marketing for more then 20 years.
You Can Write Your Own EBook to Make Money Online
That’s right - how to write your own ebook and sell it online.
Yes, You can write your very own income producing ebook
In case you’re thinking, “but I have permanent writer’s block, or I am no good at selling things”, No worries - I am going to show you how to do it; right here, right now.
First you will need to decide what topic you can write about.
Choosing a suitable topic will often be the toughest step you will encounter. You must take time and make the decision carefully about your topic. Take a few minutes to brainstorm the topics.
What are some areas that you know more about than everyone else you know? Pet training? Capentry? Backyard Photography? Image Editing? Imagine the ebook “How to Train Your Dog to Stop Biting in 60 Days or Less” or “How to Refinish Your Own Kitchen Cabinets - At Almost No Cost” or “Everything You Need to Know About Image Editing” or “How to Program Your Computer Like A Pro”.
Try to make a list at least 5 different things you are skilled at. Once you have this list, simply plug in the area of expertise and the benefits into this formula: “How to ___________ so that ___________”. For example: “How to Teach Math so That Your Child Does Better in School”, or “How to Insulate Your Home to Save on Your Heating Bill”, or “How to Grow a Vegetable Garden Indoors”. This will become your title.
Now that you have this done, write down ten things you know about that topic. Arrange them either in chronological order or in the order someone should learn them.
For example “How to Buy Your First Digital Camera”:
1) How to decide what features are right for you
2) How to choose which camera manufacturer
3) How to choose the best camera for a budget
4) How to use your camera like a pro
and so on (I do not know much about digital cameras, but if you do, finish the list and then write the book)
Once you have come up with your list of several focal points (or more if you need them), next you will need to think of at least 6 sub headings - things that a person would do to learn what you are discussing in that topic.
To see an example, sticking with the digital camera ebook:
How to decide what features are right for you
1) The most common feature you will need
2) Advantages to having specific features
3) Disadvantages of different features
4) Can too many feature be too much
and so on.
Now it is time for the next hardest part, the actual process of writing your new ebook. Notice that by now you have at least 50 or more really selective sub-categories about which you will write about. Now you will try to write around 500 words about each sub-category. If you determine that the mini-topic needs to have any more than 500-700 words to get your point across; then by all means break it into multiple headings. Don’t worry about organizing the book - besides you have already spent time organizing the entire book in the beginning, remember? Make sure to write about each area.
You do not have to cover these themes in any given order, just write the section you are the most comfortable with. Once you are done writing each topic, double-check it (have someone else proofread it too) and then get ready to publish your new ebook.
Once you are finished the ebook, you will have to convert it to a PDF File. There are a number of PDF conversions programs available online, or you can use the one from Adobe.
The next step will involve getting a website and a sales page. Don’t let the words ’sales page’ scare you. You can literally create a sales page from your list of key points and sub-topics that you already had before you started writing the ebook. Simply write a letter letting the reader know what they will be learning from your ebook, and again, have someone else proofread your sales letter too. That letter should contain the following criteria:
A brief description of your ebook’s contents.
A list of what the reader will learn to apply through your ebook.
Any testimonials about how your ebook has helped someone else.
A guarantee.
A link to some form of payment processing, like Paypal, Clickbank, or some other processing method.
Now you can upload the page to your web site, write a few articles about your area of expertise, and submit these to online article directories that have a readership that matches your targeted reading market of your ebook. Make sure to include a link back to your sales page, and watch the traffic add up!
Have you wondered how others make money online? Visit My Site: http://www.beginnerebookpublishing.com/
Derek Wood is a successful online entrepreneur, and has been actively involved with internet-based technologies and online marketing for more then 20 years.
A Few Tips On How To Market And Sell Your Self Published Books
Self publishers need to have a good marketing plan to sell books and should be written prior to writing your book and in place a year prior to publishing your book. It’s one thing to write a book, but an entirely different thing to write one that’s saleable, viable, and marketable. In today’s publishing environment, a book’s success depends greatly on a strong marketing plan.
Mail a press release to all the trade journals in your field over and over again; you can use the same release. Invest in press release submitting software and set aside time every week to send out a press release online to the press directories. Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’
Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords. Using press releases can be a very effective marketing tool if used properly. Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media.
Using press releases for marketing or promoting your book or book’s website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases. Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style, which you can send out for the lifetime of your book.
Place free ads periodically for your book’s website on Craigslist in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website. Make five telephone calls a day that relate to marketing your book. Make sure to promote and market your book each and every day, both online and offline.
When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website. Every day it’s important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches.
Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book’s topic to drive customers to your website. Find a non-exclusive distributor with a good reputation to carry your book for the book store trade, as well as for other retailers. Contact non-bookstore booksellers and offer to leave books on consignment.
Offer to trade writing a monthly column in a trade publication in your books’ genre, in trade for display ads on the same page. Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs. If your book solves a problem, focus on this in your marketing.
If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way. Get as many testimonials about your book, as possible, from experts in the field relating to your title, not customers; use on your fliers and back of books.
Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already listed. Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer.
Use your book promotion and book marketing dollars wisely; go after the free and cheap resources daily. If you apply yourself every day and you promote your book like crazy, you can achieve that ultimate goal of selling thousands of copies of your book, many self publishers have. Yes you can market and promote your book on a shoestring budget, just be careful about your marketing dollars.
For more tips about book marketing and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com since 1982, giving advice and help to authors, self publishers, ebook, and book publishers including media, and library mailing lists and more, press releases - online, wire service, offline distribution
Best Tips For Book Marketing For The Self Publisher
Assuming you’re a self publisher or book publisher and you’ve already published your book, you need to immediately implement a strong, no-holds barred, book marketing and promotion strategy to sell your books fast. Your book selling, book marketing, and book promotion planning should begin before the manuscript is completed. Self publishers need to have a good marketing plan to sell books and should be written prior to writing your book and in place a year prior to publishing your book.
Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media. Using press releases can be a very effective marketing tool if used properly.
Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style, which you can send out for the lifetime of your book. Send out the same press release to the editor of your local daily newspaper every week until you are called for an interview or are written up. When picked up by wire services, a press release can easily end up generating hundreds of mentions for your book.
Mail a press release to all the trade journals in your field over and over again; you can use the same release. Don’t underestimate the value of a good press release for making book sales.
When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website. Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already listed.
Get as many testimonials about your book, as possible, from experts in the field relating to your title, not customers; use on your fliers and back of books. Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way.
Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic. Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book’s topic to drive customers to your website. It’s important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you’ll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse.
Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. Every day it’s important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches. Offer to trade writing a monthly column in a trade publication in your books’ genre, in trade for display ads on the same page.
Local radio shows and television appearances are good but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast; make sure to make or get a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions. Make five telephone calls a day that relate to marketing your book.
Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing. Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer.
Make sure to test, test, and test some more before you lay out large sums of money. The success of any book marketing effort depends on a good book and just plain hard work; its been done many times before and you can do it too. I hope this article has provided you with helpful tips to accelerate your book marketing and book promotion efforts.
For more tips about book marketing and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com since 1982, giving advice and help to authors, self publishers, ebook, and book publishers including media, and library mailing lists and more, press releases - online, wire service, offline distribution
Self Publishers - Sell More Books With Best Tips
You can have the greatest book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it; publicity, promotion, marketing and a focus on selling more books should now be a big part of your daily life. In today’s publishing environment, a book’s success depends greatly on a strong marketing plan. Ensuring the success of any book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee, but with a good book, a little or a lot of money depending on your budget, and just plain hard work the odds are in your favor; many have done it.
Invest in press release submitting software and set aside time every week to send out a press release online to the press directories. Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. Mail a press release to at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts just prior to publishing your title and again and again after you publish; you can never send too many.
Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’ When picked up by wire services, a press release can easily end up generating hundreds of mentions for your book. Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media.
Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords. Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month.
Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. I’ve seen publishers lose a lot of money paying for expensive display ads, so beware if you do this; I don’t advise it in the beginning — get your feet wet first so you know what you’re doing. Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic.
You can give away your book in a raffle at a local function to get more book recognition. It’s important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you’ll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. Every day it’s important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches.
Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. Find a non-exclusive distributor with a good reputation to carry your book for the book store trade, as well as for other retailers. Get as many testimonials about your book, as possible, from experts in the field relating to your title, not customers; use on your fliers and back of books.
Arrange to speak at local, regional and national events that relate to your book topic; bring books along and have an associate sell them at the back of the room. I’ve not found that book signings sell many books for publishers and are often a waste of time; better to spend it elsewhere. Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book’s topic to drive customers to your website.
Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs. Place free ads periodically for your book’s website on Craig’s List in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website.
Contact non-bookstore booksellers and offer to leave books on consignment. Make five telephone calls a day that relate to marketing your book.
With well chosen book marketing and book promotion, online and offline, you’ll reap the profits you deserve for your efforts by way of the Internet and in your mailbox. I hope this article has provided you with helpful tips to accelerate your book marketing and book promotion efforts. The success of any book marketing effort depends first on a good book and then just plain hard work; its been done many times before and you can do it too.
For more tips about book marketing and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com since 1982, giving advice and help to authors, self publishers, ebook, and book publishers including media, and library mailing lists and more, press releases - online, wire service, offline distribution
Cash In On Book Marketing Trends
You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it; publicity, promotion, marketing and a focus on selling more books should now be a big part of your daily life. It’s one thing to write a book, but an entirely different thing to write one that’s saleable, viable, and marketable. Self publishers need to have a good marketing plan to sell books and should be written prior to writing your book and in place a year prior to publishing your book.
Using press releases for marketing or promoting your book or book’s website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases. Mail a press release to all the trade journals in your field over and over again; you can use the same release. Make sure your press release spells out the ‘who, what, where, when, and why.’
Mail a press release to at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts just prior to publishing your title and again and again after you publish; you can never send too many. Don’t underestimate the value of a good press release for making book sales. Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords.
Invest in press release submitting software and set aside time every week to send out a press release online to the press directories. Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month.
If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way. Find a non-exclusive distributor with a good reputation to carry your book for the book store trade, as well as for other retailers. Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing.
I’ve not found that book signings sell many books for publishers and are often a waste of time; better to spend it elsewhere. Make sure to promote and market your book each and every day, both online and offline. Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets.
Make five telephone calls a day that relate to marketing your book. Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book’s genre and to book review magazines. Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already listed.
Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs. Get as many testimonials about your book, as possible, from experts in the field relating to your title, not customers; use on your fliers and back of books.
Place free ads periodically for your book’s website on Craigslist in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website. Women buy more books then men; see how you can fit your book into the women’s’ market.
When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows. Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic.
Yes you can market and promote your book on a shoestring budget, just be careful about your marketing dollars. If you apply yourself every day and you promote your book like crazy, you can achieve that ultimate goal of selling thousands of copies of your book, many self publishers have. With these book marketing tips you’ll be well on your way to conquering the world of self publishing and book publishing.
For more tips about book marketing and selling more books go to http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com since 1982, giving advice and help to authors, self publishers, ebook, and book publishers including media, and library mailing lists and more, press releases - online, wire service, offline distribution
The Greatest Invention In History
Before we get to what is the greatest invention in the history of the world, we should visit Germany in 1447. In that time, a goldsmith and printer, Johannes Gutenberg, created the Gutenberg printing press. This technology spread like wildfire throughout Europe and then on to the rest of the world.
The impact of it is comparable to the invention of the alphabet and the development of writing.
Prior to the printing of books on a massive scale, books were painstakingly copied. This resulted in both fewer books and also more inaccurate books, because the copying of the original changed from one version to the next. In addition, since in Europe, Latin was the language of scholars, only a small population could even read them. When books were printed, popular European vernaculars were used to communicate to a wider audience.
Our next evolutionary leap was creating a medium of instant publication and a worldwide audience. This is the World Wide Web.
It may be as significant a leap in the consciousness of humankind as was Albert Einstein’s revolutionary reinterpretation of the Universe. Despite the brilliance of Isaac Newton’s work, the new theory of the Universe changed the consciousness of humankind forever.
The World Wide Web may very well be the greatest invention in history. Tim Berners-Lee has invented something that reminds one of a multifaceted diamond. When you look at each face, you discover a new reality.
One face of the World Wide Web is like The Glass Bead Game.
In his Nobel Prize winning novel, Magister Ludi, The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse defined the nature of knowledge and intelligence in a beautiful metaphor. He described it as a game where pieces were played on a board.
“The Glass Bead Game is a mode of playing with the total contents and values of our culture. All the insights, noble thoughts and works of art that the human race has produced in its creative eras, all that subsequent periods of scholarly study have reduced to concept and converted into intellectual values, the Glass Bead Game player plays like an organist on an organ.”
Like the Glass Bead Game, the World Wide Web ranges over the entire intellectual cosmos.
Another face of the World Wide Web is like the marketplace of Ancient Athens.
Here democracy evolved in its purest state. People talked to each other, shared information, challenged points-of-view, and understood each other. This informal gathering of thinkers birthed
one of the most significant early cultures of the Western World.
Because there are so many contributors to the World Wide Web, neither governments nor corporations nor media organizations have much control over it. Blogging, especially, has evolved to a place where absolute candor is possible. In addition, writers are free to wax eloquent in their pdf or exe files without waiting for somebody to approve the marketability of their ideas. Discussion groups for everything under the sun exist. Then there are the social networking websites, like You Tube and others, where all kinds of opinions are expressed through videos. Never in the history of humanity has it been possible for the common man or woman to speak their mind to so many people in complete freedom.
Another face of the World Wide Web is like The Great Books of the Western World series.
The quintessence of the value of that series has been captured by the original associate editor, the late Mortimer Adler.
He said that to read them was to be involved in a great conversation because it was like
“authors sitting around a table in the same room–totally oblivious to the circumstances of their own time, place and diversity of tongues–confronting each other in agreement, disagreement or otherwise differing about what they have to say on the subject. The sessions of the conference thus imagined would take many days, months, perhaps even years, for it would cover the whole range of ideas and issues that are the objects and concerns of human understanding, always and everywhere.”
As you surf from one website to another, from one discussion board to another, or as you communicate instantly by email, is this not like a great conversation that informs your mind and feeds your soul?
Finally, another face of the World Wide Web is like A Global Brain.
Philosophers from Plato to Aristotle, from Thomas Aquinas to Herbert Spencer have always considered knowledge to be a unity, where everything is potentially connectable to everything else. The human brain is a powerhouse of networks of infinite complexity, where every neuron has the potentiality to connect with every other. Similarly, knowledge itself, as described by writer James Burke, is “a gigantic and ever-growing sphere in space and time, made up of millions of interconnecting, crisscrossing pathways.”
Knowledge has never been so linked together as it is now on the World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web is growing organically, like a great shout of unity across the world. Perhaps each day, we who use it, are reinventing the freedom of speech that once existed in ancient Athens, a freedom which will lead to a whole new world of creativity for everyone.
Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas with you. Hunting everywhere for a life worth living? Discover the life of your dreams. His book, Never Ever Give Up is offered at no cost to stimulate your success. http://www.theempoweredsoul.com/enter.html
What are Newsreaders? Bringing the News Directly to You
People need to be in the know. That is why the news was probably invented. Human being need to be updated of what is happening around them, at least, or what is going on around the world. It is remarkable to see how news has developed throughout the history of human civilization. Back in the ancient times, people would only hear pages announce the latest goings-on with the king or the emperor’s realm.
In the modern times, the newspaper emerged as a more powerful and widespread medium for information dissemination. The 20th century gave way to theinvention of the radio and television as yet other potent channels for spreading the latest tidbits. The 90s gave way to the boom of the Internet, which is not continuing to be fastest growing means of getting updated. One of the offshoots of the wonder that is the Internet are newsreaders, bring the news directly to people.
What Newsreaders Are
Newsreaders are basically programs that let people gain access to the world of news. In a way, newsreaders retrieve the news that people prefer to read so that they would not have to manually retrieve them from their original sources. There are two kinds of newsreaders.
During the early times of the internet, which means just a decade ago, the term newsreader particularly referred to software that let users read newsgroups and UseNet’ which are somewhat like online bulletins that keep people posted regarding what is happening with a particular area of interest whether it is about the wars in the middle east or Madonna’s latest album.
Nowadays, the term is also used to refer to news feed readers or aggregators, which in turn are programs that retrieve particular content called feeds. With news feed readers, people would just subscribe to a particular site or a particular section of the site, and the newsreader would automatically retrieve the updates.
What is the difference between the two?
The old newsreaders get news from a newsgroup. As said, newsgroups are like online bulletin boards where people send messages to be seen publicly. People subscribe to newsgroups to discuss a particular topic which could be either general politics, science, music, business, or specific Republicans, Mariah Carey, or Fortune 500 Companies. With newsgroups, the members themselves send the news to the server. When they learn of something new regarding the particular topic of interest, they can update the newsgroup members by posting a message.
On the other hand, news aggregators collect updates from any web content, be it a web site, a blog, or a podcast, that publishes web feeds. Users that like particular web content and would like to keep track of that content’s updates may just subscribe to it using their newsreader. Whenever something new happens to that content, the newsreader is automatically updated, letting the subscriber gain immediate access to the update. The beauty of news aggregators is that people may subscribe to just a particular part of the entire web content they like, thus they may choose to only get updates to that particular portion. This is like having a particular column delivered to them regularly, instead of receiving the whole newspaper all the time.
What Makes Newsreaders Great
Newsreaders are great tools for those who want to be in the know but find it tedious to keep on checking for information. Newsreaders reduce the need for people to manually go to separate websites and forums just to see if something new has happened. This allows people to know about all the things they are interested in using just one program, making news retrieval not only convenient, but easy and fast as well.
Where to Find Newsreaders
There are many newsreaders available throughout the Internet. To know which ones are available to gain access to newsgroups and Usenet, one may simple visit a website that provides information about newsreaders, giving recommendations as to which ones are good for getting updated using newsgroups.
Newsreaders are definitely great tools to keep people in the know. The convenience and efficiency they provide make it appear as if news is delivered directly to you.
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Audio Books - from LP to MP3
Audio books are a great way to use ‘empty’ time. Load an audio book into your MP3 player or iPod - you can find audio books for just about any interest, from novels to business books and audio books about self-improvement to even the bible or the coran. You can find them 24 hours a day, just by clicking a few buttons on your computer and an internet shop delivers the contents for your iPod or MP3 player conveniently to you.
Even if they have only become very popular again recently, the concept of audio books goes back about eighty years! Initially books on tape or on LP’s were produced for the blind. Here’s a short look back in history:
Already in the 1920’s, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in England (RNIB) initiate research to find the best way to produce audio books for blind soldiers that were the result of the World War I battles. They finally decide to produce audio books on LP’s and the first ones were made in 1926. To play them they were put on the old fashioned LP players that had to be cranked by hand and delivered the sound through the big horn. This was a great development for the blind, but was hardly used by normal consumers. So these audio books from RNIB remained a niche product and never reached the masses.
The concept was successful and in 1936 the Royal National Institute for the Blind launched the ‘Talking Book Service’. The first two books they produced were:’The murder of Roger Ackroyd’ (Agatha Christie) and ‘Thyphoon’ (Joseph Conrad). Because the records could only hold 25 minutes of spoken text, an average audio book had to be recorded on an average of ten records.
During WWII, the studio used by the RNIB was bombed, and one month later a replacement studio was bombed as well, destroying much needed equipment to continue the production. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), who had started to produce audio books in the USA sent replacement parts and equipment to London so that the production could be taken up again.
The old fashioned LP’s were replaced by modern LP’s and finally cassettes, making listening to audio books more convenient. Sony’s Walkman made it possible to take your audio book with you and listen on the go. This is when audio books started to be bought by the general consumers. The next step was to produce these listening books on CD, making them even more convenient.
Over the last few years the audio book technology has made a quantum leap: Digital MP3 files can be packed onto a player that weighs only a few grams and runs on a set of batteries for many hours. The most popular player is without doubt the Apple iPod, but there are many other MP3 players on the market that have helped to make listening to content on the go very popular.
Finding an audio book is as easy as typing an address into your internet browser, consulting the catalog of the audio book shop and then downloading your audio book within minutes. No more need to visit your local library or book shop. If you want to shop at 3 am - no problem, the shop is open 24 hours!
One shop that offers a wide variety of audio books is the AudioBooksCorner Store. High quality audio books from publishers like BBC, Hachette and many others cover a wide variety of topics. Best selling authors offer their books as audio books and the well known foreign language courses by Pimsleur are available for download too.
Rolf C. Zimmerli is the author; he is is the publisher of the http://www.AudioBooksCorner.com online book store the online audio book shop with a wide choice of quality audio books from ‘A’ like Arts & Drama to ‘B’ like Biographies to ‘T’ like thrillers. Visit us for a free audio book download!