The scene opens on a classroom. The students’ eyes are glazed over from the glow of the computer screens, half of them open to D2L, the other to some Instagrammer’s latest post. The professor asks the question, “What is metadata?” and one person, with a fox-like grin on their face, raises their hand and calls out, “It’s data about data.” Everyone breaks out in applause, confetti rains from the ceiling and cupcakes are served. This has happened to me more times than I can count, and yes, a quick hand raise asking for clarification could have solved all my problems but then I wouldn’t have had a blog post idea. So come with me as we take a journey on self-education and find out what all the fuss is about metadata and why you should actually care about it.
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Book Cover Design Tools for the Self-Published Author
By Meagan Nolan
As a self-published author, it may be intimidating to start with all of the online outlets claiming they can make your book the next bestseller. After all, you’re a writer, not a designer. To help make the process a little less intimidating, here is a brief list of options that can give your book the beautiful face it deserves.
Romance Readers’ Embrace of Ebooks
By Elise Hitchings
Out of Amazon’s ebook paid sales, 45 percent were romance. And out of all romance sales, an estimated 89 percent are digital copies. So why do romance readers buy so many ebooks?
Listening In: Is Voice Command Technology Changing the Way We Read?
By Monique Vieu
Publishers, just like any other business, must keep up with changing tides in order to stay relevant, and as the demand for easy technology grows, the industry is increasingly turning towards audio and digital in order to survive.
DRM: To Prevent Piracy or Secure Loyalty?
By Meagan Nolan
What started as a clause in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 to protect the infringement of copyrighted works, such as movies, books and music, has blossomed into a full-fledged debate on who owns, who can modify, and who can repair the products consumers purchase. These products can range from cell phones and cars to children’s toys and ebooks, making it almost a certainty that everyone has at least one DRM-protected product in their home. The companies who place the DRM on these products can control who uses, modifies, and distributes the copyrighted works and products.
Kobo Dives Headfirst into Audiobook Market
By Kaitlin Barnes
The appeal of audiobooks lies in their ability to give someone the experience of a novel within the always-on-the-go lifestyle that our culture has embraced. Prior to the wide availability of audiobooks, for many there simply isn’t enough time in the day to sit down and read a book. A book’s greatest strength, its ability to allow one to escape from reality, was also its greatest weakness, as it meant that time couldn’t be spent doing other things.