Dr. Kathi Berens opened up our digital skills class for a discussion about the complexities surrounding digital media platforms, synthesizing the article with her belief that “basic code literacy is an extraordinarily empowering skill set that…gives users a level self-control and freedom that people don’t have if they rely entirely on third parties to represent their public speech.” Her point parallels one made by Michelle Goldberg in the aforementioned article: while she agrees with the decisions made that ultimately de-platformed the former President, she also states that people “don’t have a constitutional right to have their speech disseminated by private companies,” and that it is “dangerous to have a handful of callow young tech titans in charge of who has a megaphone and who does not.” We are not political leaders, but publishers are global leaders; how, and on whose terms, we use our voices matters.
goals
Learning the ABCs of Bookstagram
By Hannah Boettcher
I started my bookstagram page at the end of September 2020. In under half a year, I have amassed 3,400 plus followers, held conversations with some of my favorite authors, and made many bookish friends. There are many bookstagram “secrets” only accessible to those engaging with other accounts, consuming a lot of content, and running an actual bookstagram account. Thus, I have gathered my most useful tips and tricks on how to operate and brand a successful bookstagram account.
A Marketing Tool for Indie Publishers and Authors Alike
By Hannah Boettcher
Goodreads allows users to keep track of books they’ve read, books they want to read, and the reading journeys of other registered users. While Goodreads is a wonderful resource for readers, it also houses a very lucrative market for indie publishers and authors. Through the Goodreads author program, Q&A groups, word of mouth, and the Goodreads recommendation engine, indie publishers and authors are able to establish a presence among the bigger five guns in the publishing world.
Resolution Solutions!
By Ooligan PressBy Rebekah Hunt It’s that time of year again! The time of year when most people observe the age-old tradition of setting untenable goals for themselves based on a ceremonial date marking the change of the year according to an arbitrary calendar, while everyone else observes the only slightly less age-old tradition of writing […]