If audiobooks are so popular, why are they not offered in a similar capacity to the digital music industry by the largest US retailer and producer of audiobooks? While there are costs involved in the production of audiobooks that are time-consuming, the audiobook market is clearly approaching the same issue that the digital music industry faced during the time of illegal downloading services like Napster and Limewire. The hesitancy towards moving to a more open model of consumption is creating piracy issues that are infinitely more destructive to the industry than an overhaul of the current model.
Digital
The Disruption of AI in the Publishing Industry
By Anna Wehmeier Giol
One of the latest, most revolutionary inventions has been the creation of artificial intelligence. This new technology may have its positive and negative impacts, but what is certain is that with change also comes doubt and fear. Will artificial intelligence take over or significantly change our jobs?
How the Digital Department Preps Your Novel for Becoming an Ebook
By Amanda Hines @hinesamandaj
There is a lot that I have learned since becoming the Digital Manager for Ooligan. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that nobody really knows what goes on in my department. I’m here to illustrate what goes on between a finished print book and a finished ebook.
Finding Your Niche: How Discord Can Benefit Your Writing
By Rachel Adams
While not originally designed for writers (in fact, its founders created it to streamline communication amongst gamers), Discord has become a veritable haven for all kinds of people, including writers. With the ability to join and create public and private servers, anyone can use Discord to find their niche.
The Best Audiobooks to Escape the Mundane
By Amanda Fink
One of the most common things you hear from readers who don’t listen to audiobooks is that their mind often wanders when listening.To prove these readers wrong, I’m here with five full-cast audiobooks you can’t help but fall into. These engaging audiobooks will make you wish you had more mundane tasks to do in order to find the time to listen.
Digital Skills Empower Publishing Professionals
By Stephanie Johnson Lawson
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.