TECHNOLOGY: TechCrunch’s favorite 13

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/01/02/2007-web-20-companies-i-couldnt-live-without/

Free 411
http://free411.com/

Cheap no-DRM music
http://amiestreet.com/welcome

Local maps
http://city.ask.com/city

Anohter bookmark sharing site
http://bluedot.us/

Social News Site
http://www.digg.com/

Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/

A “social” web browser
http://www.flock.com/

GMail

NetNewsWire (30$)

A personalized webpage
http://www.netvibes.com/

A music meme
http://www.pandora.com/

Skype

A tech meme
http://www.techmeme.com/

WordPress

YouTube


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project taught me, and hopefully others, that print on demand works

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north511.html

Reflecting on 35 Years of Marriage
by Gary North

*** begin quote ***

My first book, Marx’s Religion of Revolution, had been published by a tiny publishing house, Craig Press, in 1968. It sold for $2.75 in paperback. In today’s money, that was about $16. Today, I typeset my own books on a $25 software program. I can post them on my website in about 90 seconds. I can sell them or give them away. I can also have them printed, one copy at a time: print on demand. A digital system takes the order on-line, prints the book, collates it, binds it, wraps it, inserts it into a mailer, addresses it, and puts it in a pile for UPS to pick up. What is the total cost for a paperback the size of “Marx’s Religion”? Maybe $10, plus postage. I will get a royalty payment sent to me every few months. If I ordered 3,000 copies, I would probably pay $2 each. I don’t need a book publisher to publish a book. Neither do you.

*** end quote ***

It’s interesting to see my finding, (you CAN do a “book” cheaply and easily), also realized by a more experienced “real writer”.

It’s as revolutionary as the Gutenberg Bible. The publishing world’s business model just exploded.

imho.

Kinda exciting!


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – writing inscriptions is hard work

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

I’m just trying to channel and visualize Pat Sajack and Brenda Lee.


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – Opened the box

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Kinda exciting!

To see the product of so much work.

:-)

Now we’ll see what my Mom thinks. I wrote the inscription for her copy.

First thoughts?

Blogs don’t transfer well from the “digital world” to the printed form.

It’s a hoot being a pioneer.

I’d use a bigger font. I’d edit some more stuff out. I probably would NOT do it. ;-) Or at least only order one to tune one’s mistakes.

It’s inspiring in how easy it was to make a fool out of myself. But taking risks is how we learn!

?:-|


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – I’m afraid to open the box!

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

For those befuddled souls who actually made the mistake of asking for a copy, I am composing a suitable dedication. Hey what good is a “first (perhaps only) edition” if it doesn’t have something personal in it written from the author to you. Right?

Maybe by tomorrow morning I’ll be ready to suck it up and peek.


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – The books arrived!

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Mom (1)

F + J & N (2)

JD (1)

PG (1)

SJS (1)

MIx1 (1)

Office (1)

Home (1)

+ five spare


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – LULU shipped my first order

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Now that’s kinda exciting!


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – Screwed up April

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Arghh!


WRITING: BLOG2BOOK project – Finished July

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

July went pretty quickly.

Interesting that I didn’t realize WORDPRESS pages the monthly view. Wasn’t obvious to me. I have to take care in making my weekly backups.

Some fellow bloggers suggest that the book should be a “director’s cut” that fixes typos, add annotations, and edits it for clarity. I even had a pro editor offer to work with me.

At this pace, I should be ready for spell check and edit by Tuesday. Editorial annotations on Wednesday. Publish soon after that. I have the cover already.

Kinda exciting!


TECHNOLOGY: New AOL IM client has “interesting features”

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Took a required upgrade to AOL IM today. The folks at work use it a lot, otherwise I’d have tossed it.

Interesting it comes with an almost mandatory integration with Plaxo. But, it doesn’t presuppose that you might already be a plaxo user. Argh!