Comments on: How do you pitch digital? http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/ Writing and publishing in the digital near-future Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:49:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: electricalphabet http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-120 electricalphabet Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:44:04 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=249#comment-120 Mark, just another thought/question... some of the publishers, like Pan Macmillan, for example, seem to have a whole division of the company devoted to digital. Is this just an extension of their marketing departments? Because I would think having editors/publishers whose brief is to focus on making cross-platform acquisitions would be one way to speed up that change. Mark, just another thought/question… some of the publishers, like Pan Macmillan, for example, seem to have a whole division of the company devoted to digital. Is this just an extension of their marketing departments? Because I would think having editors/publishers whose brief is to focus on making cross-platform acquisitions would be one way to speed up that change.

]]> By: electricalphabet http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-119 electricalphabet Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:42:10 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=249#comment-119 Hi Graham, you're right about alliances with media companies. My sense is that this has already happened or is happening in the US and to a lesser extent the UK. And some US publishers now have quite extensive inhouse capabailities. However I think in Australia publishers are still very separate from the digital media industry and aren't thinking about it much even at the marketing stage. Hi Graham, you’re right about alliances with media companies. My sense is that this has already happened or is happening in the US and to a lesser extent the UK. And some US publishers now have quite extensive inhouse capabailities. However I think in Australia publishers are still very separate from the digital media industry and aren’t thinking about it much even at the marketing stage.

]]> By: electricalphabet http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-118 electricalphabet Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:31:13 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=249#comment-118 Hi Mark, all change takes time and, even with the urgency about digital that seems to be pervading publishing houses at the moment, I wouldn't expect those kinds of changes to happen quickly. But if that's the case, how can authors hold back some of their rights should they want to either attempt cross-platform initiatives themselves or take their proposal to a third party? Perhaps it's about the order - contract the third party first and then approach the publishers for the book deal. All this sounds like agents too will have to change to be able to broker these kinds of relationships. It's not like this is something every author wants to do right now, but I'm curious about how the conversations will change, and how quickly. Hi Mark, all change takes time and, even with the urgency about digital that seems to be pervading publishing houses at the moment, I wouldn’t expect those kinds of changes to happen quickly.

But if that’s the case, how can authors hold back some of their rights should they want to either attempt cross-platform initiatives themselves or take their proposal to a third party? Perhaps it’s about the order – contract the third party first and then approach the publishers for the book deal. All this sounds like agents too will have to change to be able to broker these kinds of relationships.

It’s not like this is something every author wants to do right now, but I’m curious about how the conversations will change, and how quickly.

]]> By: Graham Storrs http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Graham Storrs Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:31:55 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=249#comment-117 Hi Kate, If we're talking about cross-platform then I can't see book publishers having the skills or experience to even begin this journey. The people who are doing this now are games manufacturers, movie makers, and multi-media IT shops, and I expect that's where the running will be made. To position themselves, publishers probably need to be looking at alliances and acquisitions with companies like these. And I hope they start doing this soon because book publishers bring a set of values to the party that will not be found in games houses or movie studios, nor in other third parties who might see themselves as horizontal integrators (like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon). Hi Kate,

If we’re talking about cross-platform then I can’t see book publishers having the skills or experience to even begin this journey. The people who are doing this now are games manufacturers, movie makers, and multi-media IT shops, and I expect that’s where the running will be made.

To position themselves, publishers probably need to be looking at alliances and acquisitions with companies like these. And I hope they start doing this soon because book publishers bring a set of values to the party that will not be found in games houses or movie studios, nor in other third parties who might see themselves as horizontal integrators (like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon).

]]> By: Mark http://www.electricalphabet.net/2008/09/12/how-do-you-pitch-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Mark Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:12:42 +0000 http://electricalphabet.wordpress.com/?p=249#comment-116 Hi Kate, In my experience the digital conversation begins and ends with the marketing and P&R groups after a project has been acquired, but the timing needs to be just so in order that the cost of the digital initiative is included in original P&L. The acquiring editor has the power, but the marketing group can make things happen. Hopefully overtime, conversations about digital will happen higher up in the acquisition funnel but for that shift to occur industry wide, publishers need to motivate editors (with bonus incentives) to broker digital initiatives. Right now, the more books they sign, the happier the publisher. Need to move to fewer books per editor with more time spent across more platforms. That is not going to happen until digital becomes profitable and predictable enough to tie bonus $$ to it. A cozy catch 22. Best advice to authors, projects that treat digital as a platform extension can stay with an existing publisher's marketing department. Anything more ambitious should go to a third party. best Hi Kate,

In my experience the digital conversation begins and ends with the marketing and P&R groups after a project has been acquired, but the timing needs to be just so in order that the cost of the digital initiative is included in original P&L.

The acquiring editor has the power, but the marketing group can make things happen.

Hopefully overtime, conversations about digital will happen higher up in the acquisition funnel but for that shift to occur industry wide, publishers need to motivate editors (with bonus incentives) to broker digital initiatives. Right now, the more books they sign, the happier the publisher. Need to move to fewer books per editor with more time spent across more platforms. That is not going to happen until digital becomes profitable and predictable enough to tie bonus $$ to it. A cozy catch 22.

Best advice to authors, projects that treat digital as a platform extension can stay with an existing publisher’s marketing department. Anything more ambitious should go to a third party.

best

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