WTF’s An “Imprint?”
I think this is one of the biggest mistakes I see authors and publishers do while promoting something. They use industry jargon and assume that all readers know what they’re talking about, without taking into consideration that readers don’t need to know these things.
The other day I saw someone promoting their new “imprint.” Of course I know what an imprint is, but I’m supposed to know that. The only problem is that this person was not promoting anything to me, they were promoting to a general audience of readers, assuming that all readers know publishing jargon. Most people don’t know the jargon, they don’t care to know it, and they don’t need to know it.
I even asked Tony if he knew what an “imprint” was, and he sent me a blank stare.
If you do a simple google search, this is how imprint is defined by wiki...
An imprint of a publisher is a trade name under which it publishes a work. A single publishing company may have multiple imprints, often using the different names as brands to market works to various demographic consumer segments.
But how many people are actually going to bother to look that up? And when publishers and authors use publishing jargon to promote their books, and they assume that everyone understands that jargon, they’re most likely wasting their time and energy.
I could give a lot more examples, too, but the main point I’m trying to make is keep it simple for readers, and never assume anything.
Gay London Couple Beaten
I just watched the movie, Demolition, with Jake Gyllenhaal and there was a gay bashing scene that was intense. Clearly, it’s still happening in RL, too.
Up to five men viciously assaulted boyfriends Phil Poole and Zbynek Zatloukal while they were heading home from a night out in Reading.
You can read the rest here. Someone in the comments mentioned he wants to see more gay men fighting back. I agree with him…to a certain extent. But when up to five maniacs attack two unsuspecting people, it’s hard to predict what could have helped them. How can two people fight against that kind of brutality when the odds are so stacked against them?
In any event, there are photos and it sounds as if one is already experiencing PTSD.
Gay Pornster Allegedly Fakes His Own Death
Here’s yet another odd story coming from the gay porn industry. And, as usual, this all transpired on Twitter.
Colleagues of the star received anonymous text messages revealing James had died, then took to Twitter to send their condolences.
Allegedly, though, the other porn stars are claiming he did this to get attention.
Here’s the rest, with screen shots of the tweet.
The HIV Monologues
This looks interesting. It’s the first time I’m hearing about it.
Although fictitious, the character of Barney is loosely based on the actor who plays him, Jonathan Blake.
In October 1982, Blake was one of the first people in the UK to be diagnosed as HIV positive.
There are more details here. It’s actually an excellent plot synopsis with some of the dialogue, and it gets into personal stigma.
Are Audio Books the Next Big Thing?
That’s really more of a rhetorical question. I don’t think anyone really knows what to predict with audio books. I’ve seen some people make predictions recently, and I’m still on the fence about it.
One, I wouldn’t listen to an audio book. I prefer to read the book, not listen to it. The only way I would listen to an audio book is if I were physically challenged in some way that prevented me from reading a book.
Two, audio books aren’t easy or inexpensive to produce, especially for indie authors. So unless you’re going to get a decent return on the investment, I’m not sure it’s a viable way for indie authors to go. Keep in mind, though, I’m not sure. I’m not making any bold predictions here.
Three, I’ve had several books released in audio through publishers I’ve worked with over the years and I never saw one audio perform better than the actual physical book. But that’s just been my experience, and maybe someone else has had better results.
So I’m on the fence about audio books, and I also think authors…all authors…should be prudent until they know what to expect.
