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Authors and publishers: Stay relevant with PR and multimedia

Responding to changes in the publishing industry, insider Barbara Cave Henricks explored how authors and publishers can set themselves up to succeed in this new environment.
As the publishing industry evolves to a faster, more consumer-centered marketplace, there is much to be learned from professionals like Barbara Cave Henricks, who gave a talk called “Discoverability and the New World of Book PR” at South by Southwest Interactive 2012.
She is the President and CEO of Cave Henricks Communications, a media relations firm, and  represents brands such as IBM, Amazon, and Gallup, and publishing companies including Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Jossey-Bass, and Harvard Business Review Press. Detailed below are some of her insights on how authors can get ahead in this rapidly changing environment.
Multimedia marketing boosts book sales
  • Video hugely effective in book marketing. Book trailer can showcase author’s charisma and  gain media attention
    • Video can be very effective to build a rapport with readers
    • Video is good for PR purposes, but keep your videos fewer than 3 minutes long
  • Pinterest is an opportunity to engage with important audiences
  • Evaluate the pin-ability of website images
  • Google+ is  all about personal branding and boosting search results
    • Be sure add articles to your Google+ profile

Million dollar question: What is a book going to look like in 3 to 5 years?

  • Books of the future will be like a magazine subscription, gets updated on your device
  • What is the bookstore of the future? A coffee shop with an espresso-book machine
  • Curation of PR lists is much more crucial for books today. Don’t just be a part of the noise, differentiate
  • Give readers a reason to use their smartphones when marketing books, photosharing, take action

It’s the author’s job to extend the conversation past the book

  • Marketing is the ability to produce interesting content that gives an audience something to talk about
  • Find ways to be heard, provide meaning, authors are expected to participate fully
  • Provide value to an audience and keep building that, need to have a league of fans to help boost your book
  • Best book campaigns requires full and early cooperation between authors and publishers
  • Extend the book with quotes, action items, help make it memorable, and include interesting typography

Thanks for the insight, @RustyShelton, @laurakelso, @barbarahenricks, @shelbysledge, @ambermcginty, @KeithArsenault !

Perspectives on decentralized organizations at South by Southwest Interactive Festival

As technology has increasingly created a number of self-organizing online or real communities, companies are also experimenting with cultural changes such as  decentralization.

This trend was discussed in depth at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, led by Amgen, Inc. Executive Director James Taylor, Burning Man Human Resources Manager Kat Steinmetz, and Second Life Founder Phillip Rosedale.  These professionals discussed the burning question of “Decentralized Organizations: Do They Really Work?” Highlights …

Thought leader and author of The Future of Work Thomas Malone shared insights into why things are changing

  • “For the first time we can have big business economy of scale and small business human culture.”
  • “We’re in the early stage of change in business, similar to change we saw in democracy/government”
  • “Old structure for corporations are based on efficiency. Today’s is about innovation; new focus is intelligence”
  • “Benefits of decentralized decision-making are exactly the same as drivers for business success-innovation and flexibility”

Exploring and using non-traditional techniques to structure their organization

  • It’s not just about cool tech startups (example Zappos model), huge productivity boost
  • Burning Man has no CEO. Instead 6 execs who decide by consensus. Slows decision-making, but speeds up implementation
  • We need to rethink the efficiency metric, place more emphasis on collective intelligence
  •  The point is to build community, not to be efficient

The future forecast for organizations is uncertain

  • In a few years maybe no one will work for technology companies. Employment is going to change so substantially.
  • Anonymous surveys, voting systems for both customers and internal employees, organic management, and peer-based recognition systems are becoming more commonly used

Thanks for your insight, @bombaycowgirl, @ACoulton, and @CofoMan!