Go Publish Yourself?

A very good friend of mine, a writer by trade, recently completed a new novel, but found traditional publishing channels not quickly amenable to the work, which he characterizes as a "part travelogue, part historical mystery." Looking to self-publish, he found Lulu.com after an internet search and, within a short time, had his new book online, proofed, and available for sale. Lulu.com is a print-on-demand (POD) service. They do books, CDs, DVDs, and more. For writers looking to publish their work, the service is free, at least for now, and comes complete with ISBN number (although, I think that if you get an ISBN number for free through Lulu, they end up owning the ISBN - see Caveat # 3 below). You select your paper size/binding, upload your document, and upload or create front and back cover artwork. They offer technical help documentation along the way and even have support via live chat.

More than just giving you the chance to make and print your own paperback book for your own private pleasure, Lulu.com lets you sell your finished product on their marketplace and on other various online retailers' sites. While the base cost of printing varies depending on the type of paper/binding you select and the number of pages in your book, authors can set their own markup in addition to this base cost (plus a  commission cost for Lulu.com) and receive this surplus after each sale. My friend has only made a few bucks so far, but he wasn't really in it for the money.

POD Caveat #1: Be sure to thoroughly examine and understand the pay structure and remission timing/procedures of the POD service you use. My friend is computer saavy, so he had very few issues in getting his book onto Lulu, but things can get pretty complicated if you're not familiar with word processing, document layout, and graphic design.

POD Caveat #2: Be willing to invest significant personal effort, or find a friend who can help, in the technical side of preparing your work for print. Free POD services often offer paid technical support, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of free?

My friend told me, "Print-on-demand has become the wild west of personal capitalism" for artists. And, I think that he's right to use the phrase "wild west." You have to protect yourself and your art.

POD Caveat #3: Know the terms and agreements of the POD service you use in terms of your rights and control of your art.

POD Caveat #4: You are putting your art out there on the free marketplace. Generally, POD services are not liable for what might happen to you artwork. Read this interesting set of articles written by someone whose artwork was stolen.

All in all, with the right amount of technical muscle and persistence, cautiousness and research about which POD service to use, and vigilance after your work has been published, it just might be possible to have a successful, fulfilling foray into the world of print-on-demand.

Other POD Sites and Articles BookSurge CafePress CreateSpace iUniverse Zazzle

POD Article on Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.

Lessons Learned Self-Publishing with Lulu

Early Bird Extension and Other Conference Deadlines

Believe it or not, the 2008 Technology in the Arts Conference is only a month away.  I know how fast the days and weeks have been flying for me, so I wanted to highlight upcoming deadlines for those of you planning to attend (or thinking about attending): September 10th - Extended Early Bird Registration Deadline We've heard your requests and will be extending the Early Bird Registration deadline to Wednesday, September 10th. As a reader of this blog, you are eligible to receive 25% off all conference registration fees.  When combined with the Early Bird discount rate, your total cost for registering for the 2008 Technology in the Arts Conference is only $187.50.

To take advantage of this opportunity:

• Go to https://www.acteva.com/go/TITA2008 to complete the online registration form.
• In the box labeled "Activity Questionnaire," enter one of the following promotion codes.
  • If you have previously attended the Technology in the Arts Conference, enter TITA01.
  • If this will be your first Technology in the Arts Conference, enter TITA70.
  • Either code will deduct 25% from your registration costs during the online payment process.
• This discount applies to the Hands-On Training Workshops as well as general conference registration.

September 15th - Deadline to PA Residents to Apply for Conference Scholarships Thanks to the generous support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, we are offering a limited number of registration and travel scholarships exclusively for artists and arts administrators living and working in Pennsylvania.  Click here to learn more and apply online!

September 16th - Hotel Reservation Deadline for Discounted Conference Rate Call 1-800-445-8667 and give them the group code - CAM - to receive the conference rate of $129/night.

OTHER CONFERENCE INFORMATION: Conference Schedule - Learn more about this year's conference lineup

• Hands-On Training Workshops
• Breakout Sessions
• Keynote & Awards Luncheon
• Social Networking Soiree at the 15 Minutes Gallery
• Closing Plenary

One Man Enters, Two Men Leave (Kinda)

It's not quite Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome -  there are no chainsaws, no axes, and no high pitched whistles - but the recently developed and now-on-the-market Aguru Dome does make things interesting. A person enters the dome. Bright lights flash. A cornucopia of photos are taken. Many, many computers think. And, Bob's your uncle! A digital, 3D model of their face is created. A rendering so good, it can be then used to create incredibly realistic digital effects in film (think action sequences), video games, and so on.

Now, I'm not a CGI expert, so you can get better details from the BBC article I read (thanks to artsJournal), this DV.com article, and the Aguru Images Web site. However, I have been known to be an actor from time to time. The Aguru Dome makes me feel just a wee bit uncomfortable. Why in the world would I step into that thing? (Not that anyone would want a 3D model of my face.) I get in, and you get a digital copy of my face that, theoretically, can replace me so well that people won't notice the difference. And you have it forever.

There has been debate about whether CGI could replace live actors for some time now. There have been cases of actors and their performances being digitized, but facial rendering has been one of the weak suits of CGI. This technology seems to get us closer to technicians being able to animate the human face, without needing a live actor to do anything other than sit still for a few minutes.

I wonder if the actors' unions have started talking about this yet.  The Aguru Dome ships out to customers in September 2008.

Technology and the Media Arts

Earlier this week, Southern Arts Federation posted a podcast conversation in which Allen Bell and I talk about tools for new media and the impact technology is having on independent film and the media arts. Listen Now: SAF Podcast #38 - Technology and Independent Media

This conversation is a companion piece to an article that Allen and I co-authored for the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture about the only remaining organized tour of filmmakers in the U.S.

Of course they chose Hendrix...

It seems the New York Philharmonic is taking a cue from American Idol. During a recent concert in Central Park, the Philharmonic asked the audience to text their votes to select the orchestra's encore piece. Naturally, the audience chose "Purple Haze." After all, what audience would prefer "Flight of the Bumblebee" over the Hendrix classic? Photo courtesy of froMJersey's Flickr photostream.

According to MobileActive.org, an online resource that examines the use of mobile technologies for social change, the Philharmonic has been using Kodime, a company based in the UK, as its mobile vendor for the past two seasons.

2008 ArtsTech Awards - Call for Nominations

Opens July 7, 2008 - Closes August 8, 2008

The 2008 Technology in the Arts Conference convenes representatives from the full spectrum of arts community, from the local to national levels, to explore the intersection of the arts and technology.

In honor of this exploration, the ArtsTech Awards recognize three categories of leaders in the arts and technology: artists, arts organizations and funding organizations.  For the 2008 ArtsTech Awards criteria, guidelines and nomination forms, visit the following category-specific links:

• Artists (Individual or Group)
• Arts Organizations
• Funding Organizations

Nominations must be submitted through our online nomination forms.  Nominations must be received by 11:59PM EST on August 8, 2008.

The recipients of the 2008 ArtsTech Awards will be honored at the Technology in the Arts Conference during the Keynote and Awards Luncheon on October 10, 2008.

If you have questions about the ArtsTech Awards or the nomination process, please contact David Dombrosky.

Weekend Update (Don't Sue Me, SNL!)

Just had a couple notes I wanted to share before the weekend: Click! Exhibit Results Now Available

The online gallery for Brooklyn Museum's crowd-curated exhibit Click!, which I wrote about in a Technology in the Arts blog entry, is now available.

The exhibit asked users to register and adjudicate work that was accepted as part of a March 2008 open call. The submitting photographers were asked to “consider Brooklyn’s transformation over the years, its past and its present, and submit a photograph that captured the ‘changing face(s) of Brooklyn.’”'

The Click! online gallery with a very cool adjudication results feature is now available.

ICANN Relaxing URL Restrictions

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which controls domain names on the Internet, has decided to relax its policy on domain naming conventions. Web site URLs will now be able to use characters other than Latin, as well as any combination of letters and numbers up to 64 characters.

Finally, I can register ethelslittleangles.sex, where my grandma plans to sell her handmade dolls. She's been bugging me about it for years. "Sex sells," she says. She's been watching too much TV.

Oh Grandma. You and your dirty mind.

Have a wonderful weekend!

YouTube Opens Screening Room for Indie Shorts

Okay, so I love short films.  In addition to appealing to ADD-afflicted by not requiring us to sit through 180 minutes to "understand the narrative," short films are more financially viable for indie filmmakers to create.  The problem with short films is that you can usually only see them at film festivals -- until now.

YouTube has set up a virtual screening room to bring the short films of independent filmmakers to a global audience.  Not only can you view top-notch shorts (curated by a YouTube editorial panel), you can also buy them to watch whenever you want on your computer or portable device.  While the majority of these films have played at international film festivals, occasionally you’ll find films that have never before screened for wide audiences.

They just launched the screening room last week and plan to add four new films every two weeks.  So, show the indie filmmakers some love and check it out!

Click here to learn more about the YouTube Screening Room.

What I Learned at the Americans for the Arts Convention...

Remember those essays you had to write in elementary school - e.g. "What I did for summer vacation"?  That's sort of what this post feels like since Brad chastised me for being remiss in my blogging duties.  Of course, I fired him - again.  I do that a lot.  It just never seems to stick. AFTA held this year's convention in Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love (and sisterly affection).  The hotel sold out long before I climbed out of my procrastination long enough to book a room.  Thankfully, I found a room at a nearby hotel - directly across the street from where they were filming Transformers 2.  If only I hadn't gotten bored and walked out of Transformers, then I might have been more starry eyed.

After three days in Philly with Americans for the Arts, I return to the Burgh with three essential take-aways:

1.  Affirmation -- In a recent (soon to be published) environmental scan of the arts community conducted by Americans for the Arts, it has been determined that, "The influence of technology, unconstrained access, and the new immediacy of communication on traditional and new and evolving production/delivery mechanisms is not yet entirely understood."  While the influence of technology on production/delivery may not be fully understood, the impact of technology on the arts community has been seismic.  Between AFTA and the NPAC conventions this month, I come back to the Burgh knowing that our Technology in the Arts conference, blog, podcast, and site resources are truly useful tools for the field to assist them in navigating unfamiliar terrain.

2.  Futurists Rock -  The Keynote Address was given by futurist Andrew Zolli, founder of Z+ Partners and organizer of the PopTech conference, in the manner that I've yearned for at all of the conferences I have attended throughout my professional life:  highly engaging, provocative and witty.  He touched on a multitude of issues - from innovation and "the tyranny of choice" to experiential economics, "the Long Tail" and "Citizen Brand." I think it was the first time that I went to a conference where the keynote speaker talked for 45 minutes, and I wanted to hear more!  For those of you who were not able to attend AFTA this year (or for those of you who just want to hear more of what Andrew has to say), check out these video clips on YouTube.

3.  The RenGen is Here - On Friday, I had the pleasure of listening to Patricia Martin talk about the premise behind her book RenGen: Renaissance Generation - The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What It Means to Your Business.  Here's a brief bit from Patricia about the event that inspired her to do the research for this book:

I tried to run out to the AFTA bookstore to buy RenGen - but of course, it was already gone.  Amazon, here I come!

My two favorite concepts that she talked about during her session are:

• RenGen is a psychographic NOT a demographic. What characterizes this psychographic?
  • Lifelong learners
  • Time-starved idealists
  • Sensualists
  • Eco-conscious
  • Fusionists
  • Inner-directed creatives
• Collective Creativity - a post on the concept from her blog.

Okay, folks, I have blogged enough today to keep the Brad at bay.  I pinkie-swear to do better!

Victory is... Not mine?

Pop Arts Marketing held their own iPod giveaway last week for the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver. But their contest required a bit more skill than ours, as they set up an online game called Harpsichord Hero, which riffed on the popular Guitar Hero. For most of the Convention, I held the high score, but someone finally bested me on the last day of the event. On Friday, I got what I thought was a perfect score and celebrated a bit more than any reasonable adult should. Then when I looked at the leaderboard, I realized that my adversary was still slightly higher than me in the rankings.

This is a photo of me in mid-celebration, before I was crushed by the realization of defeat:

I look more terrified than happy, really.

You can still play Harpsichord Hero and see my 2nd, 3rd and 4th place scores on the Pop Web site.