Your Blog-to-Book offer
Historically it's been the goal of every writer to be published. In blog-o-landia people can be published instantly. In about ten minutes, this rough draft will be out into the world, and millions of people will see it. (If by some slim chance it gets picked up by a mega-blog.) In this era of instant publication a new standard for cred has been established: the elusive book offer.
You mean someone will pay me to do what I've already been doing for free?
The successes of such blogs-to-books as Stuff White People Like, has spawned imitators looking for dat cash.
This is Why You're Fat, the ultracaloric picture blog, has recently gotten a deal to show pictures like this in their book:
(I ate something like that yesterday)
This blog appeals to internet food fetishists, and publishers hope these pictures translate to people buying gifts at Urban Outfitters. It's exciting to see the internet getting physically published to papyrus. But for every signed blog-to-book deal, there are hundreds that don't work out.
People assume this is how to get a blogdeal:
But even if steps 1 - 5 happen, you have an important steps before you "become hella rich." You actually have to turn that book offer, into a book DEAL
I would guess that lots of book offers don't turn into deals because of the inherent flaw in blogginess. The wonders of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, make it super easy to put whatever we want on our blogs, without licensing them. If a copyright holder doesn't like it, they can tell you to take it down, no lawsuits on the horizon! But the print medium is more formal. You need to secure rights to publish those funny pictures you found.
My advice for young bloggers looking for dat ca$h, is to secure the rights to the pictures on your blog. Either by taking the pictures yourself or by acquiring them through legal mumbo jumbo when fans submit their own pictures.
But you should probably work on your content first.
You mean someone will pay me to do what I've already been doing for free?
The successes of such blogs-to-books as Stuff White People Like, has spawned imitators looking for dat cash.
This is Why You're Fat, the ultracaloric picture blog, has recently gotten a deal to show pictures like this in their book:
(I ate something like that yesterday)
This blog appeals to internet food fetishists, and publishers hope these pictures translate to people buying gifts at Urban Outfitters. It's exciting to see the internet getting physically published to papyrus. But for every signed blog-to-book deal, there are hundreds that don't work out.
People assume this is how to get a blogdeal:
- Aggregate thematic pictures.
- Compile these thematic pictures, with mildly clever headings.
- Get widespread recognition for idea.
- Have your blog get noticed by a junior assistant at a publishing company. Wanting to impress his bosses, he suggests your blog be nominated for a book deal.
- Publisher offers book deal.
- Become hella rich.
But even if steps 1 - 5 happen, you have an important steps before you "become hella rich." You actually have to turn that book offer, into a book DEAL
I would guess that lots of book offers don't turn into deals because of the inherent flaw in blogginess. The wonders of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, make it super easy to put whatever we want on our blogs, without licensing them. If a copyright holder doesn't like it, they can tell you to take it down, no lawsuits on the horizon! But the print medium is more formal. You need to secure rights to publish those funny pictures you found.
My advice for young bloggers looking for dat ca$h, is to secure the rights to the pictures on your blog. Either by taking the pictures yourself or by acquiring them through legal mumbo jumbo when fans submit their own pictures.
But you should probably work on your content first.
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- groups:
- books, Writer's Corner, comedy blog
