Transmedia & Print Books – Get Your Hands Dirty.

Memoirs have always been less then satisfying for me, and I would perhaps lump travel books in there too. I feel like I’m the curious cat of readers, I want to see the tumbling waterfall and the gnarly Aunt and there are never enough pictures. The photos included are never wide enough to show you everything, and certainly there are never any images of the person you find the most intriguing. I think I shall blame this dissatisfaction on Harry Potter; it is J.K.Rowling’s fault that my mind believes books should have pictures that move. It surprises me that very few publishers seem to acknowledge this need for exploring further than the pages, they seem more interested in flogging a dead horse and giving nothing away unless someone gives them a quid. The battles some authors have gone through with publisher to try podcasting their books are epic; editor and author body parts scattered across the battlefield and not a reader in sight. Yet transmedia, as mentioned by one of my other esteemed Meanland writers, is not a dirty word, and even if it was, publishers and authors should be getting their hands filthy.

Books aren’t only going through a revolution in their digital form but their print form too (Albeit at the pace of a snail, riding another snail, riding a tortoise). I have been advocating for over twelve months that the print book is a fantastic place to explore a multimedia experience, yet only a daring few are moving into the print/transmedia realm. In fact, as far as I’m aware, only one print book has taken that step into interactivity using my favourite free technology, the QR code, and that book is Awake by Joel N. Clark (see the trailer below).

Awake is a transmedia extravaganza, combining memoir writing with QR codes linked to films showing extra footage and interviews that allow you to meet the characters mentioned in Joel’s stories and see the places he has visited in his crazy, adventure filled life as a film/documentary maker and story teller. I feel I should put a disclaimer upfront that there is a bit of God stuff scattered throughout Awake, which normally turns me off in a big way. Yet while the book starts off with Joel’s thoughts of God and the meaning of life (Insert Monty Python Joke here…), the book is not preachy, and my dislike for strongly Christian protagonists gave way to the fantastic stories, thoughtful (and often hilarious) film footage and the simple brilliance of how Joel and his publisher have integrated the QR codes into full page sketches.

Some sketches from Awake written by Joel Clark. Note the blank spaces on the left picture reserved for the QR codes linked to that story. For the print book, the movie screen is where the smart phone would sit.

Joel was kind enough to chat with me about Awake and his work in helping authors integrate transmedia into their books. What I found to be one of the more fascinating points to come out of our conversation was how the transmedia component of the book was there to enhance the story, not to replace it (as he mentioned in this section of the interview below). The aim of the QR codes was to add a deeper level of exploration and the reader was not expected to diligently click or scan each one of the forty-eight extra elements in the book. Because transmedia is such ‘uncharted’ territory in the publishing industry it is easy to forget that just because you can add a hundred links or extra features to a book, doesn’t mean you should. Readers have lives to your know… While many may use this as an excuse to continue to do things as they have always done, I hope that the true leaders in this industry will see it as an opportunity to dive in head first. Yes, you need to hold the Hands of Common Sense out front as you hit the water (to avoid knocking yourself out on unnecessary content), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore unknown depths.

Part of the stigma attached to transmedia in print books seems to involve perceived cost and the notion that the enhancing of the story will be a complex task. Yet it’s clear that the enhancements that work best are ones that are simple and show an understanding of the audience. Joel, as well as creating his own multimedia print books, guides other authors on how they can build an experience around their words, particularly around fiction narratives. The enhancements he devises are those that require only small production costs. One example includes some simple films he shot for author Michael Albert, using iPhone and security camera footage to explore other character view points. As the story is told in first person this allows the reader to explore another side to the minor characters they wouldn’t have seen had the novel been entirely text based. In Joe’s latest project, a young adult fantasy novel, he plans to include a basic interactive website which allows young readers to post tales speculating what happens to the character of a mouse between his appearances at the beginning and end of the novel. Having the courage to play with format is key in creating a great transmedia experience and below Joel talks about the transmedia projects he is involved with and the three things an author needs to get their transmedia project off the ground.

“Is it a modern day story you’re trying to tell? Then you can use modern day technology to help tell it.“ It’s true that some stories lend themselves more to transmedia then others, just as certain cheese lends itself better to a good bottle of red. For my recently released e-book, ‘The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire’ a comedy set in Facebook, try to avoid adding interactive Facebook pages into the mix was akin to avoiding chocolate, it just wasn’t going to happen. Not if the people around me wanted to keep their heads. In the end it was a win-win for me as I was able to tap into the transmedia possibilities of the book at zero cost. However, if you’re creative enough (like Joel), it doesn’t matter if your novel is set in the 1900’s or in the era of Facebook, transmedia can be used effectively to enhance both. But first the idea that print can be as interactive as digital needs to be accepted and made the norm.

By allowing readers the option to partake in interactivity if they choose, I can see publishers once again forging ahead of the print and digital pack. Publishers need to lead the industry. So don’t settle for being a book factory, move outside print and become storytellers. 

You can download the full interview with Joel and myself on Transmedia & Print books at the E-book Revolution podcast. To find out more about Joel and Awake go to www.joelnclark.com

Opportunity! Like to guest post about e-books, writing or marketing? Get in touch at ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.

My recent novel a comedy set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain, is available at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/the-grand-adventures-of-madeline-cain. You can also purchase E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-Book Success at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success.

“Why It’s A Book Soundtrack, My Dear Watson.”

Have you ever read a book and been jerked out of the story? You are right at that scene where a well dressed member of the opposite sex is sweeping you - I mean the character - off their feet when you brother’s well timed fart beside your ear pulls you from the fantasy. Or a car back fires as you imagine a plane flight, or a leaky tap just won’t stop dripping when your main character is in the desert, or the tree that your character has been talking to so earnestly suddenly speaks with your child’s voice asking you when dinner is ready. Is the sound track of life keeping you out of the moment?

It may have been, until now. Due to some very smart thinkers your e-book can not only keep you in the moment, it can enhance it. The company Booktracks is currently creating synchronized soundtracks for e-books, with the music embedded into the book. The technology is designed to play the ambient music (a sad song during a gloomy chapter or horns during a dashing attack) and sound effects at the individual’s reading pace. It is not an audio book, no one is reading the story to you, it is trying to make the story come alive through music. It provides a similar function to a movie sound track. Can you imagine watching Pirates of the Caribbean with no music and just the dialogue? It would be like watching a very drunk man stagger about in a fancy dress costume in the middle of Sydney’s CBD, completely lacking in atmosphere and class.

This company has taken interactivity to a whole new level by immersing and enhancing the story rather than detracting from it with flashy videos or pictures. Booktracks were commissioned to enhance ‘The Power of Six’ by Pittacus Lore, the sequel to ‘I Am Number Four’. But they have also taken several copyright free classics such as Sherlock Holmes (currently available for free) and created ‘booktracks’ for them.





Another e-book which includes its own soundtrack is Moxyland by Lauren Beukes who worked with African Dope Records to produce a soundtrack for the book. Though not as advanced as the Booktracks technology it has been praised as very effective by readers/listeners of the e-book.

Imagine the sorts of things an indie author can do with this. It can go a lot further then ambient music of the right tone, it can add to the character and a reader’s connection to them. For example, if your main character is a musician, you can have snippets of the character’s original music embedded in the story. Rather than imagining the creative process of the character, the reader is hearing it! Using a full version of Adobe Acrobat you can embed multimedia, such as music, yourself. Or if that’s too tech for you, you could recommend a playlist of songs for your e-book that a reader could listen to as they read your story.

So consider, what can you add to your e-book that will drown out the sound of that pimple face kid next door massacring Blues Brothers with his new saxophone?

My recent novel a comedy set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain, is available at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/the-grand-adventures-of-madeline-cain. You can also purchase E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-Book Success at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success.

Are You Missing Out On A Publicity Goldmine?

The power of a simple reading should never be underestimated. Hearing the dulcet voice of another verbally caressing your prose seems to add another dimension somehow. As much as we try to deny it, some little part of our inner child is still fascinated with the daring escapades of talking shoes or pink elephants rendered vividly to life by a story teller’s fairly dodgy accents and high-pitched voices. The simple act of giving voice to something that is normally just in our head - particularly comedy which always reaches its true potential when performed – deepens our attachment as voices and sounds are added to the pictures of our imagination. And creating a clever video round your e-book could see it sky rocket to the most talked about digital file (or stapled pieces of paper) of the year.

In one of the best pieces of book marketing I have seen this year, Text Publishing, released a video of one of Australia’s most iconic children’s show hosts reading an adult picture book called ‘Go The F*** To Sleep’. Text appear to have followed every bit of advice I have given to you in this blog to the letter. They launched their book via the video below, a simple reading of a very comic adult book. The book is funny by itself, but synopsis and traditional marketing can only go so far and the book more than likely would have had a slow build. But Text went and found further comic fuel to add to the fire. They hired Noni Hazlehurst, the host of the iconic Australian children’s show, Playschool. This wonderful host who gently led children through cheerful songs, and squeaky clean picture books for well over two decades, is reading the book as though to an audience of children, making innocent side comments as she swears at the end of every page.

Just a quick warning, if you have sensitive ears, this video contains some swearing...


Go the Fuck to Sleep - read by Noni Hazlehurst from sswam on Vimeo.

Not only is it comedy gold, but a publicity goldmine. All they did was advertise it to their mailing list, and promote it on their social media. In almost 6 hours it got posted 66,258 times on Facebook before it got removed by YouTube for ‘harmful content’. But from there it didn’t matter, as soon as they placed their video on other video sharing sites (Such as Viddler or Vimeo) fans of the reading quickly passed on the link to the new video. Though Text would have hired Noni you will notice that this major publishing company chose to use all free avenues in placing their video online, and promoting through email and social media. This is because these avenues really work, and if you are still ignoring them as an indie author you may as well go the f*** to sleep.

While this book has already seen great success in the US through Samuel L. Jackson’s reading of the book, it’s worthwhile noting that different approaches and personalities will work better for some countries then others. Noni is a perfect choice for the Australian version of the book, however the majority of the US and UK wouldn’t even know who she was. As a traditional publisher, Text only publishes in one country, Australia, so it works for them. However, as an indie author if you want to reach several countries at once it is worth while playing on common comedic elements and topical subjects.

One of the best examples of an author using videos to reach their audience is John Greene, a YA author who posts little, fast talking and hilarious videos on YouTube every week with his brother Hank, to reach out to his audience of readers. You can check out his videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers. They talk about subjects important to their readers (self confessed 'nerds'...), and to themselves and more importantly, they have fun doing it!! The statistics for each video speak for themselves. Not only do these videos sell John's current books without him ever referring directly to them, but when his next book comes out, all he has to do is mention it once and it reaches hundreds of thousands of watchers, and is shared by hundreds of thousands of watchers.



The above reading is how it’s done my good writers; this is how you promote an e-book successfully. So time to add some life to your book. Go forth! Discover your goldmine.

The Pyjama Money Bender

There are a lot of things you can do in your pyjamas. Sleep… write, read, make dinner, eat dinner, have a party with a bunch of eight year olds, take out the garbage, go to the local store for a snack, impersonate John Lennon, sleep… It had never occurred to me that you could sell things in your pyjamas (other than more pyjamas) let alone books. Ten years ago connecting with someone on the other side of the world, in real time, without the ten year lag between sentences, was only dreamed about. But a lot has changed in ten years (not in the least pyjama fashion) and one particular piece of technology has got me hotter under the collar then a paedophile at a Wiggles concert.

You may have heard this little word I have been bashing about for the past several months, Webinars, the future of reader/writer communication. A webinar sales presentation reaches out and talks directly to the audience, entertains them, answers their questions and demonstrates the presenter's personality and style, unlike a website or e-book store which are impersonal and static. You can do them from home, they cost you almost nothing to set up, you can make money with them easily, they work in any market and you can do them in your Pyjamas.

I have something very special for you in this blog post, an excerpt from my interview with the webinar guru himself, Steven Essa. In this extract we talk a bit about what webinars are and why they are the internet marketing tool of the hour for e-books.

Listen below for some great info.



If you are smart, you will do whatever you can to catch his special webinar for authors.

In this live, once off webinar, not only will you be trained in how to set up a webinar but you will also learn the biggest reason why people fail or succeed online. Also, you will learn why unsupported e-books and products DON’T work.

And Steven is doing this for free. That’s just how awesome he is!

It's true, this webinar is only going to be run once and it’s free! Steven is a busy man and I am honoured that he has found the time to talk to us about how to run a webinar. If I could make a quarter of the money he does selling my e-books, I will be a happy woman.

No matter what genre you're in… Webinars are the FASTEST-growing, most profitable means to market yourself to a local or global audience…

Join Steven and myself for a very special webinar that could make the difference to your e-book success this year.

When: Wed June 15th
Time: 8:00pm-9:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (Sydney)

Click here to register!

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/973353286

Social Glue: An Unusual Publishing Perspective

When I ask the question, “What is publishing?” many people reply with the same three answers.

1) Publishing is the act of taking a well edited story and printing it to paper for people to read.
2) Publishing provides carefully crafted novels for the reader’s enjoyment.
3) Publishing is a vehicle for countless rejection letters and grey hairs.

All these descriptions are soulless (and more than a little bitter...). Publishing has been streamlined in the past several decades making it hard to imagine it as anything other than some utilitarian entity a writer must pass by to be heard. The paper we print our words on has become cheaper and cheaper, and the size and shape of novels are altered for no greater reason then they fit into a box better.

Yet publishing is much more than just a way to get your words out there, it is a connection. Not just a solitary writer, putting pen to paper to be distributed. Not just a reader who blocks out the world with your words. Books allow a point of dialogue, a shared experience when you are not even reading in the same room, the same continent, the same country as the person you are discussing it with.

This is learnt from the wonderful Richard Nash whom I interviewed. A wealth of advice and ideas, I promised I would share some of what we talked about on the blog. In this interview extract Richard talks about his view of what publishing is; a social glue that binds society and is not limited to words on a page.



THIS WEEK: How can you make a novel more than words on a page? How can you make that connection between reader and writer? In my next blog post I will be uploading some fantastic snippets of my interview with Webinar Guru, Steven Essa. No matter *what* genre you're in… Webinars are the FASTEST-growing, most profitable means to market yourself to a local or global audience…

WANT TO HEAR MORE OF RICHARD’S FANTASTIC ADVICE? Why not register for one of my weekly webinars? I will be speaking live and in detail about the 5 Fast, Simple secrets to E-Book Success which includes many a juicy idea gleaned from my interview with Richard. Please join me to discover how you can create a massive following and increase the success of your e-book tenfold, allowing you to free up time to live, write and create whenever you want to.

Register NOW! In the blue box on the top right of the page.