"The hunt for the key has been much more extensive in other industries, which have made a point of using new technology to gain a better understanding of their customers. Television stations have created online forums for viewers and may use the information there to make programming decisions. Game developers solicit input from users through virtual communities over the Internet ... Publishers, by contrast, put up Web sites where, in some cases, readers can sign up for announcements of new titles. But information rarely flows the other way — from readers back to the editors."
That's the New York Times trying to analyze the inexact science of the bestseller in an article over the weekend.
Still, most of the people in the story act like the Internet never happened. The article doesn't mention all the fan fiction, science fiction, and mystery sites that have created unprecedented interaction between writers and readers.
You want reader interaction? Community? I've made a habit of asking every writer I meet about how they build web community and interaction. Just scroll through my Five Easy Questions interviews if you don't believe me.
The future isn't coming. It's here, and not enough people in the business are paying attention. Check out the Times piece, and then keep reading The Publishing Spot.
Comment Preview