Learning from the Experts

My recent blog focused on Oprah Winfrey and Robert Kiyosaki and what they looked for in business plans and their key business strategies. Both of these individuals are two people I admire in the entertainment industry and the real estate industry. From researching them in my previous blog, I learned what to take away and put in to my business plan. Even though I am writing a children’s book series, I plan to incorporate their savvy business skills into my plan to help find investors for my product. It is by having a good vision of my product and a detailed financial report in my business plan that will help in attracting the right investor to invest in the children’s book series. These are two key points that Oprah Winfrey and Robert Kiyosaki pointed out in their business plans and is something that I am incorporating in my plan.

As an investor, Tim Berry’s article from Palo Alto Software sums up what makes a good business plan and the steps needed to determine the action of the plan. His article places an emphasis on what is needed in a business plan. His attitude about writing a business plan is to be realistic, be specific, be clear, communicate, commit and keep it alive. Tim’s attitude on how business plans should be executed is similar to Oprah and Robert’s ideas.

In my opinion, the most important section of a business plan for an investor to look at is the return on investment. The investor has to love the idea in order to invest their money into the business. However, when investing money into the business it is essential to see what the rate of return is on the investment so, the investor has future projections of what they will get back from this investment.  

Sources

Gomstyn, A. (2010. March 5). Suze Orman vs. ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ Guru: He Tweeted, She Tweeted. ABC News. Retrieved from

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/suze-orman-robert-kiyosaki-twitter-dispute-financial-advice/story?id=10001293&page=2#.TuivxJjAefQ

Palo Alto Software. (2009, February 18). 8 Factors that Make a Good Business Plan. Tim Berry. Retrieved from http://timberry.bplans.com/2009/02/some-key-questions-on-business-plans.html

Strategic Business Team. ( 2010. April, 7). Oprah Winfrey: The Most Famous, Richest Black woman in the world. How to Start a Small Business. Retrieved from

http://www.strategicbusinessteam.com/successful-entrepreneurs/oprah-winfrey-the-most-famous-richest-black-woman-in-the-world/

Business Plan Experts

Oprah Winfrey is an accomplished television host who has had “The Oprah Winfrey Show” be on television for more than twenty-five years. She has expanded her brand into a new cable network, “OWN,” and is learning the art of how to effectively run the network (2011, Sohn).

Robert Kiyosaki is a real estate investor who helps educate people through his conferences and books on how to properly invest in real estate. He has grown up learning different financial strategies from two different types of father figures. He has inspired many people to take control of their finances so, they can achieve financial freedom and be apart of the American Dream (2011, The Rich Dad Operating Company Inc.).

Both Oprah Winfrey and Robert Kiyosaki are self made millions and have huge followings because they are people who had a dream for themselves and achieved it along with long-term success.

Both are recognized in their fields as “Top Experts” because of their successful long-term performance in their careers and what they have accomplished both professionally and personally.

When evaluating business plans, both investors look at key components as the deal breakers for business plans. Oprah Winfrey looks at business plans that that have a clear vision of what you want to help you stay on track. In various articles on Oprah.com a reader can see that the basis for all business plans is having a well-executed plan in order for that vision to be achieved (2011, Harpo Productions Inc.). Robert Kiyosaki looks at the Cash flow Quadrants in business plans to see where different sources of income come in and out (2011, The Balance You Need). Both strategies are key in developing successful business plans because without a clear vision, one will get lost and without proper management of finances, there will be no long-lasting vision.

It is important to evaluate respected experts in the field of business so, when writing a business plan you get the best advice possible to help you succeed in your plan.

Sources

Harpo Productions Inc. (2011). Oprah. Retrieved from www.oprah.com

The Balance You Need. (2011). “How to Build Wealth Through Network Marketing.” The Balance You Need. Retrieved from http://thebalanceyouneed.com/join-now/how-to-build-wealth-through-network-marketing/

The Rich Dad Operating Company Inc. (2011) Robert Kiyosaki.

Retrieved from www.richdad.com

Sohn, E. (2011, May 25). “How Oprah Winfrey Changed America.” Discovery News. Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/human/oprah-winfrey-changed-am

What is Google+?

Social Media sites offer a way for people to connect with one another. Social media sites are great places to have companies place their advertisement all over webpages. With the success of Facebook and Twitter it is only natural to have another company trying to make its mark in the social media world. Google has come out with Google+ that offers people to connect and share with others.  However like many new products not all of them will succeed and have the level success of Facebook. Google+ is still very new and it is still generating a buzz amongst people.  It offers another major social media site that people can find each other on and connect through their Gmail account.

It is for the fact that other social media sites have taken a user months to create and add up their friends list, Google+ can gather your friends more quickly by seeing what friends are in your email account are Google + users. It also offers a tool to create a tighter group of friends instead of searching through a mass list. Google+ circles and hangouts is what is making this social media standout from the rest.  The concept of group chats offers a great feature for more connections in conversations.

With the launch of Google+ it is not surprising that major companies are advertising on their site. Pepsi has begun marketing with Google+ , Pepsi like other major companies know that Google+ is the new wave of social networking and companies are jumping at the chance to digital marketing with Google+ to increase their social networking presence. It was only after three months that Google announced that Google+ has 43 million users using this product. That is a large subscriber list already and it will only continue to grow and compete with the Facebook and Twitter social networking sites.

Sources

Macarthur, A. ( 2011, November 10). Why brands should, and will, care about Google+ Pages. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/trending-tech/why-brands-should-and-will-care-about-google-pages/article2231897/

Bilton, N. (2011, November 10). Google+ Isn’t Going Anywhere. The New York Times. Retrieved from

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/google-isnt-going-anywhere/?ref=technology

Mashable, Inc. (2011). Google Plus. Mashable. Retrieved from

http://mashable.com/follow/topics/google-plus/

Filtering through the Internet with Digital Marketing

Ever wondered how a search engine could filter through data to know what you are looking for? I did. I wondered how some sites could be listed on page one and the rest you have to click the next button to sort through other pages.  I learned it is through the keywords that I type in and the websites that are most viewed with those keywords that can make a website appear more frequently on page one of Internet searches.

With the mass amount of information that is on the Internet, it is important to use digital marketing to help attract viewers to your website. With proper digital marketing a website can gain a vast amount of viewership in a short amount of time. There are many ways to digital market and to figure out the best way to market your website is to figure out what other sites your target audience is more likely to visit.  Some self-marketing strategies for company can be through the use of Twitter, Facebook, and Widgets depending on their target audience. Other companies may out source professional digital marketing companies in order to successfully succeed.  Even a site such as identifier.com creates many new opportunities to companies as it enable people to analyze search engines on public profiles. Identifier provides enough data on search engine sites to help create a buzz around your marketing strategy. This site has even provided important information to employers showing them what future employees would have the better potential based on their media presence and professionalism. Digital marketing has become more than just advertising; it is a tool that everyone can use in order to keep their best foot forward in life.

The explosion of digital marketing has caught the eyes of a Google employee who has taken it upon himself to help educate others of digital marketing with Google tools. The YouTube video shows how we can use these tools to help our individual profiles and websites track viewers and gain viewership. Overall, educating ourselves on how to effective use digital marketing is the best way to help us get the opportunity to be on page one of Internet searches.

Sources

Hardy, Q. (2011, October 24). The Big Business of ‘Big Data.’ The New York Times. Retrieved from http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/big-data/?scp=6&sq=digital%20marketing&st=cse

Klaasen, A. (2009, March 30). How Marketers Tap Facebook and Twitter, Apps and Widgets. Ad Age Digital. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/digital/digital-marketing-guide-social-web/135590/

Think Marketing with Google: Agile, Outcomes Driven, Digital Advertising. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li17Y4XmxWc

How to write a children’s book?

Is there a formula on how to write a children’s book? After exploring several different websites, I found that it determines on what type of book an author would like to write. Everyone seems to have a different take on the situation and just because a book is written one way it does not mean that is the right way either. 

The CBI Clubhouse website offers many different tips on how to develop a children’s book. If offers insightful advice on which direction an author should take depending on what type of story they would like to tell. It’s a valuable resource to help with character development and help with answering questions on the beginning stages of constructing a story. As a future children’s book writer, I would apply my knowledge I have learned from this site to my book.

Writing for Children, another website, offers training with a published writer to assist in the writing direction of an author’s story. On this site, a writer can take classes online and have an option to receive college credit. I would consider this site for a writer who has not had any basic education on how to properly write a book with a story arch. 

Lastly, Robyn Opie, awarded 101 winner for best website for writers by writers’ digest, has a different approach to writing a children’s book. Her approach I found to be very inspirational as she has different catch phrases on her site to keep a writer writing when they start. Her website is broken down into different categories to help a writer focus on what they need. If a writer wants to write an e-book, she has a category for it. As Robyn Opie did write over 80 children’s book, I would take some of the knowledge I have learned from her and apply it to my work to create a success career being a children’s writer.

It’s important to navigate the internet for different websites that are reputable to help gather enough understanding on how to write the best children’s book. Each website offers different needs for the author and it is by taking a piece of advice from each that can help create the best platform for your story. 

Sources

Opie, R. (2010). Robyn Opie. Retrieved from: 

http://www.robynopie.com/

The CBI Clubhouse. (2011). The CBI Clubhouse. Retrieved from:

http://cbiclubhouse.com/

Writer’s Institute, Inc. (2009). Write Children’s Books. Retrieved from: 

http://www.writingforchildren.com/H0753/youcanbeawriter.htm

What makes a New York Times best selling book?

Ever wonder what makes a New York Times Best Seller? I did. I decided to do some research to figure out what I can do to make my future children’s book be on the top of that list. I did learn that a best selling books either has to sell “many copies in a week “ or over time “sell steadily over months and years.” Even with that said, just because you think your book will be a best seller, it is also a gamble. A strong following for a certain topic or for an individual writer can help the promotion and marketing of the book, but the book itself based on the quality is what keeps reader’s buying it. Some of the best author’s out in the book world still have flops which makes the publishing industry have no guarantee on what will sell. 

With the digital age of technology, The New York Times has even begun changing their formats for best sellers by adding ebooks to their list. Although the Times still has to wait and see how ebooks are determined for bestsellers, ebooks have been outselling print and this trend will only continue. 

Not everyone is concerned with the New York Times best seller status, take indie writer, Amanda Hocking, the Kindle store’s best selling indie author. She is able to sell 100,000 copies in a month due to her low production cost, selling ebooks from $.99 to $3. It is because of the low cost she is able to generate millions by keeping 70% of her book sales. 

As an upcoming children’s book writer, I can only say that it would be great to have the best of both world’s. Which means having my book be on the New York Times best seller list and having it sell volumes in a week and plenty more over time. Like many writer’s out there, I would like my work to be read and well received. I want a career in being a children’s writer, I don’t just want a one hit wonder. 

Sources

Bloomgarden-Smoke, K. (2011). The New York Times Ebook Bestseller List, Now In Print. The New York Observer. Retrieved from: http://www.observer.com/2011/tech/new-york-times-ebook-bestseller-list-will-soon-be-printed

Boss, S. (2007, May 13). The Greatest Mystery: Making a Best Seller. The New York Times. Retrieved from:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/business/yourmoney/13book.html?pagewanted=all

Gobry, P. (2011, February 28). This 26-Year-Old Is Making Millions Cutting Out Traditional Publishers With Amazon Kindle. Business Insider SAI. Retrieved from: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-02-28/tech/29960359_1_kindle-store-book-sales-publishing

The New York Times. (2011). Best Sellers. The New York Times. Retrieved from: 

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/overview.html

Jonathan Gray: Life's Guru

I recently interviewed entertainment lawyer and partner at Gray Krauss Des Rochers LPP, Jonathan Gray. Jonathan Gray, is someone I would like to call “Life’s Guru.” 

My initial impression of him was a friendly, outgoing and a well-versed professional.  Early in the interview, I discovered his ambition and entrepreneurial spirit.  This has lead him to become an award winning producer and entertainment lawyer. Jonathan has a catch phrase to encourage young professionals to keep motivated in the entertainment industry and follow their dreams, “do the work”, he said. What does “do the work” mean? It means exactly what it states. As Jonathan mentioned he has seen several professionals year after year talking about the same idea. He mentioned in order for people to take them seriously they just need to do the work and get out there and start creating the project. Of course do it smartly with the help of an excellent lawyer to avoid any legal trouble and to help make the project a commercial success. It is all about taking that first leap of faith to go in the direction you always dreamed.

From an early age, Jonathan always knew he wanted to work in the entertainment industry. His love of movies fueled his dream. His genuine heart and passion for the love of movies affected his life and made him learn about the filmmaking process from the bottom up. Jonathan also learned early on to be a pro-active voice for industry professionals when needed. He founded and became the Chairperson of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Motion Pictures. He learned to jump at every opportunity when it presented itself and work with connections. A chance encounter with Phil Cowan, early on in his career guided him into the entertainment law field, culminating in being the production counsel on the Oscar award winning film “Precious.” 

Jonathan’s willingness to always learn is what makes him relatable to his cliental. He speaks highly of finding the respect amongst production members and the team behind making a film. Jonathan’s three favorite words are: community, equitable and transparency, when dealing with clients. He believes it is important to understand the community and belong to the film community to be relatable. He believes its important to be equitable to make the best deal for all parties involved. He believes transparency, so that everything is open and out on the table when negotiating a deal. His approach to the situation is what he calls an “holistic approach.” It is when everyone plays nicely in deals, agreements and contracts. 

It wasn't until after the interview I had with Jonathan Gray that I realized he became more of a “Life's Guru” to entertainment professionals along with being a legal expert. It is a combination of his traits and his life experiences that makes people gravitate towards him. His simple catch phrase to his three favorite words is all I needed to know to understand who he is as a person and his words of wisdom to pass on to other young professionals. I hope one day to work with Jonathan on a project as he seems to have great karma on his side. 

Source

Gray Krauss Des Rochers LLP. (2011). Jonathan Gray, partner. Gray Krauss Des Rochers LLP. Retrieved from http://www.gkd-law.com/attorneys/

(J. Gray, personal communication, September 22, 2011). 

Stabb, H. (2011). Jonathan Gray (v). IMDB. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1807745/bio

IP Controversies

For this blog post, I will be discussing current IP controversies in order to gain more knowledge on how I can protect myself when I launch my business plan. I will be looking at copyright infringement on memoirs, technology patents, and copyrights over use of likeness in brand name.

The first IP controversy is in regards to the copyright infringement on memoirs. The latest book, “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson is another book that the events are fabricated and publishing houses have fallen victim to such scams by authors. James Frey is another example with “A Million Little Pieces,” that his story was embellished in order to become a successful memoir. Authors sign confidentiality agreements with publishers stating all information in memoir is deemed to be true. However, since publishing houses cannot do complete background checks on all memoirs they trust the author in what is fact. In my opinion, this is an ongoing issue that publishing houses will continue to struggle with as it's impossible to check all facts in the memoirs. Publishers can only create stricter guidelines for writing memoirs and more detailed contractual agreements for punishment if information is fabricated. 

The second IP controversy is the lawsuit that Apple, HP and many other companies are being sued by Wi-Lan for using patents such as Wi-Fi and LTE networks. Wi-Lan has transferred its business model from a wireless company to making $50 million a year buying patents and licensing them to other companies. Cisco has had a lucrative deal with Wi-Lan for licensing agreements. In my opinion Wi-Lan seems to have strong arguments against the companies it’s suing. However, I don’t feel as though Wi-Lan will necessary win in regards to royalties. I feel as though Wi-Lan and the defendants will work out a licensing agreement instead of a lump sum of cash settlement. I foresee this case taking years to resolve as Wi-Lin still has lawsuits pending since 2007 against other companies for using its patents. 

The third IP controversy is the copyrights over the use of likeness in brand name. The music artist, Akon, is suing his business partners over copyright infringement for creating a fragrance with the brand name of his music label “Konvict.” After reading this article, I would definitely take Akon’s side of this argument due to the interpersonal relationships he has with his managers and the easy access to trade secrets. I believe Akon would win his case against his business managers. 

It is important to understand present and past IP controversy cases in order to better protect different elements of my business plan. It is by understanding different IP laws that I will know what my rights are and how to properly license other products or create work that can be protected. 

Sources

Haq, H. (2011, April 20). ‘Three Cups of Tea’: Is the publishing industry to blame for fabricated memoirs? The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from: http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2011/0420/Three-Cups-of-Tea-Is-the-publishing-industry-to-blame-for-fabricated-memoirs

Yin, S. ( 2011, September 2). Apple, HTC, More Sued Over Wi-Fi, LTE Patents. PC Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392383,00.asp

Z&M Media. (2010, April 26). Akon Sues Former Business Partners Over Use of Konvict Name For Their Fragrance. Hip  Hop Weekly. Retrieved from: http://www.hiphopweekly.com/2010/04/26/akon-sues-former-business-partners-over-use-of-konvict-name-for-their-fragrance/

Parent Managers Gone Wrong

In expanding my knowledge on artists managers, I decided for this blog post to focus on a number of famous childhood stars who had parents as managers and what happened as a result. Being a manager is a difficult job, exacerbated by managing your children. Trying to differentiate between manager and parent can be challenging. Take for example, Macaulay Culkin, Gary Coleman and Jackie Coogan.


Macaulay Culkin is a famous childhood star who made it “BIG” in Hollywood by the age of 10. By 15, he was caught in the middle of his parent’s divorce (over managerial responsibilities) and the following year was emancipated from both.

Gary Coleman is another child star whose fortune was supposedly placed in trust only to be squandered by his parents and managers. Gary Coleman ended up suing his parent and winning.


Both artist’s at a young age had to become independent and learn some very difficult lessons about parent managers. It is because of the famous childhood actor Jackie Coogan’s experience in entertainment with his parent managers taking his money, that the Coogan Law was established. The law became effective in 1939 as a means to help protect minors wages and since has been revised to correct any loopholes that were once in it. Presently, this law makes sure that 15% of a minor’s salary is put into a blockable trust until they are 18 or otherwise able to take care of their financials. 

However,  not all parent managers have stories like Macaulay Culkin, Gary Coleman and Jackie Coogan. There are some great parent managers who have proven themselves as key figures in the development of their child's careers, such as Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Ashanti.  Parent managers can and do often work, however, knowing when to relinquish responsibilities to a skilled professional might be the key.

Sources

Kaufman, G. (2011, March 29). Beyoncé Fired Her Dad But Kept It In The Family, Just Like Usher And Chris Brown. MTV. Retrieved from: http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/29/beyonce-fires-matthew-knowles/

Linfield, S. (1995, November 5). Trouble in the House THAT Mac Built : A Custody Battle for Macaulay Culkin by His Parent-Managers Offers a Glimpse Into What Can Happen in Hollywood When a Son Is Also a Star. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-11-05/magazine/tm-64948_1_macaulay-culkin/4

McLellan,D. (2010, May 29). Gary Coleman dies at 42; child star of hit sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/29/local/la-me-gary-coleman-20100529

Screen Actors Guild. (2011). Coogan Law. Screen Actors Guild. Retrieved from: http://www.sag.org/content/coogan-law

Who Are Your Idols?

This month I am taking a very interesting class on Product and Artist Management. I find the topic intriguing because it gives me an opportunity to examine some of my own idols  that have managed various talent in the entertainment industry. I have been impressed by these three managers (Robert Thorne, Benny Medina and Larry Rudolph) that have brought their artists to much success in their careers and helped managed to keep their bonds of manager and artist tight despite adversity in life. 

The first one is Robert’s Thorne. He has been the driving force behind the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen brand since they were babies and has managed to keep his artists in the spotlight for over 20 years. He helped build the Olsen Twins company “Dual Star Entertainment” that has 1 billion dollars worth of sales annually (Givhan, 2011).

The second manager is Benny Medina. He continues to manage Jennifer Lopez since her career launch in 1999. He has helped her career evolve over the years allowing her to take her brand and pursue different venues such as clothing, movies, music etc. Through various times in her life they have parted ways but have always found a way back to each other as they realized their work together creates successful projects (La Porte, 2011). 

The last manager is Larry Rudolph, who manages Britney Spears.  Larry Rudolph met Britney Spears during her Mickey Mouse Club days and continues to manager her today. Even through hard times in her life, Larry has stood by her as a friend and then a manager. He has transformed Britney’s career over and over again making her the star we still see today (Lester, 2008).

I have found these three managers to be influential in my life because I have seen them carry their artists from the beginning of their careers up till now and I have been impressed with their management strategies. I have found these managers to be great role models for up and coming artist manager's because they have a proven track record of success and longevity with these artists. However, the most important thing is that all these manager's believed in their artist from day one which help them guide their artist onto successful career paths. 


Sources

Givhan, R. (2011, April 24). Look, Ma, We’re Fashion Moguls! The Daily Beast. Retrieved from: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/04/24/look-ma-we-re-fashion-moguls.html

La Porte, N. (2011. May 13). J.Lo:The Sequel. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/fashion/jennifer-lopez-the-peoples-pop-star.html?pagewanted=all

Lester, S. (2008, November 18). Britney Spears says life is like a jail sentence in 'Britney: For the Record.’ NY Daily News. Retrieved from: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/11/18/2008-11-18_britney_spears_says_life_is_like_a_jail_.html

Opinions on Negotiation Strategy

This month for school, I have been studying negotiation strategies to better my understanding on the negotiation process. I have learned a lot this month taking this course and have had the opportunity to revaluate my own strategies previously used during the negotiation process.

To further my negotiation knowledge I have had the pleasure to interview two great candidates that have used negotiation constantly in their work and their life. Alisha Slye, a previous Deloitte Employee, and Jack Slye, a Venture Capitalist, have constantly used negotiation in various situations in life. During my interview with them I discovered similar negotiation strategies that they used in both aspects of their lives. As they pointed out that everyone negotiates at some point in his or her life and some stakes are higher than others. It is best as they both mentioned to learn and understand the tactics involved in the negotiation process to help make a more successful negotiation. The recurrent opinion they both had on the best negotiation is mutual benefit. They described mutual benefit at a point where both parties feel as they have won.  It is by understanding realistic goals  and setting realistic expectations that helps to create leverage during the negotiation process (Latz, 2011). Both would agree that a win-win situation is the best strategy to achieve in negotiation. Unfortunately, they both mentioned that emotions run high during a negotiation but coming in with clarity on the focus of the negotiation is important to make the negotiation process smoother to get to an agreement. It is by accepting your emotions and recognizing them in a negotiation that can keep their emotional behavior balanced in the negotiation process (Fromm, 2005).

While negotiating Jack recommended it is always best to separate the people from the problem and to show appreciation when it is due in conversation. He mentioned that both parties need to feel valued when negotiating and Alisha added in saying that “respect needs to be shown.” It is best to understand each party’s role to better assist the negotiation process and only negotiate on key points that you really need (Sundheim, 2011). Overall, they both felt that negotiation is apart of everyday life and by continuing to learn new strategies in various situations it will better an individuals negotiation strategy for future negotiations. 

Sources

Fromm, D. (2005). Dealing with your Negative Emotions. The Negotiator Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.negotiatormagazine.com/article295_1.html

Latz, M. (2007, Apr 6).  You May Be Stronger, But Be Savvy In Using Leverage. Latz Negotiation Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.negotiationinstitute.com/column/you-may-be-stronger-be-savvy-using-leverage

Sundheim, K. ( 2011, Mar 11). Advanced Salary Negotiation Tactics That Open An Employer’s Check Book. Business Insider. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/start-training-to-eat-a-lawyer-alive-and-see-how-much-the-poor-vp-raises-your-salary-just-to-end-the-pain-2011-3

Music Moving in iCloud?

Making a rare appearance at the Worldwide Developers Conference Steve Job announced Apple’s latest product the iCloud. Must have been big news for Apple if he came back early from his medical leave and he doesn’t look that well from the sight of the pictures taken at the conference. Either way, he is an innovator. I can’t help but think this man and others behind him are geniuses in their field for wanting to connect other technology users to each other and make our lives simpler with technology. Steve Jobs is changing the the way we connect to each other and ourselves one software update at a time. With the launch of iCloud, it is focusing on syncing music automatically from different devices whether we used iTunes or not to iCloud. For $25 a year, iCloud would allow all users all access to their music on all forms of hard drives rather than constantly having to sync each device for updating music. Legal downloading or not, for $25 you can get all your music in sync on your drives (Guynn & Rodriguez, 2011). 

Unlike Google Docs which offers a true cloud effect on formatting documents, iCloud is specifically more for music having linked deals with four major record labels and taking a share of the $25 profit with Apple( Wireless Watch, 2011). I can’t help but think of the poor music industry and how they are actually making their revenues now. The Digital Age has completely made them rethink of how to make a profit. Steve Jobs seems to be more of the World’s Music Executive rather than Executives at Music Labels. Oh, well I’m sure they are satisfied with this new invention since they already backed it. And I have to say, that it is something I would use since I am tired of downloading and re-downloading the same song to a different device. I am glad Apple has thought of this!

Unfortunately, with the iCloud there are no other updates any other technology outlets such as iPhone as of yet. We have to wait until this fall when iOS 5 debuts . Until then, iCloud is the new Apple news for technology users and it focuses on demoting the PC to create a simpler method of syncing data (Aamoth, 2011).

Sources

Aamoth, D. (2011, June 6). Apple Debuts 'iTunes in the Cloud' (but No New iPhone). TIME. Retrieved from http://techland.time.com/2011/06/06/apple-debuts-itunes-in-the-cloud-but-no-new-iphone/

Guynn, J. and Rodriguez, S. (2011, June 7). Apple's iCloud aims to 'demote the PC'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-apple-cloud-20110607,0,3280141.story

Wireless Watch. (2011, June 12). iCloud: Big step for content management, but not for the cloud. The Register. Retrieved from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/12/icloud_content_management_analysis/

Amazon and iBookstore Making Publishing Waves

The latest news is that Amazon is wanting to be a major book publisher. My first reaction was “Really?” Then after thinking about Amazon and being a major online retailer and having the Amazon Kindle, the idea of Amazon wanting to be a major book publisher is not surprising to me at all. Amazon has come out with the Kindle so, the next step in wanting to be a publisher of books seems like a natural progression. I feel as though they can do very well being a publisher of not only hardcopy books but eBooks as well. Even though I am an iPad user, I am amazed Apple has not thought about being a major publisher like Amazon. Amazon being the second largest retailer of hard copy books besides Barnes and Noble, it makes sense for them to capitalize on this market (Veverka, 2011).

Apple has an iBookstore which now allows self-publishing of eBooks. A great way for anyone who has ever wanted to write a book can finally do so (Moren, 2010). Self-publishing for new writers is not a bad idea unless you want your book to be a New York Times Bestseller, then going through the main channels of finding a literary agent and a publishers can help you in that aspect.

Technology advancements such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad iBookstores has created more channels for book publishers to access their customers rather through the typical bookstore. Marc Parrish, Barnes and Noble Executive, spoke at the GigaOm Big Data conference about how technology is rapidly changing the way consumers read book in months now rather in years. He pointed out the books and book publishing is changing faster than music and film did with technology. He points out that eBooks sales will account for more of the book industry now (Mangalindan, 2010).

Basically, as a new writer it is best to explore all channels on how to get my book published. Today, there are many different options and I need to chose the best path to make my book the most success it can be. As I am sure other writers would do the same.

Sources

Mangalindan, JP. (2011, March 25). Barnes & Noble: eBooks will pass print --fast. CNN Money. Retrieved from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/tag/ibooks/

Moren, D. (2010, May 27). iBookstores now allows individuals to submit their e-books. Network World. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/052710-ibookstore-now-allows-individuals-to.html

Veverka, M. (2011, June 1). Amazon.com to Be a Major Book Publisher? Smart Money. Retrieved from http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/technology/amazoncom-to-be-a-major-book-publisher-1306952979507/

Software Engineer Genius Changes Digital Book World

After watching Mike Matas speak on Ted.com about the digital book project “Our Choice” featuring Al Gore, I became so inspired by his work as a software engineer. Mike's presentation on this book is a sequel to the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

While Mike demonstrated his digital interactive software product, I was so impressed by how young minds can really change the world to make it a better place.  It was the the way Mike spoke about his product with passion and how demonstrated what his digital interactive book reader could do, that it made me see him not only as an innovator but he truly created something that would change the book publishing world forever. Mike’s approach on having animations, interactive info graphics while incorporating documentary footage into a digital book would make the reader full engaged in the book topic. 

Mike Matas, is a co-founder of Push Pop Press, he previously worked for the innovator company, Apple, need I say much more. His digital book software he is making available on Apple software products and will hopefully be licensing the software out to publishing houses sometime next year. I will make sure my future children's book is as interactive as what he showcased in his speech on Ted.com. 

The message Mike conveyed about how he is taking digital reading to the next level, inspired me to want to create a software product. However, I quickly reminded myself that although he makes it look easy to create such a high tech product, it is in deed more difficult to do. He inspired me to keep plugging away at my dreams and what I want to accomplish as someone in this world could use or benefit from it and most importantly I create work that I am proud of. 

As I tackle my next career as a children’s writer, I was fascinated in his speech about how technology has truly changed the world. Coming from a film and television background, I feel by creating digital applications and digital books is only a natural progression. However, I do understand the loss of the old traditional method of a hard copy book. Then I remind myself of my old young student days and realize by having a much more interactive method of reading would enhance my knowledge on the topic and create a more pleasant reading experience of very informational material. Technology is about taking the old method and enhancing it with the newer version. And with that said, we do not lose anything we only gain.

Source:

Ted Conferences, LLC. (2011, March). Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book [video file]. Retrieved from 

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html

Ted Conferences, LLC. (2011) Speakers Mike Matas: Software engineer. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/speakers/mike_matas.html

The Professional Organization SCBWI

As a future children’s book writer, I came across a very informational organization that would help me as I start my writing career in this new field. The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) I found to be a great resource for keeping current with what is happening in the industry, how to strengthen my writing and storytelling skills and enhance my knowledge about changes being made in the industry. SCBWI is the largest professional organization in the world for writers and illustrators targeting the younger audiences. The organization holds International Conferences to members, has an informational bi-monthly subscription newsletter, and offers awards and grants to members.

As a writer & illustrator in this organization, it provides one voice for their members. With the laws of publishing changing and the standard on what defines a writer and illustrator, the organization lobbies on important issues to protect its members and their work. This organization brings people of the same interest background together and directs members   to local chapters that each member can be actively involved in. Membership is open to the general public for those who have an interest in this field of work.

The most interesting part of this organization is that it offers a Master’s Class where members can meet one on one with Lin Oliver, the SCBWI Executive Director,  and well-known children’s author to have a conversation with him about the industry. As a first-time children’s writer,  I would highly benefit from this class, as it is always great to meet someone more established and see what path they took to be where they presently are. This Master Class would also be very beneficial to members in offering additional input on how to become a more successful children’s writer and illustrator.

This organization I feel is important to become apart of to help maintain a professional network within the field and stay current with industry trends especially with changing formats of writing due to technological advances. This organization provides the proper educational tools so, young writers and illustrators  can have the opportunity to meet more established professionals and gather the appropriate knowledge to grow in this field. The organization provides International Conferences and local events for certain branches to connect with other members and provides the proper resources to members to advance their work.  As a member, the organization wants your input so, volunteering to help with events or providing suggestions on event topics is welcomed. 

With the next International Conference being held in NYC, you can count me in as I look forward to becoming an active member!

Source

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. (2011). Retrieved from 

http://www.scbwi.org

The Death of American Soap Operas

It’s official! The Soap Opera, All My Children, is being cancelled! ABC announced that the 41 year run of  “All My Children” would end in September with “One Life to Live” ending in January (Bellafante, 2011). All My Children started filming in 1970 however, with ratings in 2009-2010 that declined to 2.0, ABC needed to make a change in programming (Goldberg, 2011).

I must admit I tried getting into Soaps while in high school, but the story line seemed too over the top for me along with intense acting. However, for every television show I didn’t prefer someone else did. And I vividly remember going to my friend’s house and always finding her  mother staking out on her couch as she intensely watched the show everyday.

Kelly Ripa, an old cast member on the show,  recently commented on the cancellation stating "All My Children was more than a job. It was my family. It was there that I met my husband; it was there when my first two children were born; it was there where I met many of my life-long friends (Ward, 2011)."

It is sad to see long running television shows disappear and be replaced with reality based shows in their time slot. Even with the expansion of various new networks and cable stations, Soap Operas, could still play on. However, with high production expenses I guess they will only be playing on in re-runs.

With the last of the Soap Operas ending, I wonder if years later they will come back in a different form. As much as I would like to be hopeful in this situation, I truly just don’t know. Looking back at old shows that did go off the air like Love Boat, they have yet to come back in a different television format. However, I remember my days as a film student at New York Film Academy where my instructor mentioned “We must learn from the old to create the new.” And in this situation we must take that advice to continue great programming for viewers.

Bellafante, Giana. (Apr 15, 2011).Young, Restless and Glued to Soaps. The New York Times. Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/arts/television/all-my-children-and-one-life-to-live-life-lessons.html

Goldberg, Lesley. (Mar 22, 2011). ABC Downplays 'All My Children' Cancellation Reports. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/abc-all-my-children-canceled-170076

Ward, Kate. (Apr 14, 2011).Kelly Ripa on 'All My Children' cancellation: 'This is like losing a member of your family.' Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/14/kelly-ripa-all-my-children-cancellation/