Wanted: Content Producers

Bob Edington and I spent several days this week in San Jose, California (aka The Silicon Valley) and Seattle, Washington. We met with some very smart people that have access to the people and companies driving the newest technologies and how those devices will impact content. The implications to Thomas Nelson will be substantial over time.

While there were many insights learned, two really stood out: Three Screens and Media Rich Content.

Three Screens
Many device and software makers are focused on the same thing - maximizing a media rich content experience on the three screens that are/will be wired to the web 24/7:

1. Computer
2. Smart Phone
3. Television

Content in the future must be portable and presentable on any device 24/7; in whatever format the consumer wants it. There will be a major proliferation of these devices in the next 18 months and we can expect to see prices drop tremendously. Compared to the new devices in development, the Kindle will seem like those large cream-colored cell phones of the 80s.

Media Rich Content
What does media rich content mean? - Content presentation formats seamlessly integrated appropriately for the three screens. These are some of the content presentation formats:

1. Text
2. Video
3. Audio
4. Web links (Blogs, communities, author sites)

Text will seem so boring; already is to our kids. Combining these content formats in different ways for different devices will allow the customer to consume the product the best way for them.

100% web enabled devices are going to have a huge impact on what we do. Content is quickly portable among the three screens. Oh, and wait till you see what Google can do with all of this in my next blog.

How many of our authors and publishers are thinking about making media rich products? We could continue to publish just text, but text-only will limit the audience and the message’s impact; especially with consumers under 30 years-old. I am not saying books will go away, but more and more there are more interesting ways to present the content.

As one very smart person said, book publishers need to start thinking more like content producers and less like book editors. What do you think?

Why Blog? (how to get a free lunch)

I am certain many have asked the question "Why blog?" In fact, I am asking myself this question. Who wants to hear anything from a guy who is involved in several different things but an expert of none? - Perhaps the Jack-of-All-Trades and Master-of-None Club? (Googled it and no such club exists.)

The CEO of Thomas Nelson, Mike Hyatt, is a prolific and eloquent blogger. I think Mike has blogged since 1998, before there was blogging as we know it today. If it was the Stone Age, Mike could chisel out a stone tablet with fresh, interesting thoughts every few days. I thought Mike blogged one time on all the reasons one should blog. I could not find the "why blog" entry, if there ever was one, but I did find one on "Why Twitter". Let's not, however, get technologically ahead of ourselves. I also found an entry on "How to Blog" which I probably need to read.

Being the CEO has its advantages when it comes to blogging. Many folks want to actually hear what the leader of the largest Christian book publisher has to say, and Mike has some pretty interesting things to say.

Then there is the blog from Larry Downs who has responsibility for our Iberian publishing group at Thomas Nelson; Spanish and Portuguese. Larry has been in Spanish-language book publishing for over two decades, and runs the largest Spanish Christian book publisher. He knows what he is doing. Like Mike, folks want to hear what Larry has to say.

Larry thinks I ought to blog about the book publishing business from the perspective of the relative outsider which I am. He says I should use humor to discuss perceived nuances and issues within the world of book publishing, even though I am not a terribly funny guy. No doubt I would upset someone in the process, but I reckon that's not all bad. Hmmmm???

Maybe I should blog about baseball. Along with some friends, 18 months ago we started what has turned out to be a fairly successful youth travel baseball team, the Hendersonville Heat. We have many players that want to join the team. Other individuals and teams are interested in or already doing the same. We are thinking about starting our own travel league, The Sumner County Baseball Association. Here's the problem: like book publishing, I don't really know that much about baseball. I am just the general manager and oversee the organization; the coaches know baseball.

Then, there is our family flooring business Textures, which my wife runs with a partner, Andrew Denny. I sit on Texture's board, but again I know very little about the flooring business and how it works.

I like to hunt and each year a group of us makes an annual pilgrimage to the Snake Den Lodge in Presho, South Dakota to engage in what my friend Jack calls "poltricide". We take down a lot of pheasants in three days of hunting. It's a blast, but I am certainly not the pheasant hunting expert; the guides are.

So, I require your help. And, you have a chance to win a free lunch, maybe even two lunches, because I have two problems - blog ideas and my blog tag line.

Blog Ideas - Like the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe, I am asking you, my friends, family and co-workers, to provide me with ideas. (Not for Dirty Jobs, but blogging subjects.) The best blog idea wins a free lunch with me, the guy who really does not know much about anything. And, you will get your name in lights on my blog.

My Blog's Tag Line - I made up my blog tag line in two nanoseconds with very little thought, "Observations Once Removed". I suspect it is not representative of what the best tag line would be for my blog. You might have a better idea.

A Thomas Nelson employee suggested this tag line, "From Where I Sit on the Commode". For those of you who are employees at Thomas Nelson, I think you know why that one will not win the free lunch.

Just post your ideas and comments below. I may have an online poll to decide on the best ideas.

Well, I am glad I got my first blog out of the way. And, thank you in advance for assistance with my two dilemmas above.