 Book Review: A Deadly Vineyard by Glenn Ickler Book Review: The Second District by Jerry Banks |
Blog Anthology
The “Yadda yadda yadda” of the 21st Century has Arrived
By Lisa Burns
 |
Within the past twenty years, letter writing has been replaced by email, phone calls have been replaced with text messages and the encyclopedia has been replaced by blogs. So how is that blogs are reverting back to the days of pen and paper and being released by publishing houses? Seattle-based publishing house Fractal Press is gearing up for the release of a book on financing; that is, a blog anthology on financing. This blog anthology, to be released late April, will contain the best blogs voted on by fellow bloggers. The best of the best will be included in this print anthology.
A print anthology of blogs can soon be the future of publishing. The process is simple: A website on a particular subject is presented to bloggers. Bloggers respond in the posts, stating their opinions and sprinkling a few facts along the way. Bloggers vote on their favorite posts. The publisher collects the posts, then designs, publishes and markets the book. Bloggers whose posts are featured in the anthology earn royalties on the sale of the book.
Some insiders in the publishing industry see blog anthologies as the new “Dummy’s guide.” Readers who purchase these blog anthologies will get only the basic, bare facts. But is this enough? Bloggers in these anthologies appear to have credibility. Many of the bloggers whose posts will be published in the anthology have worked in the financial sector and have written articles in top magazines and newspapers on finance, according to Fractal Press.
The question remains: Will these anthologies sell, or will they collect dust on bookstore shelves? The “For Dummies” series has done remarkably well. Since 1991, “For Dummies” has published more than 125 million books on everything from knitting and sewing, to planning for retirement. Users find the easy-to-read format and light approach to seemingly simple topics refreshing, compared to the dry text of former how-to books.
Critics of the blog anthology find fault in the credibility of its writers. In the past, publishers have learned that some bloggers have ulterior motives; many bloggers are paid by organizations to spread the opinions of the organization for financial gain. There is no way of knowing which posts are genuine and which are fueled by organizations with a motive.
On the other hand, blogging has become a standard way of communicating, so why not make it a standard way of teaching? Many bloggers who stand to profit from blog anthologies believe that somewhere between one blogger’s advice and another blogger’s “fact” lies the truth. The truth is this: Blogging is the “yadda yadda yadda” of the 21st century. Like it or not, it is not going away. The literary industry can only sit back and wait for blog anthologies to be released. At that point, critics will analyze every post included in the book for accuracy and merit. The real story will happen after these anthologies are released: Will people be outraged at inaccuracies? Or is permissible because, after all, it is only a blog?
Time will tell. Until then, all we can say is “blogga blogga blogga.”
Agree? Disagree? Tell us at editor@writersnewsweekly.com
