Technology • Innovation • Publishing — Issue #187
Innovation
Water & Music 5-part report on Web3, NFTs, DAOs, and Social Tokens
www.waterandmusic.com
As a follow-up to our myriad studies of fan sentiment around music/Web3 projects in Season 1, we embarked on a survey analysis of how artists and music-industry professionals were feeling about Web3 across its numerous forms, including NFTs, DAOs and social tokens.
How we can imagine a better future + innovate to get there
Per Jane McGonigal, at ABA’s Keynote: ‘Ridiculous at first futures’ are the kind of futures that we might hope for, that we might work for, or pray for, or mobilize for even as so many other people tell us that the kind of positive change we want to achieve is impossible, the transformation is unimaginable.
The 5 Elements of Blockchain that are the Underpinnings of Web3 and the Metaverse — www.gartner.com
HT @ValaAfshar
Bob Dylan goes meta as Sony and Universal partner with Snowcrash NFT platform
Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group have partnered with Solana-based NFT marketplace Snowcrash to release NFT collections featuring Bob Dylan. #NFTs
Technology
NFTs: One year after Beeple sale, non-fungible tokens have become mainstream — techxplore.com
HT @davepeck
An NFT Bubble Is Taking Over the Gig Economy
www.wired.com
Two-thirds of freelancers on Fiverr say they’re servicing the NFT industry. But is it sustainable?
CVS files to trademark its pharmacy and health clinics in the metaverse
www.cnbc.com
CVS Health looks to patent its stores as well as sales of virtual goods including prescription drugs, wellness, beauty and personal care products.
Amazon, Teladoc to deliver doctor consultations via Alexa
Amazon partners with Teladoc Health to provide doctor consultations via the Alexa voice assistant on Echo devices, in another signs of Amazon’s push into healthcare. #Amazon
Amazon launches live audio app that makes DJs of users’ own radio shows — www.cnbc.com
The app comes as the live audio space continues to heat up, with companies like Twitter and Spotify featuring new content. #audio
Radio Drama for a Podcast Age: How Amazon’s Audible Moved Into Theater
Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon, is making a push into theater. They created its theater division 5 years ago, already released 93 audio theater works, + added a theater tab to its app. #Audible
YouTube is offering podcasters $50K and networks up to $300K to make video versions of their shows. Yet another move suggesting the company is interested in becoming a podcast destination
HT @ashleyrcarman YouTube is reaching out to podcasters and podcast networks, offering “grants” of up to $300,000 to entice them to create video versions of their shows, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
MTV is teaming with TikTok and Pepsi on a first-of-its-kind music series that showcases artists originally discovered on TikTok. — deadline.com
MTV has teamed with Pepsi and TikTok on a first-of-its-kind music competition series that showcases artists originally discovered on TikTok. #TikTok
Amazon Prime Video exclusively streamed Country Music Awards, an awards-show first; Amazon Live will carry a “shoppable” version of the red carpet — www.vulture.com
Awards shows like the Oscar and the Emmys seem to be struggling to stay relevant and keep TV ratings up. The ACM Awards are trying something different: streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime.
Pinterest looks to prove it can drive brand sales with new checkout feature — adage.com
Social platforms have ramped up efforts around commerce amid the pandemic, as more shoppers turned to e-commerce to make purchases. Pinterest is finally adding checkout functionality.
Publishing & Media
McClatchy Tries Out Robots to Produce News: McClatchy is working with a vendor to generate real-estate stories. “The top ten most expensive list is done by the bot.”
“Robots produce the information, journalists do the journalism.” U.S. local media group McClatchy has signed an agreement with automated journalism provider United Robots for a pilot partnership to deliver home sales news in Sacramento County, CA, and nine other locations. The partnership, which is now live, sees content delivered automatically to McClatchy end points, including sites, apps and the publisher’s CMS.
How book lovers on TikTok are changing the publishing industry
#BookTok led to major sales — of both old and new titles — in publishing last year. Here’s why.
Disney Publishing Teams with ESPN for New Publishing Imprint — www.publishersweekly.com
Andscape: Disney and ESPN teamed up to create a new imprint that is “dedicated to creating, highlighting, and uplifting the diverse stories of Black identity.”
Pearson rejects $8.5 billion approach from Apollo
Pearson said it had rejected two takeover approaches from investment firm Apollo , saying its latest $8.5 billion possible cash offer undervalued the global education group, which was confident in its own strategy.
Sixteen Years After ‘The Road,’ Cormac McCarthy Is Publishing Two New Novels
This fall, Knopf will publish two interlinked books that are a thematic and stylistic departure for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. #teamPRH
NCTE Creates Book Rationale Database With PRH Education Grant
National Council of Teachers of English and announced a new initiative to digitize the Book Rationale Database on NCTE’s Intellectual Freedom Center website. When censorship claims have been filed or when the competence of a teacher is questioned, book rationales serve to document and confirm why a book was selected for classroom use. #teamPRH
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Children’s Books
www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com
As Florida moves to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in schools, and books about LGBTQ+ lives are being removed from Florida’s school library shelves, we share our list of forthcoming and backlist LGBTQ+ Children’s books for your consideration. #teamPRH
Books against bombs: how Ukrainians are using literature to fight back
Again and Again, Literature Provides an Outlet for the Upended Lives of Refugees
www.nytimes.com
The current flood of refugees from Ukraine is a reminder of how much of literature is fueled by such crises and their aftermaths.
ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’ and Scholastic bringing free book fairs to two L.A. schools
ABC, home of freshman comedy ‘Abbott Elementary,’ has partnered with Scholastic to host free book fairs at seven Title 1 schools in LA between March 14–18.
WNDB Launches Virtual Community for Mid-Level Diverse Publishing Professionals — www.publishersweekly.com
The We Need Diverse Books nonprofit organization advocating for more inclusion in the industry is launching a virtual community platform for mid-level diverse publishing professionals in an effort to improve retention rates.
Texas Library Association Forms Coalition to Battle Book Bans — www.publishersweekly.com
The new coalition aims to inform and organize Texans who oppose efforts to ban books.
MT @debreese “In the wake of countless book bans, curriculum censorship legislation, and increasing politicization of knowledge…” Our publisher is offering free copies of these books.
Substack launches an iOS app for reading; Android users can sign up for a waiting list
Google is releasing an open source harassment filter for journalists
Google is releasing the code for an open source tool called Harassment Manager that will help bulk filter and report potentially toxic comments. Thomson Reuters Foundation journalists will begin using a version of the tool in June. #journalism
NPR announces Network Growth team
MT @michellemanafy NPR is announcing a new Network Growth team that will focus on growing collective audience and revenue support for @NPR and its network of Member stations through podcasts and on-demand audio and other revenue-generating concepts. They will oversee the business strategies for expanding the NPR+ podcast subscription service and the NPR+ Bundle to grow station membership and revenue.
USA Today Owner Gannett Co. Gave Advertisers Inaccurate Information for Nine Months
Gannett is said to have provided inaccurate data to advertisers, misrepresenting where billions of ads were placed.
Resources & Opportunities
Writers: Get Help with Comps
RT @TSNOTYAW Struggling to find comps? Leave a message for us, giving a bit of info on your plot and genre, and we’ll have an indie bookseller suggest comps for you!
Hurston/Wright Writer’s Retreat — www.hurstonwright.org
RT @pubdeets Sweet Retreat: Applications are open for Black emerging and midcareer writers for Hurston Wright’s annual writer’s retreat. @HurstonWright #writingretreat #writers #blackwriters #blackauthors #writingtips #writingadvice
Accessible Publishing Summit School
MT @LauraB7 The National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) in Canada is running a FREE Accessible Publishing School starting for about 2 hours a day on 3 consecutive Thursdays, starting 3/17. The training will be aimed at publishers who are beginning to learn about #a11y. #eprdctn
We Need Diverse Books and Penguin Random House Launch Second-Annual Black Creatives Fund Revisions Workshop — diversebooks.org
MT @diversebooks We’re excited to announce with @penguinrandom that applications for the Black Creatives Revisions Workshop are now open! Twelve writers, including six Middle Grade/Young Adult and six adult writers, will be selected for the workshop. Deadline to apply 4/1. #teamPRH
Ideas in Action Classes: Poetic Writing/Editing with Yanyi Survey
MT @AnnieAHwang Calling all Asian American poets who are putting together their debut poetry collection and could use a bit of guidance! Poet @yanyi___ is hosting a poetry workshop via @OneWorldLit’s Ideas in Action Workshop. Deadline is 4/15! #teamPRH
Maynard 200 Fellowship 2022 Call for Applications Now Open
HT @michellemanafy Maynard 200 is the cornerstone program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. Since 2018, the Maynard Institute has trained over 90 media leaders, storytellers, and entrepreneurs through the fellowship program. Deadline 3/21.
