Around the Word

Author, writer, Twitterer: We've all heard how important it is for writers to utilize social media in order to build a platform for their work. But can a writer really go from Kickstarter to bestseller at the speed of broadband? Well, you might be pleasantly surprised. Yesterday Mashable featured several encouraging success stories from authors who have leveraged social media networks into tangible reader results. From a young adult novel that has topped Amazon's charts before it's even published, to a self-published writer who utilized her blog following to pump up interest in her book, these social media auteurs will inspire you to get out there and tweet your heart out.

More media marketing insights: One of the best features of social media we have found is what might be called crowd learning -- where writers use online forums to share their experiences and inform their peers. Our friend Rachelle Gardner this week tapped into this potential by asking her clients to write blog posts on what lessons they have learned from marketing their own books. From first time writers to seasoned novelists, she's assembled over thirty posts from authors full of marketing wisdom. How do these match up with your experiences? We welcome you to share your tips too. 

Club kids: With the end of Oprah's book club and the shuttering of Borders, it may seem that popular fiction, and the book clubs that discuss it, could be in danger. But, as a recent article in Slate argues, the American book club is still going strong. The book club has a long history in the United States, starting as an intellectual outlet for women and transforming into an escape from the strains of modern life for Americans from every demographic. Check out the article for a fascinating history of the book club, and to understand our society's enduring love affair communal reading.

Breaking News. . . Some people still like to read: When formatting their magazines for the iPad, Conde Nast expected a high-tech, youth-friendly magazine like Wired to sell the most apps. But, as the New York Times reported over the weekend, it is the decidedly low-tech New Yorker that has taken the iPad by storm. With few interactive features and lots of text, it appears that a surprising number of people with iPads are buying the New Yorker and actually using their tablets to read. "I think there is a really large dynamic of people who are interested in reading, actually reading, on an iPad," said industry analyst Andrew Lipsman in the article. Who would have thought?