Book Widgets. Just Nifty Toys, or Something More? An Invitation
Book widgets. It’s neat to show a book cover on a web page. If that’s your interest, cool, but is that all it is?
From my perspective, there’s an intellectual freedom issue involved. As I see it, the web is biased in favour of popular and commercial materials, leaving independent and alternative materials in the shadows. Take Cliff Burn’s book, So Dark the Night. I chanced on Cliff through our blogs. He really is an amazing writer. Fed up with establishment publishing, he went independent. To promote himself, he has put the full text of So Dark the Night in a PDF that you can download for free. Check out my review. Cliff is not alone. Check out this new blog: Publishing Renaissance, a collaboration of independent writers making their way on the web. Book widgets that increase access to these writers are a good thing.
If book widgets interest you, we’re collaborating too, with a wiki up at Code4Lib. Take five minutes to state your interest. Jump in.
Link to the wiki
Statement of Interests page
John:
Your on-going and unstinting support for my work, the world of independent writing and good writing PERIOD is much appreciated. Drawing attention to fine, under-appreciated prose is the hallmark of a discerning and eclectic reader. Authors have the highest regard for people like you–you give us courage to face that empty page, day in and day out. Many, many thanks, mate…
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