Ding, dong old media’s dead … or is it?

Can you almost hear the munchkins cheering “ding, dong old media’s dead,” as the whole world declares the proverbial bucket of water has been dumped and old media is “meeelllttting, I’m melllting” – I digress. Think again. According to a recent article on “Fast Company,” researchers at Cornell have found that traditional news outlets still lead the blogosphere by 2.5 hours when it comes to breaking news. That’s almost light years by web standards. So, before we get ready to dump water on old media and watch it melt away, maybe we should take a step back and look at how old and new media are and will continue to work together. Here’s a breakdown of the Cornell study:

- Instead of examining a few case-study pieces of news and making behavioral conclusions from limited cases, researchers used a powerful algorithmic search. 1.6 million mainstream media and blogs were analyzed in real-time
- Specific phrases were sampled from each site and compared to how they appeared elsewhere – kind of a text-based fingerprint
- By comparing where these “fingerprint phrases,” or memes, first surfaced, and then watching for them to pop up elsewhere online, the Cornell team has uncovered how news propagates online
- The main result: It's still the traditional news portals that tend to break the news. Blogs followed up the stories an average of 2.5 hours later
- In 3.5 percent of the cases news broke on blogs first, before later being picked up by the news sites. Indicating an increasingly professional blogosphere

Study: Who is online, and what are they doing?

The Austin-Based New Media Lab gave us some food for thought yesterday. As book publicists, we are always trying to figure out who is online and who isn't, and we were surprised at some of the findings. For example: less than 20% of my fellow Gen Xers are blogging? What? Maybe it was it all that Nirvana and directionless youth stuff we grew up with?

More from the report:

Myth #1: The Internet is for Teeny Boppers

False! Extrapolating from the data:

- 5% of people over age 62 create web content (blogs, podcasts, etc). That means that in a room of 20 people aged 62 or over, at least ONE posts content to the internet.

- In a room of 17 senior citizens, at least one has joined a social network.

- One of every nine seniors you know actually comment on blogs and post critiques and ratings. Which actually makes sense, if you think about it: Who's more opinionated than Grandpa? You try adjusting the thermostat.

Myth #2: Tech savvy behavior is totally mainstream

False again!

- Only 30% of GenY and 19% of GenX create content.

- No age group uses RSS readers at a rate over 18%. (Odds are YOU reading this don't quite understand RSS readers either.)

- 19% more GenYers than Young Teens join social networks. This implies that the highest rate of social networkers is in the college category. This one will be a demo to watch closely, it WILL change over the next three years, according to NML.

So what can we learn from this, book publicists?

-Don't assume senior citizens are anti-internet. "Interwebs, is that The Google or something? You kids and your crazy machines!!" Dismiss that stereotype, and accept your grandmother's Facebook invite.

-Do pay attention to Millenials (i.e. Gen Y). Only 30% of them are creating web content, but that number will probably grow. Pitch accordingly.

-Do learn how to use an RSS reader (like your humble blogger did a few years weeks ago).

To read the rest of NML's interesting report, click here.

From page to screen

You can’t throw a stone in the blogosphere this week without hitting a post about the latest Harry Potter volume to make it to the big screen, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

From initial reviews, it looks to be an excellent translation from book to film—but this isn’t always the case. Filmmakers are charged with transforming a beloved text to something palatable for the screen, which often means taking a hatchet to many readers’ favorite parts.

So in celebration of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and our love of books on film, I did an impromptu poll around the P&P office. Here’s what a few of our publicists had to say about their favorite—and least-favorite—book-to-movie adaptations:

Tolly
Hit: "Pride and Prejudice" (The six-hour BBC miniseries version, of course.)
Miss: "The Last Unicorn" (“It totally freaked me out as a kid! Although that probably has to do more with me being 5 than it being inherently flawed. But I loved the novel.”)

Shelby
Hit: "X-Men: The Last Stand" (“I don't know if it counts, but I'm a huge comic book-to-movie fan!”)
Miss: "Fahrenheit 451" (Apparently not a fan of Truffaut...but with those dated 1960s special effects, I don’t blame her.)

Elizabeth
Hit: "The Shawshank Redemption" (It’s so popular as a film, you can actually take a Shawshank trail that traces places featured in the movie.)
Miss: "The Notebook" (“It alludes that they both die together to spend eternity in heaven together - but in the book, he lives she dies and spends the next years missing her dearly.”)

Merritt
Hit: "Bridget Jones' Diary" (British fans were actually upset by the casting of American Renée Zellweger as the popular novel’s heroine—but the movie ended up a hit with audiences everywhere.)
Miss: "Congo" (“People walked out of ‘Congo’ because they loved the book, but hated the movie.”)

Amy
Hit: "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" (Or, really, just any of the Lord of the Rings films. They stayed true to the books, while also not being afraid to take some creative license for cinematic effect.)
Miss: "Queen of the Damned" (I don’t think they could have been more off-base with this one if they tried. Just terrible.)

Feel free to share your own picks in the comment section! Which are your favs and worst offenders?

Tweet the Author: Susan Heim

What: Tweet live with award winning author, editor and popular mommy blogger, Susan Heim about her latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More.

When: Wednesday, July 15th, from 1-2 PM CST

Where: Twitter (hashtag #tweettheauthor)

How: As part of the "Tweet the Author" discussion, Susan Heim will be chatting/tweeting live on Twitter for the full hour to answer questions and chat with fans, readers, bloggers and others.

To join in on the live discussion with Susan, you will need to have a Twitter account. Assuming that you do, here are step-by-step instructions for joining the chat:

1. Log in to your account and type in #tweettheauthor in the right hand search column.
2. Hit enter and bring up the live discussion with Susan. At this point you will be able to view recent questions from readers and her answers.
3. To refresh the discussion, type in #tweettheauthor in the right hand search column again and hit enter or refresh your page.
4. To ask a question or make a comment, simply type out your tweet and add the #tweettheauthor hashtag to the end (this essentially identifies your tweet as part of this specific discussion).
5. Once you have tweeted your questions, update the page and it will show up in the live chat.
6. If you have any questions or issues joining the chat, please contact rshelton@phenixpublicity.com or DM us @PhenixandPhenix.

More about Susan Heim:
As an award-winning author and editor, popular mommy blogger, and mother of twin boys, multiples expert Susan Heim wears many hats both personally and professionally. In her latest role as co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC, March 2009), Susan has collected 101 heartwarming stories from parents and siblings of twins and multiples, as well as adult twins, filled with time-tested advice and humorous tales.

After the birth of her fraternal twin boys, Austen and Caleb, Susan set out to create an interactive community and resources where parents just like her could come for answers. From her own website TwinsTalk.com, where parents share tips, advice and stories about raising twins and multiples, to the pages of TWINS Magazine, Susan's expertise and real-life insights have helped thousands learn how to temper twin tantrums, find baby products for multiples, and spare their own sanity as they raise multiple babies.

In addition to her articles and online communities, Susan also is the author of four books on twins, multiples, and parenting. Her first parenting guide, Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year (Hampton Roads Publishing, 2006), won a Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award, an iParenting Media Award and a Mom's Choice Award. More recently, It's Twins! Parent-to-Parent Advice from Infancy Through Adolescence (Hampton, 2007) won the 2008 Gold Mom's Choice Award, and was a Finalist in the Parenting/Family category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

In Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More, Susan and fellow parents - as well as grown twins - offer readers a peek into the playful, magical world of multiples.

"The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More explore the many joys and challenges of being twins and raising multiples," Susan says. "The special bond they share, the challenges they face together, the trouble they get into, and the mysteries surrounding twins are all evident in tales submitted by twins, parents of multiples, and friends and relatives of these special siblings."

Susan has three additional books schedules for publication in the fall 2009: Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family, Chicken Soul for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Women and Mom's of Multiples' Devotions to Go (Extreme Diva Media, Inc.). When she is not writing books or editing manuscripts, she is an online columnist for MommiesMagazine.com, and a parenting expert for AllExperts.com, ParentsConnect.com, and SelfGrowth.com. For more information about Susan Heim and her books, please visit susanheim.com, or her blog, www.susanheim.blogspot.com.

Easy as 1, 2, 3: Rule of thirds makes social media a snap

As social media continues to be all the rage, I find myself―and the rest of our team―going to great lengths to keep a pulse on social networking trends and best practices. I was fortunate enough to participate in a great tele-seminar this afternoon, hosted by Heidi Sullivan and Jay Krall from Cision Global Media, on Understanding Social Media. There were many useful sub-topics discussed in the forum, but one bit of information I found particularly relevant and applicable to anyone using social media and trying to figure out not only if it’s needed but what to do with it. This is a must use, social-media rule to live by:

Rule of thirds:
So often, we see authors set up a social media account and then we get the inevitable: Now what? Here’s the 411 on how to come up with content:

1. One-third of your content can be promotional: Mention the great things that are going on―your book publicity, events, accolades, etc.

2. One-third of your content should be sharing oriented: What interesting, relevant articles have you read lately? Are you a health author? Share a great article on a new study that’s been released. You know that phrase you hear us publicists use again and again: news you can use.

3. One-third of your content needs to be conversation oriented: Social media is all about being, well, social. Converse with others in your network. Create a dialogue. The more online social capital you have the better off you’ll be.

Tweet the Author Recap: The 3-hour tour

Today's highly anticipated 1-hour 'meet the author on Twitter' session became a 3-hour tour of all things Brandon Sanderson. Turnout was record-setting.

Okay, so we're only in our 2nd week of the new weekly series, but we've tested the waters and we're excited to know that the concept has been well-received.

It's doesn't hurt that today's guest was the author of a current NYT bestseller -- an epic fantasy mastermind with a seriously loyal following. Brandon's virtual author appearance went so well in fact, that Twitter just couldn't keep up - it locked him out after exceeding the number of posts allowed in an hour.

He kept a mean pace with the incoming "Tweet the Author" questions and under anther household account, kept chugging along. Last we checked, the party is still in progress at #tweettheauthor. For all you latecomers, it's not too late to jump in & get the scoop on his latest book, Warbreaker.

For a few of the 140 character highlights, read on:

Q: What is the most important part of writing that you have learned to be a successful author?
A: 1) Persistence. 2) Revision. 3) Characters with distinct viewpoints. 4) Use of concrete detail.

Q: Can reveal anything about the setting in Kings?
A: The setting with be the most unique I’ve done. Entirely new ecology.

Q: Now that you've published more, what order should people read your books in? Both Fntsy & non-fntsy readrs
A: Non fantasy readers I’d give Elantris to first. Fantasy readers I’d give Mistborn to

Want to catch up on the rest? Enter #tweettheauthor in your Twitter search box and get comfy. Again, big thanks to Brandon for joining us today!

Have a seat, Kindle: Barnes & Noble nabs #1 Books spot on "Top Free Apps"

We were excited to see on GalleyCat today that Barnes & Noble has taken top honors in the "Top Free Apps" category under App Store's "Books" category, just a little over a week from the release of their new B&N Bookstore App. We were also pleased to see that in addition to searching event calendars for author readings, the new app allows users to watch video interviews with authors (speaking of....we might know somebody who does author interviews......!).

But truth be told, like GalleyCat, we were downright shaking with geeky glee when we learned about the snap-and-search feature. As B&N explains, users can simply snap a picture of a book, and in seconds, gain product reviews, editorial reviews, and customer ratings - even locate it at the nearest B&N, and reserve it for pick-up.

I know book lovers - I know! Finally, we are getting as techy as the music crowd! Before you know it, Pandora will have swept in to generate reading lists based on our favorite books and/or authors! Oh wait, someone already has.

James Frey, Jackie O, MJ and more...

Happy Monday! Here’s a brief round-up of some interesting book-related tidbits from across the web:

-Governor Mark Sanford’s book deal has been canceled for, um, obvious reasons.

-The U. S. Department of Justice is investigating a settlement involving Google Book Search for possible antitrust violations.

-TIME profiles a blog called Awful Library Books that—you guessed it—lists the cheesiest, dated books that can be found at your local library. I think I remember a few of these from the old card catalogue at the Ector County Public Library, myself...

-Also, this isn’t so much breaking news, but still makes me gasp in horror: Director extraordinaire Michael Bay has apparently acquired the rights to an unpublished James Frey novel about teenage aliens. Or something like that. We’re pretty sure this one is fiction this time.

-The Christian Science Monitor’s Chapter & Verse blog posted an entry about authors visiting book clubs as a marketing tool.

-Jackie O and Bobby Kennedy? Torrid affair? You be the judge. This falls under the “We Just Can’t Get Enough Kennedy Family Drama” category.

-Apparently a couple of Chinese writers threw together a biography on Michael Jackson in 48 hours, fewer than 10 days after his death. After all, who could be a better authority on MJ than two guys in China who "never met or interviewed Jackson" but wrote the book based on their "accumulated knowledge about the king of pop." Put my copy in the mail.

-And I agree with this EW.com post about keeping the sex out of Harry Potter films. Leave the steamy scenes and romance to Twilight!