In the year of the e-book, 5 lessons from — and for — news organizations

Sure, Time Magazine tried one back in 2010, but this year at least 10 other newspapers, magazines or news websites have published at least 17 electronic-only books seeking bigger audiences and longer lives for their greatest stories. Many more are coming.

I analyzed those 18 e-books to study their topics, prices and strategies. And I talked with people from Vanity Fair, which published three e-books this year and is planning more, and the Los Angeles Times, which just published its first and expects up to 10 over the next year.

Here are five lessons so far about using e-books for news.

Shorten the production cycle

The most talked-about book chronicling the 2008 presidential election —"Game Change" by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin — was published in January 2010. The 2012 election cycle will be different.

Instead of waiting more than a year for writing, editing, printing and distribution of print books, Politico will publish a series of four e-books (the first coming Nov. 30) during the campaign. Meanwhile, Real Clear Politics just last week published its first of three e-books on the 2012 election.

Books capitalizing on current events are also coming faster.

The Boston Globe published its trio of e-books on Whitey Bulger only seven days after the FBI apprehended the longtime fugitive gangster.

Vanity Fair published its e-book of eight stories about Elizabeth Taylor only eight days after her death, David Friend, editor of creative development, told me. About 10 days after the News of the World scandal broke, Vanity Fair had assembled an e-book of its 20 best stories on Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. from the past 25 years.

Crime and politics are popular topics

Five of the 18 e-books I reviewed related to criminals or high-profile court cases. Four were about politics or government (plus five future books promised by Politico and Real Clear Politics).

There were at least two books each on business/economic issues, terrorism/foreign policy (led by bin Laden), and celebrities.

How are publishers choosing their e-book topics? Most seem to just follow their instincts for what readers want.

Vanity Fair doesn't do market research to plan its e-book topics, Friend said. The editors just follow "what excites us, editorially. If we like it, we hope others will like it."

Different price points

Among the 18 e-books I reviewed, nine had a list price of $3 or less. These tended to be shorter books, or "singles," and often were based on previously published content.

Most news organization e-books were priced under $3.

Four of the books cost between $3 and $6, while five of the books cost $6 or more. The highest price was $9.99, for multimedia-rich e-books by ABC News on Amanda Knoxand the British royal wedding.

The L.A. Times may test some new business models with upcoming e-books, such as having them paid for by a sponsor or advertising, said Emily Smith, senior vice president of digital. Another idea is to use an e-book as a digital version of the free tote bag, she said, a reward you give away to subscribers........

In the year of the e-book, 5 lessons from — and for — news organizations
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/mobile-media/153569/5-lessons-about-using-e-books-for-news/