7 Speed Reading Software

Why Learning Pronunciation Makes You A Faster Reader

August 6, 2013

Because avoiding subvocalization – saying or “hearing” the words in your head as you read – is one of the keys to good speed reading, you might not think that proper pronunciation has anything to do with learning to read faster. However, it’s important to learn how to pronounce new words as you learn them, because that will put the pronunciation of the word in your long-term memory where it forms part of your unconscious brain, and when you next see that word on the page you’ll automatically process it without stopping to think about it. But when you don’t know how to pronounce a word, you’ll probably stop without even realizing it and try to sound the word out as you read, because that part of your word knowledge isn’t already stored in your memory. Your brain will see this as a “hole” that needs filling. Once you know the pronunciation, you’ll be back to smooth and automatic reading.

One of the problems that people often have with English pronunciation is that the same letter patterns can represent entirely different sounds. Take a look at this popular and funny rhyme about some of the ways that English words are a bit confusing, even for native speakers:

I take it you already know
of tough, and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you
on hiccough, through, slough and though.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead; it’s said like bed, not bead!
For goodness sake, don’t call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt)
And then there’s dose and rose and lose –
Just look them up – and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward
And font and front and word and sword.

When you read through that verse, did you find yourself “stumbling” over some of the words and their pronunciations? Practice the things that trip you up, and you’ll eliminate one of the things that’s slowing down your reading speed. Remember to always add pronunciation to the checklist for learning new words, and you’ll increase your reading speed as you increase your vocabulary.

Cross-posted at The Vocabulary Builder’s Blog.

Marc Dussault Has the Secret to Success at www.GetBetterGradesNow.com

August 5, 2013

Are you worried about making it through your first year in university? Do you think you might not be able to get the grades to even apply to the college you want? Or are you stuck in a low-level job and looking for something better, but afraid you don’t have the qualifications you need? In any of these three situations – and in many more as well – the secret is in how you study, learn, and remember the information you need to succeed. As Marc Dussault says, “Don’t study harder, study smarter!” At his website, www.GetBetterGradesNow.com, he provides access to tips and techniques that will help you quickly learn the ways to maximize your study in the minimum amount of time, and get the high grades you want. We asked Marc about some of these techniques, and how he used them to write his own success story.

7S: Some students take five or six years to complete their thesis papers, and other students decide against even trying to get an advanced degree because they’re afraid of all the time and effort it would take. You’re living proof that getting a Masters or a PhD doesn’t have to involve round-the-clock study for years on end. What’s one thing that helped you reduce the time you spent getting these degrees?

MD: Two things helped me get degrees more quickly than usual – first and most importantly was my ability to speed read. I completed 4 of my 5 degrees while working full time, so my time was very limited.

Speed reading was the only way I could cope with the huge reading lists the profs gave us. The second thing, related to speed reading, was the ability to complete all my reading before class, take notes and use the class/lecture time to ask questions about anything I didn’t understand.

Most students would show up to class, totally unprepared and as a result didn’t know what questions to ask. By the time they did figure it out, it was too late!

7S: It seems like strategies for learning could go beyond exams and essays; we’re always learning new things. Do the tips you provide help outside of the school setting as well?

MD: School, like competitive sports, teaches you discipline and the strategies that produce results. Once you become a speed learner, you realise that it’s not about how smart you are, but more about HOW quickly and efficiently you learn.

For example, if you learn by watching rather than by listening or doing, than means you can apply that skill to other things in your life or career. We all go to school to learn skills to eventually work. What many people don’t realise is that we don’t stop learning after graduation, in fact, once you graduate your learning curve has to accelerate BECAUSE without the structure of an academic curriculum, you’re on your own. No one is going to help you to learn how to do your job, develop your craft or professional skills.

Here’s the thing a lot of people don’t recognise. Generally speaking, the faster you can learn, the more money you will make. Think about it.

If you can learn in 1 month what others take 1 year to learn, wouldn’t you outperform them at work? Wouldn’t you get the promotions and pay raises? Wouldn’t you get the best appointments and projects to work on?

But here’s the thing – to learn quickly, you need to develop the skills – like a muscle you need to train, your brain needs to be taught how to learn… faster.

7S: Many people are overwhelmed by the amount of texts and written material they have to deal with in school. Does speed learning require that people learn how to speed read as well?

MD: Simply stated, you can’t be a speed learner without speed reading. They go hand-in-hand, but are two separate skills that need to be developed in tandem, at the same time. Often, what happens is that a student learns to speed read beyond his/her comprehension or retention level. That means he/she hits one or both walls at the same time.

Not comprehending fast enough means you can’t keep reading at top speed. You have to slow down to your speed of understanding. If you don’t develop speed learning techniques, you won’t be limited by reading speed, but processing (understanding) speed.

A less common wall some speed readers hit is reading really fast and understanding what they read AS they read it, but not being able to recall or remember it later when there is a test or exam. They often blame speed reading, but the truth of the matter is “you can’t remember something you never learned in the first place.” The speed learning techniques I teach are especially important for speed readers BECAUSE they get through a lot more material than non-speed readers. That means they need to be able to remember MORE.

7S: One of the bonuses you provide is a set of “mind maps” illustrating the study methods and strategies you teach. Are mind maps one of the tools that you recommend for improving study habits?

MD: Even if you are auditory (you learn by listening or talking) or kinesthetic (you learn by doing with your hands) it has been proven that visual cues – especially vivid and colourful ones help you retain more information for a longer period of time.

MindMapping is one of the most powerful and effective note taking strategies students can learn. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to know how to draw. It’s about links and associations, not artistic talent.

7S: Parents are always looking for things that can help their children get better grades in school. How soon can younger children start using the techniques you teach?

MD: I tell parents all the time that as soon as a child can read, he/she can/should speed read. I believe if speed reading is learned early on, it will become the natural way a person reads for the rest of his/her life.

To me, it’s the ONE skill that is literally life-changing. I have read over 1,000 business books, 5,000+ academic articles and probably more than 300 fiction novels. That doesn’t include all the magazines and industry / technical journals…

I have been able to do that in LESS time than most people read a fraction of that information.

What many people don’t realise is the life-long impact of speed reading and speed learning. Here is some contrast for you:

A regular student doesn’t read most of the course material. A speed reader and learner reads it all, PLUS supplements it with additional material to better understand specific points of interest or those subjects he/she has trouble with. By speed reading, he/she has the time to do the additional research or study. Without speed reading, there is no time.

A regular person (according to many reports) won’t read another book after graduation – a speed reader and learner will read hundreds in his/her lifetime/career.

But you know what?

It all starts one book at a time.

Imagine you were able to read 1 book per month, that is 12 books/year. Within 10 years that is over 100 books. If you did that, you would become an expert within a decade.

But if you accelerated your learning and reading to 1 book/week, you would get to the 100 books and become an expert in less than 2 years…

That is the power of speed reading and the benefits of speed learning!

Book Clubs Make Reading Fun For Kids And Adults

August 2, 2013

When you’re reading a book, you’re going into a different world for a while, immersing yourself in a story or getting absorbed by the new information you’re learning. Reading can be an escape from the everyday world, helping you forget any stress you feel from your job or school pressure. For some people, reading is a private affair, not to be shared with anyone. For other people, half the fun of reading a new book is talking about it with other people. Book clubs are popular ways to get people together to discuss what they’re reading. In general, someone will suggest a book, and if the group agrees, everyone reads it and sets a date to talk about the book later. This can be a great way to learn about new books, because everyone has a different area that interests them. Even if you don’t think you’ll get into a biography of Queen Elizabeth II, you might end up being fascinated by the story of a woman who has seen and dealt with so many changes in the world. Science fiction, history, romance novels, works in translation from authors around the world – there’s no limit to what you’ll discover when you and your friends are looking for the next book to read.

Children are often more likely to enjoy doing things in groups, so book clubs are good ways to get them interested in reading. Early reading skills promote vocabulary development and make a child better prepared for school, even if the books they’re reading are “just for fun.” When helping your child set up a book club, you’ll probably do better choosing books that are entertaining stories, rather than nonfiction books. However, if a child shows an interest in a particular topic, then you should definitely support their desire to learn. There are a lot of educational books written for children that use illustrations and easier language to explain new concepts. Some of these books also have science projects or other activities included, and that’s also a great way to get kids involved and interested in learning. They’ll be inspired to read the book to find out about the activities, and use their reading skills to understand and follow instructions.

If you and your child are looking for a book club to join, check with your local library, where many book groups meet. Off-site book clubs often leave fliers with club information on bulletin boards at libraries and community centers. Whether you join an existing club or start your own, the fact that you’re doing more reading will make you a better reader.

How Spelling Skills Support Good Reading Skills

July 31, 2013

At the most basic level, spelling and reading are both about being able to connect letter patterns, sound, and meaning. The more children know about spelling, the easier it is for them to learn to read, because they will be able to automatically recognize the pattern of the word and associate it with the definition. Being able to treat words as single units, rather than as collections of letters, is the first step to developing good speed reading skills. Spelling and writing are also closely connected, because if a person can’t spell the words they want to use, they’ll choose simpler ones that might not really end up communicating what they wanted to say. For younger children, this might lead to frustration that stops them from wanting to write altogether. Problems with spelling, reading, and writing at an early age lead to even bigger issues for adults, impacting their ability to get good jobs or advance in their careers.

It’s also frustrating to read if you don’t know the words you’re looking at. Spelling practice helps in vocabulary development, and also in figuring out unfamiliar words that are related to ones that you already know. When you know more words, you’ll be able to see connections between those words, and that will increase your understanding of vocabulary and also how words are used in different ways. The more you read, the more practice you’ll get at recognizing letter patterns, so it will help reinforce the spelling skills you already have. What’s more, you’ll learn new words and their spelling easily, since you’ll have practice in looking at words both as units of meaning and as collections of letters.

Reading and spelling skills are valuable for both children and adults. To get the most out of these valuable skills, remember to practice them together rather than separately, so that each aspect of the literacy process supports the other.

Cross-posted at the Ultimate Spelling blog.

Using Humor To Get Serious About Success: Marlon Doll And Humorcials.com

July 29, 2013

If you’re having fun doing something, you’ll probably want to keep doing it. When fun is incorporated into the learning process, you’ll want to keep learning. Marlon Doll and the team at Humorcials.com know this, and it’s the basis for their new series of educational videos on topics designed to help people reach their full potential and get the success they want. We talked to Marlon recently about his goals for the website and the videos he’s producing.

7S: What made you decide to start this website and create these videos?

MD: About two years ago I felt like my life wasn’t progressing how I had imagined it to. I realized I would have to start make some drastic and continuous improvements in my life and mindset if I wanted to reach my goals. To jump-start my personal growth, boost my confidence, and motivate myself, I decided to backpack through South East Asia. I saved up and started my journey where I spent three months travelling 6 different countries.

My adventure had plenty of solitary downtime so I began reading much more than I ever had. I was particularly good at finding authority sources of information and interesting articles and videos online. In my research process, I discovered many fascinating but unconventional and overlooked skills such as Speed Reading and Lucid Dreaming. I was attracted mostly to topics that would add significant value to my life. To help the information sink in, I would apply the techniques and would teach what I had learned to other travelers. The people I taught were enthusiastic about the topics and it sparked my desire to reach a much larger audience.

It bothered me that people were so unaware of these valuable life skills. The information was accessible but the majority had never heard of it, or their original introduction to the topics made it seem boring. So I thought, if I began creating humorous but informative videos on these subjects, I could potentially get people interested and the humor would aid in retention; this would also force me to apply these skills and principles to grow in my own life and help me achieve my goals.

When I arrived back from South East Asia, I enrolled into an Entertainment Business Management Program. Fast-forward a year and a half later with a ton of new skills, I presented the idea to a few friends and colleagues. From there, Humorcials and the Success with a Punchline series was born!

7S: You’ve got a funny video about speed reading that’s already gotten thousands of views. What are some of the self-improvement topics you’re working on right now?

MD: Thanks for thinking it’s funny! We have had many great responses to our first few videos. We currently released 4 videos on Lucid Dreaming, Speed Reading, Accelerated Learning, and Introvertism. We also have a couple more in the process of editing at the moment! The next two that will be released are “How to Avoid Procrastination” and “How to Make a Great First Impression”- titles pending! The next one we’re filming is on the topic of Focus and Concentration, which we are all really excited to shoot and share.

7S: How do you get the ideas for your videos? Are they things that you want to learn yourself, or do people contact you and suggest topics?

MD: We have a growing list of topics based on life skills we have acquired or want to learn more about. So far we have started with topics we think our audience will value the most from learning. We usually start with a solid understanding of each of the topics, but once we choose a topic, we delve into various sources of information, scrutinize it, and start applying the techniques into our own lives. We take note of authoritative information and the most effective techniques and, as a team, compile what we’ve learned. We try and repackage the more valuable takeaways into funny succinct videos. We really want to cover the most important points to give our audience a solid understanding of the topic, even if they’re just being introduced to it.

That being said, we are extremely interested in what our audience would like to learn more about. We are easy to get in touch with by email or any of our social media channels, so we encourage anyone and everyone to contact us!

7S: In a recent blog post you talked about making learning part of every day, by listening to podcasts while you clean house or exercise or commute to and from work. Doesn’t it make it harder to concentrate on what you’re hearing if you’re also focused on doing something else, like scrubbing the kitchen floor?

MD: I’m a strong believer in life-long learning. Our brain is a muscle and if we do not continue to exercise and grow it, then we risk not reaching our full potential. Worse off, we risk facing cognitive deterioration and possibly mental illness as our bodies outlive our brain. Use it or Lose it.

Everybody has downtime in the day; being able to learn in that downtime is greatly beneficial. In our present information age, the more you know, the further you will advance in your personal and professional life. We are overloaded with valuable and free information in various forms. The tough part is avoiding psychobabble and having the time to source and absorb the information that will add value to your life. Cleaning your kitchen, going for a run, or commuting are all great opportunities to listen to free podcasts as they are all relatively low mental activities. You don’t need to consciously think about these things as you already know how to run or scrub the floor; why not reserve your mental processing to the podcast or audiobook plugged into your brain.

On the other hand, working or doing homework while audio learning is counter productive as your focus will just be switching back and forth which is highly ineffective. You can multitask but you can’t multi-think. Just remember to give yourself time to reflect on what you just listened to, get your thoughts on paper, and recite it to your friends or teddy bear!

7S: You also mentioned that a good way to make sure you’ve learned something is to teach it to someone else. Do you recommend that people add humor into this process of teaching others, like you do with your videos?

MD: I strongly believe teaching is one of the best methods for memory retention. Teaching forces you to have a better understanding of the material, improve accuracy of recall, and to apply your knowledge more effectively.

I do recommend that people add some fun and humor when teaching others. People tend to tune out when they’re bored; effective humor keeps people engaged, reduces anxiety, and can make the learning process much more enjoyable. The most effective teacher I had in Film School would add bits of humor into every lesson. This kept the energy levels high and his lessons more memorable.

However, it’s also about balance. Too much humor may cause your pupil to lose focus on what is being taught as your mentally preparing for the next joke instead of the information. One term for this kind of learning is Edutainment. Edutainment is learning through a medium that both entertains and educates. Think Sesame Street, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Magic School Bus. They were all highly successful edutainment programs that effectively taught my generation and others outside of the classroom. With the Success with a Punchline series, we strive to create excellent edutainment videos with an optimal balance of humor and information for effective learning and enjoyment!

Making Reading And Learning Fun

July 26, 2013

You’ve heard about BYOB, something that often makes parties more fun (and certainly livelier!). But have you heard about BYOD? It’s a new program that 5th grade students are participating in at Ely Elementary School in Elyria, Ohio, called “Bring Your Own Device.” Rather than banning cell phones, smartphones, laptops, and e-readers from the classroom, kids are encouraged to bring their devices to school and use them in the specially-designed classroom activities. For children who don’t have their own devices, the school provides them, and there are 15 wi-fi hotspots in the school. The students use their devices for math class geometry, social studies research, and reading practice. It’s encouraging productive interaction, which is helping the students learn how to work collaboratively on tasks. Teachers enjoy the fact that even if students are still texting to each other during class time, at least now it’s messages and questions about the project they’re working on together.

Ely Elementary is one of the latest schools to implement this pilot program, also known as BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology). Schools from Arizona to Florida are rolling out their own versions of the program, though there is no one national trend yet. However, most school districts have websites – using technology to promote technology – to share tips and experiences to help their colleagues across the country. Schools in the UK and Australia are also considering joining the movement.

Because kids in the 21st century are growing up surrounded by technology, it only makes sense to incorporate it into their lives and studies in a way that makes it productive. If you know a student who doesn’t enjoy reading books, see if using an e-reader changes their attitude. Spelling games can turn quizzes into entertainment, and even simply using computer game time as a reward for a good study session can motivate students to learn. With all of the e-books available with one click of the mouse, you might find that kids are eager to choose from the wide variety of e-books they can find through online stores like Amazon or through your local library. If you can see that your kids are having fun using technology, then it makes sense to use technology to help them have fun reading and learning.

Cross-posted on the Product Name blog.

A New Literary Trend Is Dan Bloom’s Focus at pcillu101.blogspot.com

July 21, 2013

Although much of literature is about imaginary worlds, what people are able to imagine tends to evolve over time as the world changes, new technologies arise, and societies move and shift in location and attitude. One of the newest trends in fiction has been named “cli-fi” – “climate fiction” just like sci-fi is “science fiction.” The increasing concern over climate change and what that may do to the future of humanity (and the rest of the living things on Earth) is giving writers as well as scientists something to think about, talk about, and write about. Dan Bloom, who coined the name for this trend, has created a website where these books and articles are featured. We asked Dan about his writing, and about this new genre.

7S: How do you define the term “climate fiction,” and what makes a book part of this category?

DB: “Cli fi” can be seen as either a subgenre of sci fi, or as an entirely new literary genre, too. And cli fi can take place in the present, the near future, the distant future, and even the near past and the distant past. A Hollywood movie director is currently making a cli fi film about the Flood over 5000 years ago, starring Russell Crowe as Noah. A movie or a book becomes part of the cli fi category when it has a climate theme, but it is important to also emphasize that not all cli fi novels or movies support the idea of human-caused global warming. If an author or film director wants to go in a different direction, and create a novel or a movie that says that human-caused global warming is not happening at all, that is okay, too. Cli fi is genre that is open to all points of view.

Cli fi novels or short stories can take place in a dystopia, or a utopia, or just be presented as page-turner, entertaining, escapist climate thrillers. In fact, I now see three sub-categories of cli fi emerging in popular culture: cli fi lite (paperback or Kindle thrillers); cli fi dark (dystopian stories about climate chaos and what it might do to the human species); and cli fi deep (which are novels or movies that are written in a very literary and philosophical style, such as Cormac McCarthy’s 2007 novel titled “The Road,” which also became a movie.

7S: You started using the term cli-fi in 2007, but concern about the environment dates back for decades before that date. Is this really a new genre of literature, or just one that’s newly popular?

DB: Cli fi is just a popular new buzzword, and while it might be used by publishers as a marketing tool, and by bookstores as a shelving label, some media critics now see it also as what might be called “a critical prism” with which to view pop culture works with climate themes, be they comics or graphic novels or movies or novels. It’s just a new term for an old focus, and I assume that because of its rhyming similarity to the sci fi term, it’s catching on now.

7S: Many of the recent cli-fi books have been set in “Mad Max” style dystopias, where people are fighting over diminishing resources. Are there any books that paint a more hopeful picture of the future?
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DB: Good question, and yes, as explained above, cli fi novels can be utopian and hopeful in their presentation. A climate thriller by Jim Laughter titled “Polar City Red” is set in 2075 and starts off painting a very dark picture of a dystopia in a norther region where climate refugees find shelter in a so-called “polar city” settlement, and have to fend off marauders and scavengers on the outside who want their food, their fuel and their women. But the novel ends on a note of hope, with the last chapter showing the main characters propped up with optimism for the future.

7S: You’ve been writing about climate issues for blogs, newspapers, and magazines for a long time, and started the “Polar Cities Project” as well. Have you written any cli-fi books yourself?

DB: I am not a novelist or a short story writer. I wish I knew how to create characters and dialogue and a gripping plot, but I have no ear for dialogue and I have no idea how to write a novel. So I see myself merely as a public relations promoter and popularizer of the polar cities meme and the cli fi meme as well. I don’t make any money from this work, and I don’t want to. This is now my life’s work, and I prefer to work in the background and let the novelists shine.

7S: What books do you recommend for people who want to discover this new category of literature?

DB: There are so many good cli fi novels published in the last ten years. I recommend Nathaniel Rich’s “Odds Against Tomorrow” and Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior.” Margaret Atwood’s trilogy that ends now with a new cli fi novel titled “MaddAddam” is a very good read. Amazon has already created a cli fi category in its search window, and Wikipedia has a cli fi entry that lists over a dozen cli fi novels, past and present.

Teaching The Teachers: The Reading And Writing Project

July 19, 2013

The old model of instruction often had a teacher talking, a student listening, and a parent uninvolved in the child’s education except to offer praise or punishment, depending on the scores and test results they brought home. Today, we know that it’s important to have all three groups talking and listening to each other, and sharing the things they learn that make education rewarding and fun. The Reading And Writing Project (the international arm of the New York-based Columbia University Teachers College initiative of the same name) provides a meeting point and resource base for teachers who are involved in literacy development, and they work directly with school organizations and students to promote literacy skills. While the organization first focused only on writing skills, it’s now a worldwide collaboration on reading skills as well. The Reading And Writing Project works with schools to develop their literacy programs by making sure that teachers have the tools and resources they need to help each student reach his or her potential.

By providing essential resources and best practices to the teaching community, the project ensures that educators will always have access to literacy tools that work. New teachers in particular will find their classroom tasks made easier when they can look at examples of good writing by real students of various ages, get lists of recommended books and text materials, and learn about ways to help students prepare to meet the various state and local testing standards such as the New York English Language Arts (ELA) exam, or the new national Common Core Standards examinations.

Teachers and school administrators can also get involved in the workshops, seminars, and conferences on literacy and education that are sponsored each year by the organization. To learn more about these sessions, or to find out more about the Reading And Writing Project, visit their website.

Dan Eldridge Keeps Modern Readers Up To Date At www.TeleRead.com

July 15, 2013

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed sometimes by all of the information streaming across the internet joining the already vast quantities of books, articles, journals, and other documents available in print format. It’s even harder to keep up with all the latest news and innovations related to published documents, print or on line, and the changing ways we access those documents. Whether you’re a reader, a writer, or a publisher, it’s important to keep up with what’s happening in the world of books, and that’s where Dan Eldridge’s site comes in. We asked Dan about the transformation of reading styles in the 21st century.

7S: A local public radio station used to encourage people to listen to the news instead of reading newspapers because “radio doesn’t leave ink smears on your fingers.” What else is pushing people to get their news from non-print media?

DE: Price and convenience, from what I can tell. Although if I had to choose just one answer, I think it’s been made pretty clear by now that it’s much more an issue of convenience than one of price. And by convenience, I don’t just mean the convenience of being able to access news and opinion from literally anywhere in the world within seconds, although that’s certainly a big part of it. I also mean the convenience of not having to go to a newsstand or a bookstore — or even out to your mailbox or your front porch — to retrieve the day’s news.

I think anyone who’s been in the media business long enough to remember the pre-Internet days can understand how incredibly challenging it is for a print-media product to compete with one that’s essentially waiting for you inside your computer — and inside your cell phone, for that matter — at all times, where it’s also being updated around the clock.

As for the price end of that equation, sure, it’s nice to get content for free. But again, we’re starting to see lots of examples of media entities and publications with high-quality content that are successfully charging for at least some of that content. In other words, I think it’s becoming more and more clear that people are willing pay (for content of any sort, news or otherwise), assuming they’re being offered the sort of content they want, in the various ways they want it to be offered.

7S: Are we at a point where e-readers and other tools to access online content can completely replace printed books and magazines?

DE: I guess that depends on whether you’re really asking if they can, or if they will. As for the former: Sure, I suppose that’s within the realm of possibility. And I’m willing to admit that at some point in the future, that may even happen.

If, on the other hand, you’re asking if they will: No, I don’t think so. What I do see happening — although not at any point in the near future — are print products eventually becoming niche products; boutique products, if you will, that serve a certain audience and demographic that wants to own something beautiful (and tangible).

I think that as publishers of print products get better and better at differentiating their products from online publications, they’ll slowly grow their customer base. If you look at statistics from, say, the Association of Magazine Media, you’ll see pretty quickly that there’s still a very large audience for print media.

And don’t forget that the online media world still hasn’t figured out how to charge anywhere near as much money for advertising as print publications charge. When it comes to ad revenue, print and online aren’t even in the same stratosphere. That’s a fact that I don’t think a lot of people outside the media and publishing industries are aware of.

(If you haven’t guessed by now, I should probably explain that I always have been, and probably always will be, a huge print media obsessive. I love print, and I believe in it strongly.)

7S: You’re a professional author. Have e-readers changed the way writers work, as well?

DE: That’s a great question, although I’m not sure I have a simple answer. My experience with TeleRead has taught me that it’s definitely changing the way some writers work, but not all of them — and not all in the same ways. I should probably preface this next statement by saying that I’m a huge and very serious proponent of the DIY ethic, especially in terms of self-publishing. That being said, however, it’s become pretty clear to me that the most recent self-publishing revolution has led to much greater quantities of absolute stinking dreck than mankind has perhaps ever known.

Please don’t get me wrong: I actually consider it a good thing that the barriers to entry in the e-publishing world are now so low. But I guess you might say that e-readers have affected many writers who might otherwise never have experienced the thrill of seeing their work in print, or the satisfaction of completing a project as grueling as a book-length work. That’s a beautiful thing, I’d say. (Even if much of the resulting work isn’t quite so beautiful.)

In terms of people who were already working as professional writers before the e-reader came into popular existence, I really don’t think it’s changed the way they work all that much. There’s the issue of paying much closer attention to the digital rights clause in your contract these days, I suppose. Aside from that, I would guess — and this really is just a guess — that the e-single has changed the way professional writers work more than the e-reader itself. For instance, there are so many small publishing companies putting out very high-quality e-singles by big name authors these days, and from what I know about the ways they operate, their contracts tend to be much more favorable than those offered by the Big Six houses. (Sorry — the Big Five, I guess it is now!)

I know of a few former freelance magazine writers who’ve gone on to launch e-single publishing companies, and I guess you could say that a good number of big name authors are giving much more thought to how their work is released and distributed today, due largely to the e-single and e-book phenomenon.

Stephen King immediately comes to mind as someone who’s made some pretty interesting e-publishing decisions over the past few years. If I’m not mistaken (and I may be), I think I remember him releasing a pretty high-profile story online for free awhile back. More recently, I believe he put out a digital-only book that was eventually published in print, and even more recently, he released a print book that supposedly won’t be made available as an e-book. And of course, the nonfiction Kindle Single he released a couple months ago about gun control was big news.

Maybe he’s experimenting to see what works best? Or maybe he’s just having fun by taking advantage of all the many ways we can now share content with the world. I don’t know. But regardless, it does seem to be affecting the way some writers work in some form or another, and if nothing else, I hope the writers creating the work in these new ways — and the readers consuming it — are having good fun and learning things they might otherwise never have.

7S: More and more libraries are connecting to online e-book lending systems, but still maintain fairly large children’s book sections. Would you recommend that parents invest in e-readers, or take their kids to the library for print books?

Well, I should probably point out here that I’m not a parent, and as such, I don’t have any first-hand knowledge of the ways children are consuming content today. That said, we do occasionally report on both education and children’s reading habits at TeleRead — our senior writer, Joanna Cabot, is an elementary school teacher in Toronto, Ontario, and education has become a regular beat of hers. Based on some of the work she’s done, I can tell you that the experts seem to be somewhat divided on the issue of whether print books are better for children in terms of memory retention, but that does seem to be where most of them are leaning.

A 2012 survey from a New York-based nonprofit called the Sesame Workshop showed that parents prefer reading print books with their children. Then again, another study conducted around the same time, by the same nonprofit, showed that kids prefer reading e-books to print. The UK National Literacy Trust, meanwhile, released a report a couple months ago showing that kids who read more e-books actually have poorer reading skills than their print-reading peers. The Pew Research Center has also done studies on this, although I believe the only hard conclusion they’ve come to is that kids prefer e-books to print (unlike their parents, apparently).

Personally, I wouldn’t put a ton of weight on the studies suggesting that kids who read digitally are worse readers. But then again, like I mentioned previously, I don’t have kids. If I did, I’m sure surveys like that would keep me up at night.

Honestly, if I was a parent, I think I would take both routes, if only because I believe strongly in the concept of “moderation in all things.” I would certainly attempt to raise my children to become lovers of both books and reading, as my own parents did. But I’d probably also buy them a children’s tablet — there are a few on the market right now that are especially good. The Polaroid 7″ Kids Tablet is wonderful, and has all sorts of fun, kid-friendly features and apps. (It does, however, come preloaded with NOOK for Android, and given the way Nook Media is going, that may be a risky bet if you’re buying the tablet primarily with reading in mind.) Vivitar has also just released (or will release very soon) three family-oriented tablets. I had a chance to play around with two of them recently at CE Week, and found the XO Family Tablet just fantastic; I would definitely recommend it.

7S: What’s the biggest advantage of e-books – and the biggest disadvantage?

That’s a tough one — and I suppose any answer to that question is going to be pretty subjective. But I can certainly give you my opinion.

Advantages:

· The portability and accessibility of an entire library is a big one, of course. I own the entry-level Kindle, which now sells for just USD $69, and it holds something like 2,000 titles. That’s insane. It holds a charge for days; it’s very light; I can take it with me anywhere. To me, it’s still a mind-boggling device.

· Also, studies have shown that people tend to read more after they purchase an e-reader, and that was definitely the case with me. E-books are just so simple to acquire — even free ones — and I found myself reading all the time, almost everywhere, when I first got an e-reader, although I’ll admit that the novelty has since worn off just a bit.

· Reading has become much more accessible in some parts of the developing world as a result of e-books. In some of the poorer parts of Africa, and especially in areas where bookstores are either non-existent or too expensive, kids and adults alike are reading voraciously on their cell phones. And then of course there’s Worldreader, the well-known nonprofit that distributes e-readers and e-books to schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa. Lives are definitely being affected and changed in very positive ways by organizations like Worldreader. Personally, I can’t wait until we hear an entrepreneur or a world leader, ten or 15 years from now, talking about how a free Kindle they received as a kid changed their life. I have no doubt that day is coming.

Disadvantages:

· I’m not sure any of us really wants to think too hard about the working conditions that must exist in order for us in America to be able to buy an e-reader for $70, or a tablet for a $130. But that’s not really an e-reading issue, of course; it’s a technology issue.

· I don’t know if I can think of any other genuine disadvantages, aside from the fact that the art and design of books are definitely lost on e-books, which is a shame. It’s the same thing that happened when vinyl records started being replaced by cassette tapes — the art-and-design aspect of popular music was never quite the same. I think you can pretty fairly call that a “white people’s problem,” though, which is to say that it’s not really that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

· Along that same line, however, it’s probably worth pointing out that publishers still don’t seem to be taking anywhere near as much care with their digital books as they do with print books. Typos in e-books are still a huge problem, and I’m not necessarily talking about self-published e-books, or e-books from tiny houses that don’t have much of a budget. I’m sure that’ll slowly change, though, as e-books become less of a novelty and more of an accepted medium. That seems to be happening more and more every day, doesn’t it?

Wordsmiths: The Rock Stars Of The 21st Century

July 12, 2013

Back before e-readers existed, before the internet brought us digital libraries, before books themselves were published, people still used words to communicate and transmit information, to entertain each other and to tell stories. This tradition of oral history helped humans around the world to keep their cultures alive and teach their children the skills they needed to survive. Once the daily necessities were done with, however, story telling and performance brought people together around the campfire – or today, in the theater or on stage. Instead of reading stories, people are remembering how much is added to the experience when they’re listening to someone tell that story. New writers are also becoming new storytellers, and spoken word poetry is introducing audiences to a form of literature they might never have thought they’d like. Because we know that the written word and the spoken word are so closely connected, we encourage you to look for people and performances that can spark your interest in reading more, or perhaps even writing and telling stories yourself. Here are some suggestions:

Project V.O.I.C.E. Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye help schools and students learn to appreciate and participate in spoken word poetry. They believe that their “Vocal Outreach Into Creative Expression” project can help young people learn better writing skills, improve self-esteem, and encourage a student’s involvement in a wider community.

The Moth Radio Hour Performances of people telling their stories, recorded in front of a live audience, that showcase the best, worst, funniest, and saddest aspects of the human condition. These performances are broadcast on a weekly public radio show available throughout the United States and through web podcasts.

Poetry Slams Poetry and the spoken word are closely linked, and this form of creative expression is more popular than ever. The modern take on the poet’s recitation is the “poetry slam,” a competition between poets who read their works in front of audiences and get judged by a panel of audience members. This form of literature is increasingly popular with teens and young adults, and poetry slams are held worldwide. The Australian Poetry Slam 2013 is going on right now!

Oral History Society This UK organization is devoted to preserving the stories and the details of peoples’ lives all around the British Isles. They believe that the lives of “ordinary” people are worth preserving, and that they form as important a part of history as well-known kings and queens and politicians. The StoryCorps organization in the United States performs the same service, and sends mobile recording studios around the country to allow people to talk about their experiences.

What’s your favorite way with words when you’re not reading? Speak out!

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