BookShorts NEWS: The Debutantes Hosted by Book Promoters

The Book Promotors Association of Canada hosted an informative session last Tuesday (Feb 20, 2007), specifically for those in the business of getting word(s) out. “The Debutantes – Toronto’s New Literary Festival and Event Planners,” hosted four execs from some of this city’s most dynamic book-oriented programs. Each gave a synopsis of their upcoming year’s priorities to a roomful of happily munching publicists, representing a range of publishing houses from large to small.

Featured Speakers:
Amy Logan Holmes, Executive Director, OMDC funded campaign to promote Canadian books
Maggie Rust, Artistic Coordinator, Word on the Street
Audrey Gagnon, Artistic Coordinator, Pages’ This is Not a Reading Series
Samara Walbohm, Co-owner, Type

For the complete report, visit BookShorts News.

BookShorts NEWS: Book Videos & Vid Lit the newest marketing tool for authors

Hey you, you all out there are the best for a thumbs up/thumbs down -come on over and give the perspective I've lost _I love all my film babies! What do we think works better -- the straight author approach, or making it sexy!http://bookshorts.blip.tv - chek it ;)



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BookShorts TV Airs Tonight! Moving Stories on BookTelevision

www.bookshorts.com -- If you can't get out of the country, you can still travel the world! ARMCHAIR JOURNEYS are in focus on Moving Stories TV; airing on BookTelevision Thursday, February 22, 8pm.

Our BookShorts TV series, Moving Stories, explores the process of filmmaking and adapting the printed word for a multi-media universe. The episode tonight focuses on the impact of film location, with directors of the dramatic short “What Casanova Told Me” by Susan Swan revealing the magic of re-creating 18th century Venice in downtown Toronto. In the doc “Confessions of a Pilgrim” Sue Kenney is transformed by her trek on the Camino, which she shot entirely on location in Spain.

Award-winning host Paul Quarrington is the host of Moving Stories. For more, visit Moving Stories Website – http://www.movingstories.tv or check your local listings.

JPod based on the novel by Douglas Coupland - BookShort Video Trailer

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http://www.bookshorts.cm/ -- BookShorts, the production and distribution company specializing in short films based on books, in association with Vintage Canada, are thrilled to announce the world theatrical premiere of the 4-minute short film JPod. This short is based on the novel of the same name by international bestselling author Douglas Coupland; the book is now available in trade paperback.

The 4-minute JPod BookShort centres on Ethan Jarlewskis stunted efforts to win the amorous attentions of new girl Kaitlin Boyce, an unwilling recruit to the cult of video game programmers. Consummated with a kiss that is the epitome of modern love, Ethan indoctrinates Kaitlin into the amoral morass that is JPod.

South by Southwest Film Festival screens JPod Saturday, March 10**2007. For more info visit http://www.bookshorts.com/watch_jpod.htm .
Purchase the book directly at ChaptersIndigo.ca

Real Friends Know What Turn You On

It's one of those brand-marketers' dream days today. Total and ubitiqous branding come alive, demanding a tangible demonstration to your special someone. Could stressful, a disaster even, for the Valentine and the Valentine-e. Unless of course your Valentine knows you like my Strange Duck knows me. The V she sent me, that textual validation, that acknowledgement of things that get me up in the morning, make me stay up too late, that gets my heart racing. Yah, I'm one of the lucky ones. Everyone should have a Strange Duck.

Blending video and e-commerce

BookShorts OPINION: 'More Canada' Campaign Surges Forward

To marketers in any other industry, the campaign to sell more Canadian books is more of a challenge than it would seem. I don't imagine that the dairy farmers had a problem with the "Get Milk" campaign. I know I know books are not homogeneous products. But neither did retailers nor manufacturers in Canada have long-term issues with "Buy Canadian." So "More Canada" really ought not need quite the amount of "convincing" for publishers and retailers, right? Obvious benefits to the *entire* Canadian book industry are legion -- where's the downside of artists getting more exposure? Considering that consumers remember the brand message first, the product second -- building the brand will inevitable help all, big and small, chain or not. Don't like it, step up and make more campaigns. More is better, anyway you look at it.


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BookShorts VIDEO: Neil Smith on BANG CRUNCH

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Neil Smith in the person belies his personae on the page. Or perhaps that's just part of the eloquent deception that happens to be his self. Whether he is truely skewed or just skewers readers' expectations, his is an intriguing first collection.

Testament to Louise Denny's graceful guidance in developing talent through the New Faces of Fiction program, and to the finger-on-the-pulse talent of Knopf Canada whose publishers are Louise and Diane Martin, and to Michael Schellenberg who edited the work.  I concur with all of the 25 interviewers that Neil had spoken to by the time he did his reading from BANG CRUNCH at Toronto's Harbourfront series.

And happily, an author that cares enough to follow his theatrical muses to deliver a stage performance that engages as much as the writing. It's an easy segue onto the silver screen, Jaybird is just begging for a treatment.

Mr. Smith -- prepare for another 25 *hundred* interviews!

(and thank you Sharon, for setting us up :)

For more about books on screen, visit BookShorts Literacy Program

To purchase this book directly from Chapters Indigo, click here

BookShorts NEWS: February 2007

BookShorts News February 2007
1. Moving Stories: Casanova, Confessions
2. BookShort Films on Chapters Indigo Live
3. JPod Theatrical World Premiere at SXSW
4. Movieola BookShort Broadcasts
5. Blog Features Neil Smith BANG CRUNCH
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1. ARMCHAIR JOURNEYS are in focus on Moving Stories TV
CLT Sunday, February 11, 8:30am, 11am, 1pm
BookTelevision Thursday, February 22, 8pm

This show focuses on the impact of location, with directors of the dramatic short What Casanova Told Me by Susan Swan revealing the magic of re-creating 18th century Venice in downtown Toronto, and in the doc Confessions of a Pilgrim Sue Kenney is transformed by her trek on the Camino, which she shot entirely on location in Spain.
Moving Stories Website“ http://www.bookshorts.com/movingstories.htm
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2. Chapters Indigo Goes Live with BookShort Films
Fans and new readers alike can now find close to thirty BookShort video interviews and films -- click Author Videos and Podcasts in the Special Features, right on the Chapters Indigo home page. The webbies at Chapters have collected all the best clips, of which we are proud to say a whole bunch are from BookShorts talented screen peeps!
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3. JPod theatrical premiere at South by Southwest Film Festival
We've cracked the US film circuit with the JPod BookShort based on Douglas Coupland's novel, happily riding along with EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN, the Radke Films feature whose screenplay was penned by our favourite multi-talented geek artist. Watch the BookShorts website for more news on the SXSW JPod screening date. http://www.bookshorts.com/watch_jpod.htm
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4. Movieola-The Short Film Channel Hosts Broadcast Slate
Making their first appearance on the television schedule:
February 15 @ 9:00pm Archetypes
February 19 @ 10:00pm Angel Takes All: No-Limit Texas Hold'em
February 21 @10:00pm The Fighter
February 22 @ 9:00pm i-ROBOT Poetry
March 12 @ 10:00pm The Upside of Down

AND, for extra special added bonus, you can now use the interactive program guide to check for your local channel AND airdates! One Bullet Away, JPod, This Hour Has Seven Decades, ICE, What Casanova Told Me -- they're all on the sked -- Check out http://www.movieola.ca/
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5. Neil Smith's First Live Reading from Bang Crunch
Watch New Face of Fiction newbie Neil Smith perform (and we mean get into character!) at his first-ever public reading to an audience ... other than his cat ... at International Readings At Harbourfront.
Now up on http://bookshorts.blip.tv/ and http://www.bookshorts.com/blog
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About BookShorts
BookShorts are short films adapted from books, including exclusive behind-the-scenes features. They have screened nationally on television specialty channels, in film and literary festivals from Vancouver to St. John's, New York and Washington. BookShorts Literacy Program is supported by Canadian Heritage Book Publishing Industry Development Fund and our partners in the Canadian publishing community. For current catalogue, visit http://www.bookshorts.com/.

Judith Keenan
BookShorts Literacy Program / BookShorts Inc.
Judith@BookShorts.com

BookShorts Newsletters at http://www.bookshorts.com/newsletter.htm
To Submit Films and Manuscripts, email development@bookshorts.com

BookShorts VIDEO: Google & The Digital Book NMBA iLunch

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"Forget squeezing millions from a few megahits at the top of the lists. The future of entertainment is in the millions of niche markets at the shallow end of the bitstream."  So says just about any guru in any of the cultural industries, and books are no exception.

The New Media Business Alliance has consistently provided excellent topics and speakers in their iLunch series, and I was thrilled to know that the organization has now reached out to the book publishing world. Google & The Digital Book was the session attended, and included Roland Lang (Google); William Zertner (Wiley); Sarah Irwin (TVO Interactive Learning Channel); Aideen O'Brien (BMG Music Publishing) and moderated by Diane Davy (Castledale Inc.).

The panel of speakers were well-informed in current industry status, and (once past the "what we are" and "how we did it" segments) had very validating comments on what we all here in the trenches intuit, but look to the uber-big-biz partners to confirm has risen to industry prominence as a pervasive mind-set.

NMBA also recorded the event and perhaps will make the proceedings available as a podcast or for member-only -- if you can get the podcast in the next couple of months, and your in the book industry, it would be well worth it.

More at http://www.nmba.ca; sponsored by OMDC and Getty Images; produced in collaboration with OPBO. (c) BookShorts Inc.