Future of Web-designers, Extinction or Evolution?

Article first published as Future of Web-designers: Extinction or Evolution?; on Technorati.

Often times I wonder, is the future of web-designers extinction or evolution? Extinction is probably a harsh word. After all, we don't hold web-designers in the same boat with accident attorneys, IRS collection employees or oil and pharmaceutical executives. Evolution is really a better term for web-designers, as in they'll likely need to evolve to stay afloat. I say this because their services are similar to others that are destined to be obsolete in the near future, like video rental warehouses and brick and mortar bookstores. You might ask, however, why is the future uncertain for web-design? Well, because it's incredibly easy for anyone to build their own website and to do it for free. Part of this is really my own much needed therapy; it's a rant of pent up energy after spending several thousand dollars on four different web-designers over the past few years, especially after learning, to my painful amusement, that I could have built the sites myself for free. Now that so many web and blog hosting services offer both the space at their venues and the site-building software included, absolutely anyone can make his/her own website and edit it to hearts content for no cost. Don't believe me? Check out these dot coms: webs, yola, wordpress, blogger, weebly, wetpaint, webstarts, viviti, forummotion and so many others. Most of these companies didn't exist when I first hired out for a site, and you can bet on it that many more are popping up all the time. The competition will only increase to give users more flexibility, bandwidth, applications and ease of use when it comes to making their websites. Oh, and of course it will absolutely have to be free of cost. Yes, a pure dot com domain still costs a bit, about $10 per year, but does it really matter anymore if your domain name ends with the extra suffix as in example.webs.com? Hardly anyone manually types in a URL these days; they click on links to go everywhere. Wouldn't surprise me if you could get the pure dot com for free pretty soon. That would be a nice feature for a fledgling free web-hosting company. I can see it soon, custom domain names included for free! So what are these $120/hr web-designers going to do in the not so distant future? My guess is they'll either work for the rich and lazy or specialize in increasingly complex sites. Today the average Joe has plenty of options for getting a name, business and online identity happening at absolutely no cost. Read more: http://technorati.com/blogging/article/future-of-web-designers-extinction-or/#ixzz10Cr2rKU3
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Apple Reports 2 Million iPads sold in just 2 Months

While some dispute the number, Apple claims to have sold 2 million iPads in less than two months as fans and critics alike weigh in on the pros and cons of iPad. If the sales figure is inaccurate, it’s still a safe bet they sold a boatload anyway for a tablet device that critics said nobody needed and doesn’t play flash. And if it is the right number, at a starting point of $500 apiece, over a billion dollars worth of sales in two months is good business by any standard. Remember sales were first introduced in the US while much of the world has just gotten their chance or are still waiting. Apple predicts over 7 million units will sell in the first year. And even though some competitors like Microsoft and HP are dragging feet to get their own products on the store shelves, it appears that room exists for everybody. Even though I’m stoked for this device and the ones to follow for what it means to self-publishing, I still have some questions that typically keep me holding out for several months before leaping in with a purchase. One question is how many first generation issues and/or bugs will need resolving? And while that happens, how will the updated versions of Google’s Android and other competitors evolve and lower prices even more?
What I don’t question is the giant step the iPad, Android and other devices are doing to help us Independent authors sell ebooks. Sure, most people prefer movies and music on their tablets but Apple has reported 1.5 million books sold in just the first month. I haven’t heard the recent tally but it should easily be over 2 mil.
While time will be the ultimate factor in the apparent success of the iPad, for now I’ll just focus on yet another platform to work from and sell ebooks. Thank you, Kindle, for getting this whole ball rolling.

Better Place to Sell Ebooks? Amazon or Your Own Sites?

Where to sell ebooks? From big retailers like Amazon or your own sites? This is debatable and (I believe) has a lot to do with the type of ebook you’re selling. Currently both of my novels are selling about the same at Amazon as they are at my own websites. I wish there were stats for how many Amazon viewers actually see my ebooks each day, as I have for my sites. (Maybe I’ll create that with Statcounter.) Ultimately, all authors seek a buzz or a sudden development and inertia that gets people really talking about a book and checking it out. That could change things quickly, especially if a Kindle community buzz at Amazon happens.
On the other side, my how to ebook is selling better at my own websites, here and here. I wasn’t expecting this, just the opposite. I imagined sales would be faster at Amazon by Kindle customers eager to learn tips for making their own visions a Kindle reality. Just because people read ebooks they’d be likely to want to make and sell ebooks, or so I thought.
But perhaps that isn’t what they want. Perhaps Kindle readers really just want to read. Seems like a logical conclusion at this point.
So far it seems the people who visit my sites and want to learn how to sell ebooks are much more likely to buy from my sites. Perhaps it helps that my ebooks are available there in every format they’d likely need: pdf, epub,mobi, lrf.
So, if you want to sell ebooks it obviously makes sense to sell them everywhere you can. But don’t be surprised if your little corner store website can sell ebooks at a faster rate than a gargantuan ebook seller like mighty Amazon. Plus you’ll keep all the profits.
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Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

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Such a Thing as Too Many Websites?

How many websites does one really need? I’ve somehow become a website-aholic when just a few years ago I had none. Surprisingly I have 10 sites: 7 active, 1 inactive and 2 domain names with goof-around pages just in case I ever actually work on them. 10 sites? Whoa, how did that happen?
3 sites are examples of my ebook on how to sell ebooks: How to Make, Market and Sell Ebooks – All for FREE. There’s ebooksuccess4free.webs.com, ebooksuccess4free.viviti.com and ebooksuccess4free.wordpress.com.
Then there are 2 sites to sell ebooks and soon regular books of the novels, The Little Universe and Jim’s Life. Those are thelittleuniverse.com and thelittleuniverse.webs.com (that free one was built by moi for shits and giggles while waiting as the pros built the other.)
Then there’s the original site for the novels, cosmicforceproductions.com and the first blog site, thebigbangauthor.com before the novel had a name change.
Then there’s vote4mystory.com which was slated to be a promotional tool for writers but became a gigantic hole in the ground for dollars (mine) and is currently out of order and awaiting a massive overhaul. (Imagine the joy of spending ten grand on something that doesn’t work. Fun.)
Then we have helpingidea.com and thebigbangbook.com which have not yet helped anybody or really been built but just fiddled with when I was learning how to use Kompozer site-building software. Both domains may have been purchased under the influence of a few too many margaritas. Actually much of my life reflects certain similar influences and lapses in judgment.
The good news is that only 3 of these actually cost monthly money and not much. But I’m wondering, is there a word for “addicted to creating websites?” And if so, looks like I can chalk up another addiction.
How abnormal is this?

Pitch for movie

Hi. If you're reading this, perhaps you're interested in my pitch or you're thinking about your own pitch and how you might make it better. I've recently heard some pretty good advice from some well known agents, and they all seemed to say the same thing. A good pitch should contain 3 things; a set-up, a hook, and a resolution.

This concept of 3 things reminds me of another important 3 in story telling which is; a beginning, a middle, and an end.

That being said, I think I'll give you my pitch as an example. You may like it or not, but it will be there for critique or praise and perhaps help you in one way or another.

So here goes my pitch for The Big Bang; Notes From Looking Within by Jason Matthews.

My pitch - Think Forrest Gump, Star Wars, and Ghost. Webster Adams, never knew if the subparticle experiment within the universe generator would work - and actually create a miniature, self-enclosed universe! Nor did he think his passed wife, Rose, would ever win their bet - on whether it could be proven to him that some type of God force must exist.

The Big Bang; Notes From Looking Within is a story (both novel and screenplay) that is as grand as the universe and as small as a child's dream. There are other planets, there is psychic wisdom and there is the simplicity of being yourself and connecting with a higher power.

Let me ask you this; What if you had a universe inside a building, and you had very powerful cameras that could search throughout its entirety? What might you discover? Imagine zooming in for close ups to other galaxies - stars - planets - habitable worlds - and ultimately a whole bunch of life taking shape! Imagine peeping in on advanced societies, way more advanced than ourselves!

What could you learn from studying all these worlds? I don't want all the surprises spoiled in the pitch - but I can tell you that Webster and his crew witness the works of societies so far past their own that the world is forever changed.

This project, The Universe Generator (original screenplay title) is a discovery machine, an overnight goldmine, and in the end - an unexpected search for God and the meaning to life.

Some characters; narrated by Jon Gruber, the assistant to Webster, who speaks in a language everyone can understand. Whitney Adams, daughter of Rose and Webster, who finds the most advanced beings within the project - the spirit guides from Theta 7, and becomes a medium for their wisdom through her meditations with them. Frank Maxwell, the financier who enjoys the tremendous technology and patents that come from other worlds. Jessica Baxter, Frank's assistant, who falls into a love triangle with Jon and Whitney, helping Jon recognize his dilemma between the thrill of techno advances and the need to realize spiritual responsibility with his planet. Jim, the computer system - an advance in artificial intelligence who discovers what he truly desires is to be a real boy.

I hope you will request a copy of this novel and screenplay. I understand the hurdle it faces with the competition out there. All I can say is that this novel has been my life for many years. My blood, sweat, tears and wallet are all riding with it, and I will go to any height to see it reach its destiny. I am also halfway through the sequel, Jim's Life. You may read several reviews at my websites.

So that's one example of a pitch. Hopefully it draws the listener in without being super-longwinded. Maybe one of the most important elements of a pitch is - does it make the listener want to hear more?

Remember - there are no rules, just guidelines. Your pitch may be completely unique, but following some basic guidelines are a good idea if you want others to "get it".

Good luck and blessings to you and your pitch.