Can the first ten pages of a book and crowdsourcing become the next model of publishing?

Springwise is always a good source of innovative ideas and last week I've learned there about a very new innovative model of publishing, using a crowdsourcing strategy and based on ten pages.

Yes, just the first ten pages of the book are required according to the new website called Tenpages.com to determine whether it's worth publishing or not. And who will decide? the readers. But unlike similar ventures, like WEbook, here the readers don't vote only with their mouse, but also with their wallets.

So how does it work? Here's the description of the process from Springwise:

Aspiring writers register for free on TenPages and post the first 10 pages or more of their book. Those pages then become viewable to the site's prospective shareholders, who can buy up to 200 shares in any book for EUR 5 each; a widget is available to help them promote their favourites among their own social networks. The books that sell 2,000 shares during the four months they remain active on the site—garnering EUR 10,000—get put into production at one of TenPages' partner publishers, which include Pearson, The Workers Press and The House of Books. Authors get paid EUR 1,000 from the initial funds raised, while the remainder is held over for publishing and promoting the final book. The author then has eight months to write the tome with the help of a professional editor.

Tenpages.com is collaborating with three publishers to make it work: De Arbeiderspers, The House of Books and Pearson.

Will it work? will it become a new popular model of publishing? I guess that this model has couple of advantages that makes it attractive both for publishers and readers (publishers reduce their risk and readers have a chance to profit money and prestige, as their name ppear in the back of the published books they helped discover), but it has a chance to become a real alternative model only when we'll see couple of success stories or bestsellers that came out of it.

You're welcome to check out their website, but it's only in Dutch, so might need the services of Google translate to dive in.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check out our green gift campaign!

New video: Our marketing manager takes a break from the giveaway!

Couple of weeks ago we started a new green gift campaign (http://www.ecolibris.net/gifts.asp), where we give great gifts that promote green reading! From free green books to gift cards for Strand Bookstore and BookSwim, the Netflix for books, Eco-Libris is now rewarding readers who balance out 25 books or more by planting trees.

We produced couple of funny videos to promote our giveaway with my baby daughter Shira. Here's the latest one, where she's taking a break from reading so many green books..




Here are links to the two other videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf3yljv4PV8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pznPJjygtP8

We invite you to share them with other book lovers, along with the information about the campaign (http://www.ecolibris.net/gifts.asp).

Best,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Rewarding green readers!

Green book of the week: The Virtuous Consumer by Leslie Garrett

Today we review a green book that is a great guide for the rest of us!

Our book is:

The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World

Author: Leslie Garrett

LESLIE GARRETT is a National Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Editor, based near Toronto, Canada. Her work has appeared in Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Today’s Parent and many other national publications. Her syndicated column The Virtuous Consumer runs monthly in City Parent, Big Apple Parent, About Families and many other publications.

She also writes The Virtuous Traveler, a syndicated column that appears in the online newsletter of NBC travel editor Peter Greenberg and was syndicated in The Globe & Mail. Together her columns reached close to two million readers.

Leslie has also written a dozen children’s books, including a biography of renowned environmentalist David Suzuki and “EarthSmart”, a book for young children on protecting the environment. Her books are widely available and well reviewed.

Publisher: New World Library

Published on: June 2007

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)

Sure, there are people who chain themselves to old-growth trees, raise their one child diaper-free, and make their own soap. The Virtuous Consumer is for the rest of us, struggling to make choices that are better for the planet — and for us. Leslie Garrett has created a comprehensive reference guide that — like a smart, funny, and eco-conscious friend — will steer you toward ethical purchases for everything from lipstick to cars, kids' toys to a new mattress. The Virtuous Consumer is your key to shopping consciously and creating a simpler, greener lifestyle.

What we think about it?

I want to begin and say that I agree with the book's description - just like Festivus, it is definitely for the rest of us. I guess some fellows I personally like, such as Mark Boyle won't find it handy, but many others who struggle with consuming issues and eventually buy some stuff will find this book very useful.

This is definitely not a guide that drives you to shop. No Sir! Garrett is well aware of the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) - for her this is a viable part of the choice to live consciously and she brings it to the reader's attention whenever possible, as well as the fact that buying less is always a reasonable option.

I've read many guides that provide you with great information and recommendations on the best choices you have as a consumer. Still, I found The Virtuous Consumer different. It is thorough, detailed, brings you information straight from the experts and is very comprehensive - it talks about almost everything, from cleaning products to parties and celebrations. But what really got me into this book is Garrett's attitude - she's funny, realistic, frank and always personal, providing examples from her own experiences.

This attitude makes The Virtuous Consumer much less of a textbook and much more of a friend you want to hear her advice. All I can say is that although I read about it in many places, this is the first guide that actually got me to move my butt and check the labels of some of the cosmetic products I use to see if they have 'fragrance' on the list of ingredients (unfortunately the answer is yes..), and to consider for the first time other options that are better both to me and to the environment. And I'm sure this is not the last time this book will push me to check products I buy and consider better alternatives.

Lat but not least, I also want to mention that this book is printed on 100% post consumer-waste recycled paper.

Bottom Line: A useful and enjoyable guide that I recommend with all my heart!

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the author.

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on Eco-Libris website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Talking with Lynn Colwell on the Celebrate Green radio show!

I had the pleasure yesterday to be a guest on the 'Celebrate Green' radio show. This is a show of the great mom-dauthger duo, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, who are devoted to encouraging people to celebrate green.

You can listen to it at www.toginet.com/shows/celebrategreen - just click on the show of 3-4-10 on the right column under 'Recent Shows', or if you want to load it into your iPod, go here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/celebrate-green/id340006535

You can learn on their work at www.celebrategreen.net and you're also welcome to check out their book 'Celebrate Green'. This is a great book and not only that it is printed on 30% recycled and 70% FSC certified paper, but they also teamed up with Eco-Libris and offer readers who buy the book on their website to plant a tree with us for their book and receive our "One tree planted for this book" together with the book.

Thanks again to Lynn and Corey for the wonderful work they're doing and for the opportunity to take part in their radio show.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Adding sustainable sushi to our green gifts menu

We're happy to update you that we're adding another great green book to our green gift giveaway:

Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at a Time

Sustainable Sushi will join 5 other books that are offered as gift options for readers who will balance out 50 of their books by planting 50 trees with Eco-Libris. The list includes now Raw for Dessert, Greening Your Small Business, The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book, Sweet Utopia and Tofu Cookery.
All of these books are printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper and readers can choose from this list the book they would like to receive as a gift.

So what's Sustainable Sushi about? (from the publisher's website)
Sustainable Sushi answers the question on the minds of millions who enjoy eating fish: how can we indulge the desire to dine well while keeping our health and the health of the oceans in mind? With painstaking research found in no other book on the market to date, this pocket-size guide profiles dozens of the most common fish and shellfish one might encounter at a sushi bar, details where and how they are caught, whether or not they are safe, and how they figure in the current fishery crisis.

Written by a fishery and sustainability expert who was himself netted long ago by the allure of Japanese cuisine, Sustainable Sushi offers simple, clear explanations of such topics as mercury and PCB levels, overfishing, and species extinction. Attractively designed and featuring quick facts, maps, photos, and illustrations, the book was written for both the novice and the seasoned sushi fan. In a storm of seafood shortages and frightening statistics, Sustainable Sushi shows readers how to enjoy the sushi bar without guilt.

You can read more about it on our review of this book and visit it's website at www.sustainablesushi.net

More details about our green gift giveaway and the other gifts we give to readers who balance out 25 books or more can be found at http://www.ecolibris.net/gifts.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green printing tip no. 36: Is Free Tree Bamboo Good for Printing Books?

We are back today with a new tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you information on green printing in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is presenting us with an interesting option of paper for printing books with a tree free secret ingredient: bamboo.

Is Free Tree Bamboo Good for Printing Books?

Tip #36

That is a good question. Many of my clients are afraid of using Tree Free paper.They think this paper will fall apart. Actually, the bamboo paper is strong, and looks like normal paper.

Neenah Paper now carries this line under the umbrella of their Environment line. Their swatch book, which is my favorite, includes 100% post-consumer waste, 80% PCW waste, and 30% PCW, plus Bamboo mixed with Sugar Cane fiber. You can check it out on their website - www.neenahpaper.com. Go to the right column on the homepage (which is actually their virtual swatch book) and click on Environment Papers.

Sugar Cane and Bamboo fiber make up half of the content of this new line. The other half is post-consumer waste paper. So, we have a mixture of 25% Bamboo, 25% Sugar cane, and 50% PCW.

You have a choice of white paper, that looks like normal book paper or two earth colors. A natural color and a beige color.Some of our clients want the paper to look like a real recycled sheet, and some want the paper to look like a normal paper. The paper comes in book weights and cover weights. The white is 96 brightness, which we consider a bright white sheet.

We have these papers in large size sheets in both the text and cover weight. That makes it possible to run large quantity books on our 40” presses. We also can cut the paper to digital sizes, for the On Demand Market.

We offer both small runs digitally, and large runs via offset. Bamboo, mixed with Sugar Cane and PCW is chlorine free, FSC certified, and Wind E certified.

And the price? The price point is higher than our 100% PCW line, and the less expensive, and less environmental lines that contain 30% PCW.

For additional information on bamboo paper, please call Greg Barber at (973) 224-1132, or email greg@gregbarberco.com.

Also, if you have any questions you would like us to address in future tips please email us to info@ecolibris.net .

You can find links to all the tips we published so far on our green printing tips page, which is part of our green printing tools & resources.

You can also find further valuable information on Greg Barber Company's website - http://www.gregbarberco.com.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing!

Six Baby Steps Toward a More Sustainable Animal Diet by David Kirby

A new book is released today entitled 'Animal Factory:The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment'. We will review this interesting book in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime we are happy to bring you an article written by the author, David Kirby.


6 Baby Steps Toward a More Sustainable Animal Diet

by David Kirby,
Author of Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment

The most common question I get about my new book Animal Factory, which comes out Tuesday, March 2, is, "Am I going to have to become a vegetarian after reading this?"

My answer usually throws people off.

"No," I say, "You're going to want to eat even MORE meat, eggs and dairy!" Then, as a bemused brow breaks over their face, I add: "But by that, I mean more that is raised humanely and sustainably, without harm to human health or the environment."

Most people I speak with inherently sense that their meat and dairy should be raised as "humanely and sustainably" as possible, but don't really know what those terms mean. The whole new morality of shopping the supermarket meat aisle can seem so daunting, especially while trying to sort through the various "cage-free" "humane" and "organic" labels.

Meanwhile, the painful ordeal of shelling out big chunks of one's paycheck for pricey protein from boutique sources other than CAFOs -- (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or factory farms), is just too onerous for some to ponder. And if even they were to make the sacrifice to "go sustainable," they ask, how are they going to find such vaunted foodstuffs, both at home and on the road?

Still others beg off the subject entirely with a wince, a wave, and an "I don't want to know!"

But some of my friends really do make every last effort to eat only sustainable animal protein and, when not available, to go without. But I also understand that, for most Americans, it is exceedingly difficult and prohibitively expensive to switch overnight to a 100 percent CAFO-free diet, unless they are planning to go completely vegan.

I do not believe in telling others what to eat or, more importantly, what not to eat. It's a deeply personal choice. But I do believe that we all have a responsibility -- even a solemn duty -- to inform ourselves about the origins of our food, and the impact it had on people, places and animals.

Just remember, that pork chop may have been raised in a crowded North Carolina CAFO, whose liquefied manure emits noxious gases into the air, might leak pathogens and nutrients into state waters, and has been known to coat neighboring homes, cars and people with the greasy, misty detritus of a massive manure "sprayfield," Carolina style.

So what's a conscientious but somewhat underpaid omnivore to do? What follows are just a few suggestions -- some baby steps to reduce your reliance on cheap animal factory food, whence most American meat, egg and dairy "outputs" are now derived.

Be Label Conscious - You have rights as a consumer, but you also have responsibilities, in my opinion, and that includes self-education and being savvy about labeling. In Animal Factory, I describe some of the competing food labels (organic, humane, cage free, etc.) and the different criteria they require to earn their endorsement. There's a lot of cross-over, and a lot of confusion. Some consumers are now looking for what is widely considered to be the most stringent label of all, "Animal Welfare Approved." AWA requires all animals to have pasture-based certification, prohibits the use of liquefied manure, and only certifies farms "whose owners own the animals, are engaged in the day to day management of the farm, and derive a share of their livelihood from the farm." You can search a database of farms and where to find AWA products at www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org.

Pick A Protein - Begin your path towards being a more sustainable epicure one food at a time. Pound-for-pound and dollar-for-dollar, eggs, cheese, or butter are good starter products. For example, I only buy humanely raised, certified organic eggs at my local supermarket. They cost $3.99 a dozen vs. the $1.99 a dozen for factory farmed eggs -- a difference of about 16.5 cents an egg. And while I have the admitted luxury of not having to support a family, I am more than happy to double my costs and expend an extra 33 cents in the morning for my omelet. Organic (pasture-fed) cheese and butter also have manageable price point ratios to their commercial counterparts, so you might want to pick one of those as one of your switchover foods as well.

Become Cooperative - A few national chain stores, and of course your local farmers market (the ones in New York are a marvel) are usually excellent and reliable sources of sustainably raised protein. But the prices can sometimes make you laugh out of sheer exasperation -- I have seen $27 chickens, which for most families is too extravagant. On the other hand, I have seen $2.70 chickens in my supermarket, which to me at least seems too cheap for the life of a bird. Another alternative is to seek out a food coop in your area that specializes in local, sustainable meat and produce. I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, home to the nation's oldest coop, which offers deep discounts on delicious, fresh, local meat, dairy and eggs. Unfortunately for me, the place is so popular that I have not yet been able to get a slot in the mandatory orientation for new membership, but I keep trying.

Go Red-Tag Shopping - I have noticed that the meat department at my local place tends to get rid of its older stuff on Mondays and Tuesdays, slapping a bright red, easy-to-spot sticker with the words "Manager's Special" onto the cellophane. I make it a point to shop on those days or, sometimes if I am just passing by, I might pop in and make a quick run down the aisle, eyes peeled for those exciting red tags as I scan the row. The discounts are usually about 30% off the normal price, and sometimes more. Whole organic chickens are often reduced from $3.99 to $1.99 a pound. If you don't eat it that day, freeze it.

Go Online - Another great resource for finding local, sustainably and humanely raised animal products is Sustainable Table, and its Eat Well Guide -- with a Zip-code based searchable database for farms, markets and restaurants in your area that offer food that did not take a toll on humans, animals or the environment before landing in your mouth.

Eat Less Meat - This is a suggestion, not an order, and it doesn't come from me, it comes from the "Meatless Monday" campaign. But reducing your animal protein even a little bit each week will contribute to easing worldwide animal demand from any source. Check out the Meatless Monday virtual online support group for temporary withdrawals of the flesh. Think of it this way: for billions of people in the world, it's going to be "Meatless 2010," so a 52-day sacrifice is not that hard to make.

Copyright © 2010 David Kirby, author of Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment

Author Bio
David Kirby, author of Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment, is a Huffington Post contributor and author of the New York Times bestseller Evidence of Harm, winner of the 2005 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for Best Book, and finalist for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein award for Excellence in Journalism. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit www.AnimalFactoryBook.com.