the public academic: branding, social media, conferences and the peer review process

8/14/2019 The Public Academic: Branding, Social Media, Conferences and the Peer Review Process

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The Public Academic: Branding, Social Media, Conferences

and the Peer Review Process

The potential for academic authors to successfully publish and sell non-fiction titles is

governed by their efficiency at communicating to a wider readership in and outside of

academia. Their most essential tool in communicating to a potential readership is the

capacity to draw an interest not only in their book but in the personality of the academic

themselves, what they have to say and why their preferred topic of discussion is so

divisive, controversial or enlightening. The reputation of the author is therefore intrinsic to

the value of their book. You only have to look into the careers of public intellectuals such

as Christopher Hitchens, Edward Said and Germaine Greer - Authors that have garnered

significant media attention through confidently bringing their agendas onto the public

stage.

Thefollowing discussion analyses the career of an academic, both in print and in

the public eye, through discussion on the topics of: Branding myself as an author and

personality, writing for journals and the peer review process, writing papers for

conferences, publishing today and creating an online presence. The topics will be covered

as subheadings throughout the following analysis in order to adequately cover each in the

relevant amount of detail. The major focus of this paper is to construct an identity for me as

an author, discuss methods of successfully promoting my academic material, promoting my

book and cover other potential marketing ideas.

To begin with, by selling themselves as an authority, gained through intellectual

success in their field, public intellectuals also become role models as standalone

individuals, questioning the status quo in society. They are therefore promoted on the basis

of having a status because of that 'Authority', which is a public relations model described in

Batty's and Cain'sMedia Writing(2010):

This 'Authority' might include a lot of biographical material, glimpses into

the society and anthropology of the culture of science... Level 3: By

invitation only. The intellectual has become elevated to a symbol, a person

that stands for something larger than the discipline from which he or she

originated. A Level 3 intellectual is asked to write and speak about a large

range of public issues, not necessarily directly connected to their field of

expertise at all. [Accessed: January 10th 2012]


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As my current academic credentials do not extend beyond that of an aspiring

postgraduate student, it would be difficult for me to sell a general interest title based on my

own academic authority. However, Lightman's Huxleyan analogy for the 'Hierarchy of

Public Intellectuals' does clarify where I could situate myself in the future. So, for the sake

of this assignment, I will pretend that I have finished my PhD and am now working as the

Culture editor forProspect Magazine. I have attained the status if Level 2 academic and am

publishing articles about the developing relationship between Culture and Technology as a

result of Globalisation. So what's the next step in creating myself as a brand? I began

researching methods of personal profiling that would help me to create a marketable

personality for my future self. After trawling through the Internet, I came upon an article

entitled The Brand Called You inFast Company Magazine, written by a management guru

named Tom Peters. I was struck by the simplicity of his strap line that stated: 'Today, in the

Age of the Individual [sic], you have to be your own brand. Here's what it takes to be the

CEO of Me. Inc.' [Accessed: January 9th 2012] and I immediately saw the relevance of

Peter's article to any aspiring author's career - especially considering the rapid growth of

self-published titles that have been marketed solely by the author.

The rest of the article continued to offer some really helpful nuggets of inspiration

such as: 'Don't be fooled by all the frenzy at the humongous end of the size spectrum [,

referring to the commercial monopolies of big businesses]. The real action is at the other

end: The main chance is to become a free agent in an economy of free agents' [Accessed:

January 9 2012]. I was now sufficiently inspired to begin writing a profile for myself,

knowing that I didn't need to become the next superstar Christopher Hitchens type in order

to successfully sell a good non-fiction book. I just needed to get to know the company

called Me Inc that Peters was eulogising about and apply my own brand to what Peters

called: 'next season's free agency market' [Accessed: January 9th 2012].

So how was I going to go about constructing this new exciting, entertaining,

enlightened and informative personality that would appear, looking authoritative, on the

inside cover of my book. Peters' advises that in order to create the 'Me Inc.' brand I shouldbegin as follows:

Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or -less contest challenge. Take the

time to write down your answer. And then take time to read it. Several

times [sic]. If your answer wouldn't light up the eyes of a prospective client

or command a vote of confidence from a satisfied past client, or - worst of

all - it doesn't grab you, then you've got a big problem.... Start by

identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from

your competitors - or your colleagues. What have you done lately - this


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demonstrate how culture and technology are fusing on a global scale. I have written

numerous articles since and am developing a following through my Blog, twitter feed and

have recently created a website to inspire public forums and promote my newly finished

book.

What became glaringly obvious as I wrote my life-prediction was a move away

from academia and into writing and researching for national media, documentaries and

other forms of informative entertainment. I realised too that my career did not come about

in isolation and from having been in academia, one of my most marketable assets are the

people who have helped shape both my opinion and my work ethic. I, therefore, chose to

include mention about Dr. H as this provides me with essential critical, authoritative

validation. In order to eventually reach this goal I needed to have a clearly mapped route

through academia to become a relevant authority on my subject matter. This would then

validate myself as an academic and as an author. By solidifying my identity as a sellable

asset I can therefore pitch my personality as marketable brand for my book.

Writing for Journals and the peer review process

The next section will discuss the process of publishing research through academic journals.

The topics to be discussed are: What exactly is an academic journal? How to write for a

journal through the peer review process and what journals are applicable to my particular

field of research?

So, what is an academic journal? According to Beth Luey in her book the

Handbook for Academic Authors (2002): 'Journals are the medium most frequently used by

academic authors for disseminating the results of their research' [(2002, 9)]. So a journal is

a means by which an academic can present their research to other academics, but what is it

in print form? According to the department of Sociology at Brockport University the

journal is a 'periodical... Journals also publish theoretical discussion and articles that

critically review already published work' [Accessed: January 15th 2012]. So it would

appear there is a great deal of scope for publishing not only research but theoretical ideasand critical reviews as well.

The advent of cheap and easy to use online publishing resources have turned the

journal into an ejournal, which has resulted in both an increase in the number of journals as

well as a growth in the diversity of journal subject matter. According to Luey this has:

'improved possibilities for getting good articles published, even if they are on very

specialist topics' [(2002, 10)]. Luey also mentions that Journals are also the 'least

professionalized of the publishing media' [(2002, 9)] and in the: 'Humanities and social

sciences, journals are often edited on the side by academics with regular teaching and

research assignments and without professional staff [(2002, 9)]. Therefore the


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contemporary editing process for journals is more reliant on the peer review process to

reduce editorial time for academics, who are contributing to rather than being employed by

a journal. For a potential author of journal articles, the most important consideration is the

capacity to reduce the time taken for the editing and peer review process by 'writing well'.

According to Luey the ability to produce good academic writing requires 'being clear,

direct, precise and accurate. If you can accomplish this apparently modest goal - and if you

have something new and important to say - you will be on your way to publication in a

reputable Journal' [(20012,13)]. An awareness of good writing is therefore paramount, but

so is the ability to structure and present an article in the most effective way possible. So

how does the peer review process work? In Ann C. Weller 's book Editorial Peer Review:

Its Strengths and Weaknesses (2002) She provides a clearly definitions of what the peer

review process encompasses:

An aspiring author sends a manuscript to a journal's editorial office. The

journal editor, or for large journals one of the associate editors, logs in the

manuscript, selects two or three reviewers to evaluate the manuscript, and

sends each a copy. Reviewers are asked to assess the manuscript and make

a recommendation to accept, accept with revisions, or reject the

manuscript. The editor or associate editors then decide if they will accept

the recommendation of the reviewers. If the reviewers disagree, the editor

may subject the manuscript to another round of reviews, or the editor may

adjudicate, deciding without further review if the manuscript should be

accepted or rejected. [(2002, 1-2)]

The process that Weller has outlined would initially appear as a systematic

approach to maintaining the quality of submissions in order that a journal remains a

reputable publication. She does, however, mention that 'within these standard parameters,

many variations exist' [(2002, 2)]. The numerous variations dependant on the journal,subject matter and the position of those involved in the review and decision-making

process. One example of these variations is 'selective reviewing', whereby an author can

submit suggestions to the journal editors for whom they would prefer to review their work

(the reviewers, however, are always blind to the identity of the author). It appears that the

most challenging aspect of the peer review process, as an author, is in the first response to

their reviewer's initial comments and decision whether or not to endorse an article. All is

not lost if an article is initially rejected, as an author may be offered an opportunity to

defend their manuscript. In the words of Ann C. Weller: 'Editors may change their minds

and accept an earlier rejected manuscript for publication, if the author presents solid


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arguments for the manuscripts acceptance or has made alterations to it' [(2002, 3)]. What

Weller is referring to is an academic author's ability to take criticism on-board and re-write

their article, or defend the original copy.

So in order to successfully submit my articles to a relevant journal I have listed

several potential journals below. The list of journals I have chosen are peer reviewed and

accept articles on the topics of language, culture, art or literature and, most importantly, are

also current. I chose to focus on directing my article to peer-reviewed journals as they

appear to offer a higher weighting of academic accreditation. The applicable journals for

my research are as follows: Journal of Languages and Culture, International Journal of

Cultural Studies, Intellectual and Cultural studies, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature

and Culture, Taboo: The journal of Culture and Education, Cultural Studies, Journal of

Media Arts Culture and Journal of Visual Culture. There are a great deal more that I would

wish to consider but for the sake of brevity in my assignment I will stop there. A point to

note with regards to publishing in academic journals is that an author may only submit to

one journal at a time. This appears to be a very stringent rule in the academic publishing

world and so relevant research into the best possible journal for publication will save a

great deal of time.

Finally the journal publishing industry is not a designed as a lucrative market for

academic authors: a large proportion of journals are published as a free resource, and as

Luey states: 'Scholarly journals rarely pay contributors or referees' [(2002, 26)]. There are a

number of journals that actually request a page fee in order to offset their mailing costs. In

fact, journals themselves are only sustainable through, what Luey states as: 'five main

sources [of income]: subscriptions, advertising fees, page charges, offprint charges, and

contributions from a university or a professional association' [Luey (2002, 27)].

Advertising fees are also limited by the low readership figures for journals as well as the

strict ethical control over what is advertised. Therefore, journal article publishing is not a

lucrative market for an author but certainly a means of developing an academic presence.

In summary: Journals provide a resource for academics to expand their sphere ofinfluence within academic circles, through a range of published mediums. The peer review

process is beneficial to both publishing academics and journals alike as it increases the

quality of submitted articles and supports the reputation of the publication. Journals are,

however, not a lucrative market for an aspiring author but offer a way of creating a

reputation as well as staying current in their field.


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Writing Papers for Conferences

The immediate benefit to any aspiring graduate author, of writing for conferences is that,

according to Clare Berger and Leo Mallette: 'Conferences have many more dimensions

than traditional journal and book publishing, due to quick turnaround, oral presentation,

immediate feedback, and the opportunity for networking' [(2011, xi-xii)]. The conference is

therefore vital to the career of any potential academic author in expanding their influence,

staying current with contemporary research trends and receiving feedback for their work.

The following section will discuss what a conference is, how to make the most of

conference appearances through promotion and networking and how to tap into the

currency of academic credibility. To begin with, what exactly is a conference and what is

its designated objective? Below, Susan Carroll-Clark neatly summarises what a conference

is:

An academic conference is a forum for researchers (not always academics) to share

their work. Generally, the work is presented in the form of short concise papers lasting

about 20 [sic] minutes to half and hour. Often there are one or more keynote speakers -

often scholars of some renown, presenting a lecture that lasts an hour or so. Panel

discussions or roundtables on various issues may take place. Sometimes workshops are

offered, particularly if the conference is related to the performing arts. Depending on the

theme of the conference, social entertainment activities may also be offered, if it's a large

enough conference, academic presses may set up displays offering books at a discount

[Accessed: January 16th 2012)]. The conference is a 'forum' or structured event whereby

academics are offered the opportunity to actively create relationships within and outside of

the academic world. These relationships may result in collaborative projects or direct new

research pathways. The structure of conferences varies a great deal 'depending on the

theme'. So, for the sake of this assignment, I will focus on the larger conferences as a

means of promoting my book. I have presented my book on one of the available stands and

am ready to discuss the subject that I am most passionate about (the reason why I wrote my

book in the first place). So, to make sure that my paper, my self and my book are wellreceived, according to Claremont Graduate University's guide to Presenting Conference

Papers in the Humanities (2012), I should prepare by doing the following: Choose an

appropriate conference. Make certain [my] paper will interest [my] audience. Anticipate

questions. Go to the panels the day before [my] session to see what types of questions

people ask, and find out what the tone of the conference is. Anticipate criticism.

Bounce your ideas of a friend/colleague whom I know will be critical. Re-write my

essay for the oral medium... Include oral cues to assist the audience..., [And] be careful of

criticism of other scholars... My footnote might be sitting in the audience [Accessed:

January 16th 2012]. The most important considerations, therefore, for successfully


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promoting both my research and my book are: Researching my audience, understanding the

theme and tone of the conference, being able to defend my work through sufficient

preparation and not being overly critical of other scholars who may well be sitting in the

audience.

In terms of using the conference to promote my brand as an author, Berger and

Mallette suggest that: 'Whether you are in business, academia, or consulting, publishing a

book or articles in journals and at a conferences is good for your brand [(2011, 4)]. The

reason why the conference is so 'good' for my brand is clearly visible in a further quote

from Berger and Mallette: Getting published at a conference adds credibility to your brand

as a subject matter expert and gives you constructive experience in presenting your ideas to

a scholarly audience. Such experiences give you the competitive advantage [(2011, 5)]. In

terms of promoting my book, that 'credibility' is therefore the most valuable asset to me as

an author - it represents academic currency by way of respect from the academic

community. My research is deemed as worthy of repute as I have enough passion and

knowledge of my field to be considered a 'subject matter expert'.

In summary, presenting papers to and attending academic conferences is vital to

me as both an aspiring academic and author. Submitting papers for conferences allows me

to engage with other academics in order to: Expand my sphere of influence, stay current

with regards to my research, source feedback, provide my book and myself with a

academic 'credibility' and remain connected to potential new research projects. Conferences

also provide me the relevant forum to defend my research as well as capitalise on

networking opportunities to promote and draw attention to my book.

Publishing today

Prior to having produced my new book I will have researched and sourced both an agent

and a publisher. As I have covered how to approach an agent and publisher in previous

assignments, I will continue this section as if I am already being represented by an agent

and have sourced a publisher. The rest of this section will therefore discuss the topics: Mycurrent agent and publisher, the non-fiction book market as it stands today and the growing

opportunities for self-publishing app books.

The agent that I am now represented by is Janklow and Nesbit, who represent a

wide variety of fiction and non-fiction writers. I am being dealt with by their London office

which was opened in 2000 and is, according to their website, progressively developing a

list of: 'UK based writers for whom the agency provides co-ordinated representation across

all formats and territories' [Accessed: January 12th 2012]. Janklow and Nesbit now offer

me legal representation for all contracts with publishers as well as promoting book

launches, public appearances, interviews and other promotional events.


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The publisher that I am also signed up to is Verso Press who are described in their

website as: 'the largest independent, radical publishing house in the English-speaking

world' [Accessed: January 13th 2012]. My book Bordering Value is available from both

their Art and Aesthetics section as well as their Culture and Literary Theory section and

was a fitting addition to their collection because of its subversive content. Obviously both

my agent and my publisher are based on a future self, using current available organisations.

For the next section on market research I will return to being an undergraduate in

2012 with another potential five years to go before being published. Having researched the

current book sales market, the present sales figures for hardcopy and ebook sales has been

extremely difficult to extrapolate due to apparently significant underreporting of market

activity. According to Dan Poynter of Parapublishing.com: 'while some of that revenue is

represented in current industry sales estimates - which puts revenue at between $23.7

billion and $28.5 billion - a significant portion of the revenue is not' [Accessed: January

13th 2012]. What can be concluded from these figures is that the American market is

potentially greater than $28.5 billion, contributing to an overall global figure of, according

to Poynter, around $80 billion. Therefore the book market is still generating a great deal of

revenue through ebook, audio and print formats but identifying trends has become

extremely difficult as a result of the mixed-medium market and self-publishing industry.

In order to isolate my research I decided to focus on the sales of academic

literature, as my book does contain a great deal of both Art and Literary theory that would

work well as an academic primer for students. I discovered that the academic literature

market is worth something in the region of $8 billion a year in 2011, according to the LA

Times, so still a potentially huge market to be involved in. During my research I also came

to a clear conclusion: I needed to focus on the potential for publishing my text as an ebook

or a book app. Why have I come to this conclusion? As an undergraduate student in 2012

my future plans will not come into fruition until at least another four to five years. Within

that time I predict that the academic library will be completely digital and therefore the

student interface with learning material will occur predominantly through digital copy.During this time the creative interface will have been well researched and tested to

establish the most efficient way of learning through multimedia text.

Therefore, my biggest question is: What will my book actually look like when it is

finally released? In answer to this question, I discovered a very interesting article entitled

Why a Book Publisher Just Announced a Multimedia App. The article includes an

interview with a representative for Ilex Press, who had this to say with regards to their

decision to publish more book apps: We decided to sidestep the difficulties and limited

capabilities of enhanced ePub formats in order to bring a deserving, best-selling book to

market in an electronic media format that would truly do it justice. We believe we made the


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right choice as it has sold extremely well worldwide, with a 17.49 UK ($24.95 US) cover

price... One can assume companies such as Apple, Amazon and others have a similar

worldview as they are rapidly investing product-development funds into this ever-

expanding category. [Accessed: January 17th 2012] Judging by the fact that Apple and

Amazon are investing a great deal of research into this type of content format, then they

must consider the future to be heading in the direction of multimedia books. As I was not

producing a fiction book I did some more research into the textbook app market and

discovered a thriving industry headed by Apple who, according to Yasmeen Khan of

WNYC News, are: 'hoping to put an end to the days of student weighed down with a

backpack full of textbooks' [Accessed: January 19th 2012]. Further into Khan's article I

discovered even more interesting information regarding Apple's plans to create inspired

educational and self-publishing resources, she states that: 'Apple also unveiled on Thursday

a new iTunes app, for teaching and taking electronic course, and iBooks Author, for

creating e-books and publishing them to Apple's iBookstore [Accessed: January 19th

2012].

Further research also highlighted that there is in fact a strategy to Apple's decision

which, according to an unnamed article in the L A Times entitled: Apple's iBooks 2,

iBooks Author: Bids to own publishing's future (dated January 19th 2012) which states

that: 'Together, iBooks2 and iBooks Author are moves to capture the future of education

and self-publishing, and to continue to build on the success Apple had under the late Steve

jobs' [Accessed; January 19th 2012]. Apple appear poised to corner the textbook, academic

and non-fiction market through their multimedia publishing platforms. For me the decision

of how to publish is still a reasonably long way off, but there are signs that Apple's

following may be instrumental in the success of these multimedia platforms, which have

been destined as the future of educational literature. TheLA Timesarticle also reveals why

Apple may potentially succeed in their plans for dominating both the educational

publishing and self-publishing markets:

In my opinion, Apple is one of the best companies out there at providing

lower-cost products that pull consumers into an ecosystem of apps and

gadgets. It's one of the reasons why the company has so many cult-like

followers... By adding a level of interactivity to books that Amazon and

others simply cant match, and by making it easier to publish a book and

sell it in the iBooks app directly from iBooks Author, Apple has made a

move to challenge Amazon and its Kindle e-reader and Kindle Touch

tablet as the preferred platform for self-publishers and digital textbooks

[Accessed: January 19th 2012].


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Apple does however have a reputation for being masterful at creating hype to re-

invent something that hasn't worked to begin with. For example: the original iBooks app

was heralded as a bit of a disaster for Apple not reaching any more than 10 -15% of the

ebook sales market, blamed on Random House for refusing to sign a contract with Apple. I

In summary, my selected agent is Janklow and Nesbit and my publisher is Verso

Press. Whilst investigating total sales within the current book market, I discovered that it is

still a booming industry. While investigating the future potential for academic literature

and textbooks I discovered that Apple has just begun a tactical approach to both the

textbook and self-publishing market, with a view to being the sole providers of self-

publishing and educational software resources. Only time will tell whether the Apple

Empire can take over the entire education system's technological needs, so for the moment

I still prefer to read my textbooks in good old fashioned bendy paper.

Creating an online presence

In 2012 the Internet is now the primary resource an author's promotional activity. So how

is it possible, as an author, to create an effective web presence through the myriad of

resources available for self-publicity and book promotion?

In order to navigate through this miasma of information and communicate

effectively to a potential readership, the first step was to create a base. By base, what I am

referring to is a central resource that collates all online promotional and networking activity

into one place. My personal base, or hub, will be my personal website through which I can

co-ordinate and expand my sphere of influence through to networks of potential readers, in

an efficient, organised and transparent way.

I have created a website for myself under the domain name

www.tristankeeble.co.uk. As my site is still under development I plan to use the major

headings: Bio, Books, Contact, Press, Talks, Updates and Work. Throughout the rest of this

section I will discuss each aspect of potential online promotional activity by covering thefurther subheadings that I plan to use for my website consist of: Blog, Twitter, Facebook

and My App. By including these tools I want to re-direct as traffic through to my own

website and on to my available book for purchase.

Firstly, the personal Blog has made its way to the top of the social media

promotional tree. Why? According to Rebecca Bollwitt & Eric Butow's book Blogging to

Drive Business (2010): 'Blogging enables people to communicate with large numbers of

people quickly and publicly' [(2010, 6)]. The resulting success of the blog format for public

communication is brilliantly clear when considering that: 'noted in its 2008 "State of the

Blogosphere" report that more than 77 million unique visitors read Blogs in the United


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States alone' [(2010, 6)]. Therefore my Blog subheading sits at the top of the list on the

front page of my website.

So what use is a Blog to an academic author? According to Bollwitt and Butlow:

The most immediate use of a Blog is to talk about your products and services' [(2010, 10)].

Considering that what constitutes my 'product' is essentially information of interest to a

variety of groups I need to avoid drawing a conflicting crowd of potential followers. The

problem with having the multiple identities as a writer is in avoiding miss-selling my

biggest source of revenue via online sales - my book. To elaborate on this potentially

conflictual relationship - If through writing about hot topics in academia I will attract Blog

posts from academic writers I will then be alienating the larger readership who have been

sourced through other means. As Bolwitt and Butlow state: 'The conversation [should]

benefit... not just your existing customers but also potential customers who might have

questions about your company and its products/services' [(2010, 10)]. The answer for me

was to return to what is my most sellable product as an author - my self. People are

intrinsically fascinated with what is really going on in the mind of the person that they

consider to be an authoritative figure and so there was my hot topic.

My Blog will therefore act as an online journal as I write my next book. I wanted

to be in a situation whereby the readers of my previous work will be contributors to my

next book. Isabella Pereira demonstrates the benefit of having a responsive online fan base:

'Blogs can be the perfect place to cut your teeth or test new material... Kate Mosse,

generated her novel through a blog, sharing characters, scenarios and her motivation for

writing the book with her audience and drawing directly from their responses' [(2011,

648)]. As my book is not a fictional novel the blog is therefore a vital resource for testing

academic material on a wider readership I am able to research the limits of what is

entertaining whilst being factual.

My book also concerns people's lives on a global scale and the blog is more than a

fundamental resource to tap into global opinion. Also, as an academic, the ability to tap

into ground level experiences is essential in validating my theories regarding social andcultural trends. A final key element to the use of a blog is the capacity to maintain a public

image that is controlled by me as an author, as Pereira states: 'A blog is also a fine way of

controlling your public image. Many use their sites as their 'official mouthpiece' to dispel

rumours and give their opinion from the horse's mouth. A blog can help your construct and

manage what you present to the public' [(2010, 648)].

In order that I am able to control my public image whilst keeping my blog posts

entertaining, what do I need to consider in terms of style? The blogging voice is very much

a part of creating a marketable personality and as Periera states: 'The best blogs have a

distinctive voice - they're warm, witty, acerbic, opinionated, emotional or all of the above.


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Most of all they're honest. Blogs work best when they have an unusual viewpoint' [(2011,

649)]. So I concluded that my blog should come across as the voice of an authoritative

opinion maker, whilst remaining honest and not acerbic.

I created my blog using Wordpress and can be found at

likewhatiwrite.blogspot.com. I then made sure that I had a functional RSS feed URL in

order that anyone wishing to connect their site to my blog can. The RSS feed or Atom

feed, I discovered was a really useful tool for expanding my blog's presence on other sites.

It functions by routing the information, in real time, to another location where it is

presented in same format as it is published. I considered using the feed as a page on my site

so that my blog remained in a separate location to my site. However I didn't want to crowd

my site with too much information and so kept it as a link as a subheading.

The next two subheadings of my site - Facebook and Twitter - are the most

immediate resources for drawing attention to my site. Through Facebook my fans can

organise groups, events and post information about their own interpretations of my work.

Facebook is also a great way of promoting other writers in a personalised setting through

'following' their Facebook pages. Another fundamental use of Facebook as a marketing tool

is in sourcing both market research and potential new customers. Twitter, on the other hand

is a very different resource.

The twitter feed is essentially snippets of opinion, commentary or information from

anyone. My twitter address is @tristtalk.com through which I source the most up to date

information from across the web using my Tweetdeck platform. Twitter functions by

drawing communities of people together to share resources, links and opinion. The tweet is

a brief snippet of information that is posted on the web as a block of text. In more detail,

Nish Chandradas of Technorati describes Twitter as: 'A social micro-blogging service that

allows users to communicate through 140 character status updates' [Accessed: January 12th

2012]. The topics of discussion amongst Twitter groups are connected using hashtags

which connect threads of tweets into a conversation.

There are several ways create an effective promotional online presence throughTwitter, but one overriding fact with regards to Twitter marketing, according to

Chandradas: 'We are being constantly bombarded by social marketing gurus that tell us

that, every business should be on Twitter trying to become and influence. This has caused

loads of businesses to sign up to twitter with nothing but business benefits on their mind...

these businesses are doing it wrong' [Accessed: January 12th]. Chandradas makes it clear

that Twitter was not created to function as a marketing resource and, because of the brevity

of a tweet, promotional dialogue comes across as blanket promotion or spam. Chandradas

also points out how to recognised as a 'spammer' and why this would damage, rather than

improve a businesses profile:


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There's nothing more off putting than seeing someone who is following

thousands of people but only has a few people following them back. This is

mainly because it's quite clear that they don't really care about anything

anyone has got to say... Would you follow strangers you have no interest

in, out on the street? [Accessed: January 12l 2012].

As a writer who is engaging in the public sphere this could be a potentially

dangerous mistake when attempting to draw attention to my book. Chandradas also

highlights whether it is even possible to consider Twitter as a promotional resource at all,

as the hint of promotional activity is an instant turn-off for most twitter users. Chandradas,

however, does make one very important point: Twitter is about engaging with and listening

to potential informants or people who have the knowledge and resources to offer

something, whether this is a link to a great website or a vital piece of social insight. For me

as an academic, Twitter is just as important as blogging for sharing and receiving both

feedback and inspirational material - in equal measure.

Chandradas also provides two more pieces of advice about Twitter

etiquette: Don't tweet' too often... especially if you're not engaging with the

community and just promoting your business. Don't automate your tweets

via RSS or any sort of API. I know a lot of tweeting automation software

exists out there, that randomly sends out tweets based on certain keywords.

Just don't do it [Accessed: January 12th 2012].

Therefore, as mentioned earlier, Twitter is about engaging with a community to

share insightful and relevant information and should not be seen as a marketing resource as

such. I was also very interested to see that using the RSS feed as a Twitter tool was a

significant error as it de-personalises tweets to the point of being spam. It is also an

interesting insight into the desire to keep the Internet as a free resource - a point that hasbeen made momentously clear through Wikipedia's decision black out services for 24 hours

on January 18th 2012.

The final subheading My App has been included to investigate new ways of

promoting my book. In My App I will include the app that I have made using iBuild's app

software. The use of the app is simple -1 can connect multiple sources of information that

are not mentioned in the body of my book's text. This is a simplified experiment of could

potentially be my book as a book app, created for a tablet. Through creating an app book, I

can communicate simultaneously to a casual readership as well as an academic audience

thereby expanding my reach.


15/17

"&

By having multiple streams of information I could produce a non-fiction, general

interest title that would make up the major narrative of my app book. By then introducing

links to more in-depth forms of literary and cultural criticism the reader could engage in the

material on multiple levels depending on their interest in the text. The huge potential for

making this possible through using Apple's software is evident from a quote from the LA

Times: 'There are templates for different types of book layouts, and adding to the

interactive 3-d models, photos, video and diagrams that Apple demoed is as easy as

clicking and dragging a built-in widget' [Accessed: January 18th 2012]. Apple's developer

software potential is also partly the reason why I have structured my book to contain story,

commentary and theory.

Interestingly, this style of writing has already begun to occur within the works of

publishing academics. For example: Kwame Anthony Appiah's book Cosmopolitanism

contain fiction, autobiography, commentary and a clear and simplified explanation of

philosophy as theory - all of it written using simple and entertaining language. Appiah's

book, therefore, communicates on multiple levels that would also make it applicable to a

book app. In summary, I have created a web presence for myself through various mediums.

I have begun the process of putting together a website with the domain name

tristankeeble.co.uk through which I will co-ordinate my online activity. I have also created

a blog to draw a potential readership interest from various sources as a contributing group

of followers to my text. I have assessed the possibility of using Twitter as a marketing tool

and discovered that the twitter resource relies on being an active contributor to online

groups in order to receive the relevant feedback. Lastly My App is a source for me to get to

know the new Apple software that may potentially be the online publishing resource of the

future. Print-offs from all of the online my discussed resources above have been added to

the appendix at the end of my portfolio.


16/17

"'

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the public academic: branding, social media, conferences and the peer review process

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