Bookcamp Toronto 2011: a rundown(!)

I had the pleasure of attending and participating in Bookcamp Toronto (#BCTO111) this weekend. Good times were had. Here's how it went down.

12:15 to 1:00
I popped into the Self Publishing session with @AshleighGardner and @ami_with_an_i who I think I recognized from work. Wine was handed out. I thought it was a bit too early but, at the same time, not too early.
I probably would have learned a lot if we weren't discussing something I wasn't so familiar already that I end up having dreams about it... often.
That said, some of the more interesting points that came up were:
1) Quality covers are extremely important.
2) If you're a self published author it's extremely difficult to compete with titles from the big publishers if your prices fall in the $8-$12 range. Those that sell well price their titles in the $0.99 to $4.99 range.
3) Having a good Twitter feed and Facebook page is important. Having your titles in bookstores will only get you so far if you aren't going to take ownership of your own marketing.
4) It's getting harder and harder to differentiate between some self published work and professionally published work because self published authors have greater access to and recognize the importance of professional design and editing more than ever before.
5) Book metadata (metadata!) is important. Familiarity with metadata separates those who can update on the fly to respond to sales data and organize promotions and those who can't.

Later on I heard that the Money session was also a hit and not just because it involved book metadata (metadata!) and pricing.

1:15 to 2:00

I hit up the Gaming/Enhanced eBooks session hosted by @mikedrach (pro gamification) and @doingitwrong (anti gamification) who I secretly suspect settled their conflict in a knife fight in the alley later on.
I felt like this one could have gone on for another forty-five minutes and not just because the topic was interesting but they did a great job of setting up the discussion. Basically they introduced themselves and their outlooks on the concept of gaming and books then asked everyone in the room what topics they wanted to discuss. The topics went up on the board and then we started with what seemed to be the most interesting one.
There was a lot of cursing (I guess that's how gamers talk these days), discussion of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. There seemed to be a consensus that gamification should be used subtly and, when used, a lot of thought should be put into what you are trying to do to the users' motivations.
As far as game based eBooks go the focus seems to be in apps or websites more so than creating a file that an eBook retailer can host in their store. I have a feeling things may be different within a year or two but for the time being there's clearly a difficult choice to be made - do you want to create a game/book where you determine the features but accept the challenge of distributing it yourself or do you work within the limits of eBook stores in the hopes of reaching a greater audience.

2:15 to 3:00

I got to host the Social Media session with @boyreporter which was great because he was infinitely more qualified to talk about social media than I was.
I stared things off trying to drive a point home which erupted into a near riot when I said something along the lines "in the future content will browse you, the world will get better at telling you what to read/watch/listen to next and I'm looking forward to it." To verbalize the sentiment of the room someone jokingly (or half jokingly?) "we hate the way you live your life."
In retrospect it's a good thing the discussion erupted because I was speaking way too much for an unconference and the wording I used probably made the statement more sensationalist than it needed to be but here's the gist of the point I was making-
1) Obtaining content has become very easy but discovering content is still very hard.
2) The data is already out there to build a system that could ensure you would almost never have to "guess" as to whether you are going to like something before you purchase it.
3) In some ways this is going to be awesome and it's going to change everything about the way we find and consume content.
4) The world has always been suggesting what you should read/watch/listen to but it's always been somewhat of a whisper and it's going to become loud and clear.
5) As far as books go this is going to make metadata (metadata!) exponentially more important than it is today (and it's already important).
6) I for one will welcome our new user-selecting content overlords.
Ron also pointed out that metadata does come up whenever someone from Kobo is speaking and I did confirm that yes, it is a contractual obligation.
We then got into a good discussion (mainly led by Ron) about Tumblr/Facebook/Twitter etc. and what we think a good author/publisher website or feed should be.

3:15 to 4:00

I went to Canada's Next Top Publishing Model which, a few minutes in we all agreed was not a panel for top models insofar as profits and growth go but rather models centered on the creative process and creating something that was not possible in other models or at least within the former positions or day jobs held by those speaking.
@alanawiilcox discussed the work she's been doing with http://thebookbakery.biz/ They produce what she calls books that are beautifully ugly for the purpose of - wait for it - fun! The process contains no deadlines, politics, profit goals or demands from booksellers or customers and by the sounds of it allows those involved to remember why they got into the business in the first place.
Alex Jansen talked about @PopSandbox talked about how his production company produces stories in the mediums that suit them best and in some cases multiple mediums "like a branch growing off a tree." Apparently he used to have a hand in producing up to eighty films a year and, while what he does now may not be as lucrative, it provides the extremely rewarding experience of really be able to focus and stick with a good story.
@bjibeas shared his experiences with http://foundpress.com/ which publishes fiction "without parameters or size restrictions" and distributes them digitally the way a music label releases singles online.
@justinckinnear represented the promising http://www.broadsheetmagazine.com/ which has secured some funding and seeks to connect readers with more short Canadian fiction by distributing a free local paper and distributing compilations digitally.
While the topic of impediments came up time and time again these are clearly exciting and satisfying projects, none of which could have existed in its current form a decade ago.
Sadly book metadata was not discussed.

4:15 to 5:00
At the Kids Publishing session, hosted by @kveenly and @JudyBrunsek I learned a lot about a corner of the book market I'm not terribly familiar with. We talking about libraries, schools, scandals, eBook pricing (metadata!), YA and the need for genre re-categorization (something about vampires and Catch 22). Many titles and series' were recommended and it sounds like a lot of these books are being read by readers who are not children.
I tempted to familiarize myself with the genre but I'm a grown man and don't have children. That would be creepy right? I'm pretty sure it would be considered creepy.

5:30
What happens at the after party stays at the after party.

Edit: The highlight of the whole event was the series of hugs I exchanged with @kingonvelk I've started hugging him at events because-
1) There's nothing wrong with two men hugging at an industry event.
2) If I didn't he'd call me out for snubbing him and suggest that it was a racially charged snubbing.
3) He's a very competent hugger.