OK, so you are putting up a new website or giving yours a major overhaul. In the planning stages of the project, someone on the team raises the question: which browsers do we optimize for?

Internet Exploder is a no-brainer, as it still commands more than 65 percent of the browser business. IE 8 just came out, so it’s in, as is IE 7 and probably even IE 6. The poor schmo still using IE 5 is just going to have to be out of luck.

Mozilla’s Firefox is definitely in, with nearly 22 percent of web traffic crossing it’s highly-configurable architecture.

Which bring us to Apple’s Safari, at about 8 percent of the market. It’s easy to write Safari off as something that’s Mac-only and therefore not significant enough to matter.

But consider this: Apple’s iPhone, running Safari, had 50 percent of the mobile web traffic in February 2009, more than twice that of second place RIM, maker of the Blackberry. iPhones accounted for 0.5 percent of all traffic on the internet in February.

Suddenly, it’s harder to ignore Safari. And it’s getting a lot harder to ignore mobile web surfers as well. Using Safari on the iPhone is a delight, a far, far cry from the crappy WAP browsers of old. While visiting friends in Amsterdam in 2003, I had my first experience with a web-enabled phone and visited a few WAP sites. Not only were they slow, they were limited to text only. Today, I get full access to the web through my iPhone. (OK, not having Flash is still a drag….)

So if you are updating you site or launching a new one soon, be thinking mobile. By extension, that means you are going on a Safari.

— Jonathan

It’s Monday, a new episode of 24 is on tonight, and rather than think about all the meetings and conference calls that lie ahead this week, let’s step into alternate reality for a minute and imagine we could all run our online content departments like our favorite anti-hero.

What would Jack do?

Before we start shooting tardy online producers in the knee, let’s step back and ask an important question: what are the two most important aspects of Jack’s personality that make him a successful counterterrorism agent?

• Creative, out-of-the-box thinking.
• Focus on the end goal.

These two things apply to content management as well.

Go down the hall—or more likely, down in the basement—where your content team is ensconced in front of their flat-screens. Look around the room. This is your last and only line of defense against dull, uninspired content.

Do these people have the room they need to operate? And if that space exists, is the room filled with the right kind of free-thinking anarchists who make the best content editors?

For example: Jack is always looking for “assets” — agency-speak for anyone or anything that can help with the mission at hand. Is your web crew doing the same thing for your content? Are you making the best use of video? Podcasts? Interactive features? Games? Your producers may not have license to steal cars at gunpoint and fake convenience store holdups to keep a mission alive, but you know they all have crazy ideas that they’d like to try—ideas that can’t wait for focus groups and approval from legal.

Take another look at that web team. What are their rules of engagement? Is their end goal just keeping your website running or are they empowered to make it sing? It may be a little dangerous to give them a lot of freedom, but with the right people in place—free-thinking anarchists really are a good idea—your content will shine, engage, and best of all, win acolytes.

— Jonathan

Seriously.

Because as one of the sources in the Today Show segment said, “I just wanted to learn a little bit about a world that seems to be still asking for content.”

–Britta

As a former literary agent, friends and family are constantly asking me advice on how to get their book published. And since I end up giving out the same information over and over again, I thought I’d share a recent email I sent to a friend.

Chris emailed me because his friends have a b-to-b title they’d like to shop around. Being that the authors are M.I.T. graduates and have a successful medical consulting company, they have a pretty solid chance of getting noticed by a professional/medical book publisher. Here’s what I recommended.

//

Hi Chris,
Ian sent me your email. My experience is in consumer publishing, so I don’t have any editor contacts in the b-to-b sphere. However, some of the same search tactics still apply.

I did a search on Amazon for professional>medical books and got this result.

From this search, you’ll be able to identify book publishers who publish in your category. This is a good way to figure out who you should submit your proposal or manuscript to.

(NOTE: Chris doesn’t necessarily need an agent because his project is a professional/technical title. See below for more info on whether or not you need an agent.)

Once you narrow down your list, go to each publisher’s website to get specific instructions on how they want material submitted. And by all means, follow their guidelines so your manuscript doesn’t get trashed by some intern who was told to go through the pile and light fire to any submission that doesn’t fit their submission criteria–seriously!

McGraw-Hill is a good publisher, and you’d want their Professional-Medical division. From their description, your book would be right on target:
“McGraw-Hill MEDICAL provides students and professionals with the global standard of best healthcare practices by delivering current and comprehensive resources from leading authors and institutions.”

Here’s their page for authors who want to submit proposals.

They have a series of pages about submissions, and you’d want to be sure to go through their checklists before submitting.

In this case, it looks like they would want to see the full manuscript (vs. a book proposal).

However, if you find that other publishers want a proposal and if you need help writing one, I highly recommend the book How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen.

//

More about finding a Literary Agent
Authors hoping to get published by a mainstream consumer publisher (Random House, Penguin Putnam) will need an agent. Most mainstream publishers no longer accept submissions directly from authors. And no author should even think about signing a publishing contract with having an agent or experienced publishing lawyer (i.e. not your brother-in-law, the criminal lawyer) reviewing it first.

Don’t be stingy about giving away some of your royalties, even if you already have an offer in the bag. There are hundreds of stories about an author who didn’t fight for film rights—or foreign rights or that extra ½ percent—who got royally screwed. Agents typically have “boilerplate” contracts on file with major publishers. These boilerplate contracts represent years of haggling with the publisher’s legal department.

How to find a literary agent? Start by reading the acknowledgments page of your favorite titles in your category. Authors usually thank their agents, and agents tend to be interested fresh takes on the same topics. Don’t fret if a junior agent expresses interest in your project—do you really want to share an agent with Stephen King?

Additional tools for finding a literary agent:

• 2009 Guide to Literary Agents by Chuck Sambuchino
• Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents 2009
• Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction–and Get it Published by Susan Rabiner
• MediaBistro.com’s “Pitching an Agent” column

But don’t just find the agent: find the agent who is going to add the most value.

In his recent post, “Where Have All the Agents Gone,” Seth Godin wrote, “Literary agents are crucial when publishers believe that their choice of content is essential but have too many choices and too little time. But publishers don’t trust every literary agent. They trust agents they believe in. Key point: anonymous agents are interchangeable and virtually worthless.”

Good luck!

–Britta

It’s not Billy Mays’ fault that his voice could drive a train down a dirt road.

How many times have you peacefully dozed off in front of the TV, a dog snoozing under each arm, only to be slapped into consciousness by:

I have removed startled dachshunds from my neck one too many times.

Apparently, loud commercials are also the bete noir of California Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, who introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act last June. The bill would prohibit commercials from being broadcast louder than the programs they reside in.

The advertising industry is: a) up in arms about any more federal regulation of what they do and how they do it; b) denying that commercials are being broadcast louder than TV programs; and c) admitting that making the commercials louder may be annoying, but it is effective in getting people’s attention.

They’ve been drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid again. Do they really think that making consumers angry is the way to go? I know that annoying commercials have never gotten me to buy anything and have made me vow to never buy certain products, including everything pitched by the stentorian Mr. Mays.

Online, the ad assault on the senses continues, with purveyors of rich media advertisements continually coming up with new ways to annoy. Pock-up blocker enabled? Too bad. We’ve got your flashy, shaking ads, your auto-play video ads, your expandable ads (those awful things that fold across the page or explode in size when you mouse over them) and your floating ads (the ones that bob and weave across the page, daring you to click on the little “x” that will make them go away, then moving at the last second so you click on the ad anyway).

And with people up-armoring their browsers to block all advertising, what’s a marketer left to do? What is left behind once the ads are gone?

Content.

Learn to love it. It’s the final frontier.

We are devouring so much media these days: websites, emails, newsletters, TV, radio, print (albeit dwindling), online videos and social media. With this avalanche of content you’d think that we would be less detailed about picking up on the nuances, less effected by poor communication and design, but I find the opposite to be true. The more media I consume the more neon orange and off-putting the really bad content becomes and the more pastoral and engaging the well written/designed content becomes.

Here are a few examples of messages I recently received that turned me off:

WHERE’S THE BFF

“Hi Ian,

I’m thrilled to personally invite you to Mediabistro Circus 2009, Extraordinary Impact: Where Media Meets Technology. An impressive roster of new media MacGyvers will share ingenious ways to make the most of limited resources in a challenging economy.

At Mediabistro Circus, you’ll learn how to:

Turn your passion into a business with Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek
Give your brand personality with Gary Vaynerchuck, host of Wine Library TV
Build relationships that power success with Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone
Create a journalism of engagement with John A. Byrne, executive editor, Businessweek.com
Create your own social network with Gina Bianchini, founder and CEO of social networking platform Ning.com. And we’ll have entertainment, valuable opportunities to meet your colleagues, and some fun surprises.

One especially good bit of news is that we’ve reduced the ticket price this year to make it easier for you to attend and learn from these inspiring innovators. The early-bird 2-day pass for one person is $695, and the group rate is just $245. Register now to lock in these deals.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Laurel
Laurel Touby
founder & cyberhostess | mediabistro.com”

Communication Next Time

While I appreciate the “personal invitation” once I scroll past the fold I realize I am really not that special. “Personal invitation” is camouflaged marketing lingo for there is a field in our database named FirstName. If this was indeed “personal”,  Laurel Touby would have sent me an email not mailer@mediabistro.com. It is these small things that differentiate building real trust and just asking for the sale.

Next time just send me, and the other 100k people in your database, a more informative email and skip the personal business, it’s not personal, it’s business—and I understand we’re not bff’s.

WHERE’S THE DISASTER?

I, like much of wired America, order many things from Amazon. I have very few complaints—except this.

It wasn’t raining on January 27th; it was neither too hot nor too cold. Everything was perfect about the day except I needed dual monitors to get started on a content migration project and needed (4) Tritton TRI-UV100 SEE2 USB 2.0 SVGA Adapters and they weren’t in the office when I arrived. This created a wee bit of stress that was further amplified by the lack of knowledge concerning a potential “natural disaster.”

This got me:

a. Worried about the UPS driver.

b. Wondering if a tornado was headed towards me.

c. Wrestling with navigation at weather.com (which actually is a disaster).

Communication Next Time

Next time tell me my package is running late and give me a realistic date of when it’s going to arrive— “Delayed”, is just fine.

For the past few weeks, my existence has consisted of eating, sleeping, working and daydreaming about a tortoise. Discouraged by my new landlord’s no pet policy, a tortoise seemed a perfect low-profile pet candidate. My imaginary but soon-to-be pet tortoise is a girl and has a name—Priscilla.

To the best of my knowledge, a tortoise doesn’t bark or meow or chew up the baseboards. Best of all, tortoises are herbivores, so Priscilla won’t require any mashed up meat from a can.

After a week or two of dreaming about Priscilla, my fantasy was interrupted by a harsh dose of reality: tortoises hibernate. For several months. All winter long. I decided that Priscilla can not be, because when she hibernates, I will miss her too much.

If Priscilla were a website, we’d tell her that a hibernating site is a site no one wants.

We’d say, “Priscilla, before you become part of the world wide web, you need to get this through your exoskeleton:”

• What is going to keep your audience engaged and coming back and wanting more?

• Will your content hold your audience’s attention with it’s every move?

• Will your audience be unable to resist photographing it to document every new development and forwarding updates to family, friends and everyone and anyone else in their contact list?

Don’t let your content curl up for a couple of months and go to sleep while your audience checks back, obsessively at first, looking for any sign of life, then frequently, then seldom and then, maybe . . . not at all.

–Wendy Joan

PS. I’ve just learned that not all tortoises hibernate. And even the species that do can be kept awake if they find a good domestic setting. Which just goes to show that even if your content is suiting up for a long winter’s nap, there’s still time to change it’s natural instinct to ensure it never hibernates again.

Some people obsess over the idea of an empty email inbox, doing everything possible to achieve that Zen-state of blankness.

It’s a worthy goal. Getting the email tiger by the tail, instead of having it the other way around will make you feel just a tiny bit more in control of the maelstrom of data flying at you every day.

Here’s a few more ways to seize your digital destiny from the djinns of chaos.

1. If you hate your webmail server at work, and who doesn’t, set up a Gmail account and have all of your work email forwarded there. It’s easy to access from anywhere, has massive amounts of storage and some neat organizing tools. I have one acquaintance who conducts all of his business from the Gmail account. Just don’t tell your network administrator that you’re doing this.
2. Organize your bookmarks. It’s probably too late to organize the ones already in your browser, but if you do take that plunge, you’ll never regret it. Make some folders and use them. If it’s really too late to save that patient, it’s never to late to open a social bookmarking account with delicious.
3. Organize your passwords. Don’t ever waste some poor schmo’s time in customer service again because you forgot your password. There’s really no excuse and you are keeping someone who really needs help waiting even longer. Someday, that person may be you. The rage you prevent may be your own.

One final Zen thought, from the philosopher Basho: “A flute with no holes is not a flute, but a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.”
— Jonathan

There’s something intriguing about giving up a vice during the 40 days of lent.*

And while some people take the easy way out (liver and onions) others take the high road and give up chocolate. Or cheese.

Which got us thinking–if you had to go on a 40-day content fast, what would you give up?

Here’s a sampling of “chocolate and cheese” sacrifices from those in the office who were brave enough to answer:

Jonathan

As a news junkie who visits dozens of sites on a daily basis, my top 5 toughest sites to let go of for a month would be:

1. New York Times — It may not be making enough money, but it’s still the most comprehensive and best news site on earth.

2. Huffington Post — The design is a wreck, but it has plenty of compelling content.

3. Extra Mustard — Sports Illustrated’s offbeat sports site. Hilarious.

4. My seasonal niche sports site. In winter, it’s Ski Racing; in summer, it’s Velonews.

5. Apple’s movie trailers site. I love movies, and trailers are about all I have time for these days.

Wendy

Facebook. As a chocolate and cheese sacrifice, rather than liver and onions. Would I be out of the loop after 40 days? What kind of information would I be missing? I’m interested how much “knowledge” I get from Facebook–am I subconsciously or consciously getting local and world news from Facebook via status updates, updates from family up north, or is Facebook just feeding me things I don’t need to know, and aren’t important to me in the big picture of existence?

Ian

Techcrunch. Checking NBA scores. Hearing the sweet voice of Pomplamoose on You Tube.

Britta

Saturday mornings would feel empty without Apartment Therapy and Ohdeedoh.

Even a week without Amazon.com would suck. I’d have to say yes when my local bookstore clerk says “Sorry, that title’s not in stock, but we can order it for you!” And there wouldn’t be any brown paper packages to greet my return home.

My Google homepage. Because between Google Reader, New York Times most emailed, CNN.com, weather and the current moon phase, I can stay reasonably plugged in without working too hard at it.

Miller

Print newspapers. This is not a liver and onions sacrifice. I am actually one of those old fashioned types that reads three (!) print papers every am. Seriously.

–Britta

P.S. Eccentrics (and those who smack them down) won’t want to miss this article from the March issue of Inc. magazine on the Wexley School for Girls.

*When it comes to religion, we here at Eat Media take no sides and welcome all.

The world lost one of its greatest storytellers when radio-broadcasting legend Paul Harvey passed away at age 90 on Feb. 28.

Sure, his demographics skewed older, more conservative and more rural than a lot of the people on the East and “Left” coasts of the U.S., but for “flyover country,” Paul Harvey’s daily news and commentary reports were a part of daily life for decades.

And for anyone who has taken a cross-country road trip and made the romantic, if foolhardy, decision to stay off the interstates and stick to the “blue highways,” Harvey’s news reports, found on many an AM station, could be heard in areas far from any FM signal.

Harvey was never shy about including his opinion in his newscasts. He knew his audience well and spoke to them directly, with plain talk, a staccato cadence and a comedian’s gift for timing.

The talk radio giants of today, the Howard Sterns and Rush Limbaughs of the world, owe a huge debt to Paul Harvey.

We won’t get to hear “The rest of the story” again, but here’s a few words from Harvey’s final broadcast:

Good Day.

— Jonathan