O'Reilly Conferences: TOC

News Release: The Once and Future Book: O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference Opens Call for Participation

Jackie Hadley, Communications Associate — 2009-07-21T13:42:41-08:00

Sebastopol, CA, July 21, 2009 — The O'’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC) will explore the critical trends emerging around the business of digital publishing February 22-24, 2010, at the Marriot Marquis in New York City. From authoring, editing, and layout to distribution and consumption, new technologies are changing all aspects of publishing. As digitalization and globalization continue to accelerate the rate of change, publishers face the urgent necessity of building a solid business on the shifting foundation of paid vs. free content, format and device innovations, conflicting standards and royalties. TOC offers publishers the blueprints for success.

Program Chair Andrew Savikas invites proposals for conference sessions and tutorials for this fourth annual TOC Conference, where the program will decipher the tools of change in this industry, show how to put theory into practice, and cut through the hype for a more profitable future in publishing.

Read the full press release.

O'Reilly News Release: Tools of Change for Publishing Conference Shows Way to Digital Future

Jackie Hadley, Communications Associate — 2009-03-03T15:36:55-08:00

Innovation Transforms How Readers Receive Content

Sebastopol, CA, March 2, 2009 - The O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, held February 9-11, 2009 in New York City, highlighted the many dynamic possibilities ahead for publishers who embrace a digital future. At the heart of the world’s publishing capital, TOC showcased the tools, the business models, and the knowledge that publishers need to succeed in a changing landscape. The conference deciphered trends and technologies that can keep the industry profitable and more connected to readers.

In a time when naysayers question publishing’s very survival, TOC showed the industry how to flourish.

Featured keynotes included one by Tim O’Reilly, CEO and founder of O’Reilly Media, who gave conference-goers reasons to stay excited and optimistic about the future of publishing. Nick Bilton, who explores technologies for The New York Times R&D Labs, talked about the future of news. Bob Stein, executive director of the Institute for the Future of the Book, said books are no longer objects but instead are becoming places where readers and authors congregate. Other keynote speakers included Chris Baty of NaNoWriMo, Peter Brantley of Digital Library Federation, Neelan Choksi of Lexcycle, Cory Doctorow of Happy Mutants LLC, Jason Epstein of On Demand Books, Jason Fried of 37signals, Jeff Jarvis of Buzzmachine.com, Sara Lloyd of Pan Macmillan, and Nina Paley of Nina Paley Productions.

Read the full press release.

Medialoper.com: Watch Publishing Transform at TOC 09

Jackie Hadley, Communications Associate — 2008-12-15T15:26:33-08:00

Not so long ago, conventional wisdom was that the publishing industry was somehow immune to many of the developments that have transformed every other form of media over the past few years. Book publishers held a deep and abiding faith in the power of the printed volume to withstand the insurgency of digital media.

That faith has fractured a bit over the past year as publishers have watched the surprising success of the Kindle and the emergence of the iPhone as a viable digital reading device.

Suddenly publishers are racing to come to terms with their digital future. In recent months we’ve seen publishers delivering iPhone apps, experiment with DRM-free content, and offering free downloads.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen this exact same transformation take place in nearly every other form of media. From past history we know that once the digital media ball starts rolling, the status quo can change very rapidly. It is, no doubt, an exciting time to watch the publishing industry, but a scary time to actually be part of that industry — unless, of course, you’re open to new business models and a complete reinvention of everything you do.

There’s no better place to watch the future of publishing unfold than at O’Reilly Media’s Tools of Change conference, the annual event that attracts industry professionals, visionaries, and thought leaders.

TOC 09 is scheduled to run from February 9 through 11th in New York City. This year’s event features a full slate of presentations and panel discussions from some of the industry’s leading thinkers, including Tim O’Reilly, Jeff Jarvis, Cory Doctorow, and our own Kassia Krozser, who will be leading the “Smart Women Read eBooks” panel.

Last year’s conference was sold out, and I have no doubt the same will be true this year. While the economy is bad and companies everywhere are looking to cut expenses, TOC is one of those events that’s just too important for publishers to miss.

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News Release: O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference Opens Registration

Jackie Hadley, Communications Associate — 2008-10-30T14:13:13-08:00

Program Will Explore What Digital Publishing Means Today

Sebastopol, CA, October 28 - Registration has opened for the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, taking place February 9-11, 2009, at the Marriot Marquis Times Square in New York City. Program Chair Andrew Savikas and co-Chair Mac Slocum have announced the program, which investigates the emerging trends in digital publishing through keynotes, sessions, tutorials, panels, and other events designed to surpass the high expectations inspired by the sold-out TOC 2008.

The third annual TOC Conference will decipher the tools of change for the industry and help cut through the hype in order to reach a more profitable future in publishing. From authoring, editing, and layout to distribution and consumption, new technologies will continue to change all aspects of publishing. TOC 2009 will focus on industry-wide strategic issues, like the changing retail and supply-chain landscape. In addition to examining “long-view” trends, the conference will also supply practical tales from pioneers already experimenting and innovating on the digital frontier of paid content.

Read the full press release.

News Release: What We Talk about When We Talk about Publishing: O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference Opens Call for Proposals

Jackie Hadley, Communications Associate — 2008-08-28T13:30:12-08:00

The O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference 2009 will parse the future February 9-11, 2009, at the Marriot Marquis in New York City. Following last year’s sold-out conference in New York, Program Chair Andrew Savikas invites proposals for conference sessions and tutorials for this third year of the TOC Conference.

“The 2009 TOC Conference will explore the changing meaning of ‘digital publishing.’ New devices like the Kindle and the iPhone have opened up new sales and distribution channels for paid content, and those channels are as open to new players as to existing publishers. New business models are emerging that look very strange to a publisher, but at their core do the familiar jobs of developing content, aggregating audiences, and connecting the two. The act of publishing is here to stay, but the role of existing publishers remains an open question,” says Savikas.

O'Reilly TOC:How Hackers Show It's Not All Bad News at the New York Times

Maureen Jennings, Conferences Publicist — 2008-08-01T09:35:42-08:00

Andrew Savikas, chair of the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, on The Times and Derek Gottfrid’s presentation at OSCON:

But there’s something going on at the Times that probably won’t make it to Silicon Alley Insider, much less the mainstream business press, and it’s something that’s starting to make me think the Times just might succeed in adapting to the changing rules of the media and publishing game (though there will almost certainly be many more casualties before it’s over).

So what’s the Times doing that’s so important? They’re hacking.

Read the rest of the story.

Booksquare: JK Rowling Is Wrong

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-04-22T08:34:23-08:00

Kassia Krozser’s post on the JK Rowling proceedings has started a vigorous conversation. She also cites a presentation made at TOC 2008:

Last week’s JK Rowling/Warner Brothers versus RDR Books trial made me very uncomfortable. On one hand, I completely support an author’s right to protect copyright. It’s time this nation (world, really) learned serious lessons about copyright — what it is, how it’s applied, fair use (yes, kids, fair use is part of copyright). But there’s something, well, chilling about how this case has played out…Rowling is famously protective of her copyright, to the point that her zealousness has backfired. As Kirk Biglione noted in his “Tools of Change” presentation (download PDF), Rowling’s refusal to release an ebook version of the “Harry Potter” series due to fear of piracy (among other reasons) lead to, you guessed it!, increased piracy without a single legal alternative for consumers. Demand existed for the ebook — small demand, sure, but demand — yet only the pirates met it.

Society for Scholarly Publishing: O’Reilly TOC: A Wake-Up Call to Publishers

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-03-11T11:22:43-08:00

Bill Kasdorf has posted a thoughtful article on the conference:

The recent O’Reilly Tools of Change conference (February 11-13 in New York) - whose catchy acronym, TOC, belies its focus on books - was, as advertised, all about change. (Tools, not so much.) Although there wasn’t one standout bowl-them-over demonstration or announcement like the one that captivated attendees at the inaugural TOC last year in San Jose (a book that enabled you to interact with the Web via its “print” pages), there was plenty of buzz. And that buzz frequently threatened to escalate into a rumble or a roar. Arguably more significant than any dazzling demo could be, it was the recurring theme that packed the most punch: The world of publishing is changing in fundamental ways that can be ignored but not avoided - and ignored only at serious peril to some of publishing’s most firmly established paradigms.

Beyond the Book: Blogging from the Academy?

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-03-03T07:28:28-08:00

It’s not just for students anymore. In an interview recorded at the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference held in New York City on February 11, 2008, Beyond the Book’s Christopher Kenneally talks with Dan Gillmor, Director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University.

Fast Company: Bodice Ripping 2.0

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-28T17:37:37-08:00

Kermit Pattison references TOC in this Fast Interview with Harlequin’s Brent Lewis on how romance novels are being read–and writte–on cell phones and why size really doesn’t matter.

Gadgetopia II Presentation Video

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-21T14:48:24-08:00

Harvard Business Digital shot and shared their TOC session, Gadgetopia II:

Booksquare: Two Post-TOC Posts

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-21T11:37:24-08:00

Kassia Krozser has posted two very thoughtful pieces about TOC 2008 over on Booksquare:

The Century Foundation: The Platform: The Power of Media On Demand

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-20T14:27:11-08:00

Peter Osnos posted this piece on the event:

In New York last week there was a three-day event in a midtown hotel called the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, organized by O’Reilly Media, one of the leading digital information companies. These occasions have a particular rhythm of keynotes, breakouts, and networking designed to feature the new products of supporting vendors and panels or speakers evangelizing for their take on the next big thing. Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail, for example, and The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell were seminal in defining the phenomena of media delivery and popular preference. For all the brouhaha around the digital revolution, I should add, both of these were read in very large numbers in printed books. In any case, the goal of Tools of Change and similar occasions is to find coherent ways to explain change in the media world and to supply the apparatus and services these systems make necessary.

Library Journal Academic Newswire: Two on TOC

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-20T14:11:10-08:00

Andrew R. Albanese devoted two sections of the February 12 issue to TOC articles, “Publishers Look Warily to the Future” and “Publishers: If You’re Not Failing, You’re Not Trying Hard Enough.”

Mark Logic CEO Blog: Tim O'Reilly on Free

Suzanne Axtell — 2008-02-18T16:01:48-08:00

Dave Kellogg, CEO of Mark Logic Corporation, posted some notes and thoughts on Tim’s TOC presentation.