Content Wise

Notable Links: March 20, 2010

ABC Redefines Digital Magazine: Planning for the move from print to digital e-reading devices, the Audit Bureau of Circulations has expanded its definition of a digital magazine (though it may still be too narrow). (Media Week)

Print Your Own Newspaper: The Newspaper Club, a London-based online start-up, enables anyone to print a customized 12-page newspaper. (BBC News)

Society of Professional Journalists Digital Media Handbook, Part I: Practical advice on everything from using social media as reporting tools to creating slide shows, interactive time lines, and better video. (Scribd)

The Future of Publishing--a Surprising Video: A very cool presentation by book publisher DK/Penguin. Be sure to watch to at least the halfway point. (Penguin)

10 Tips for Launching Almost Anything: Susan West, who spent the last year launching Afar magazine, offers useful guidelines for starting a magazine, a story, a writing career, etc. (West Gold Editorial)

Successful Site Redesign: Nine steps for a smooth, successful revamping of your website. (West Gold Editorial)

Notable Links: March 13, 2010

Five Basic Things Authors Should Do Online: Good advice to help writers (and others!) get started in social media, with links to valuable resources. (52 Projects)

Six Ways to Stop the Social Media Madness: In case you're tempted to overdo it, here are tips on how to control the urge. (Web Worker Daily)

How to use Twitter as an SEO research tool: This video shows how Twitter can help you time the release of your content so it's likely to score high in search results. (SEOMoz)

Potential investors think Pandora could go public: The popular internet radio site has been on the verge of death for 10 years. Now it's the darling of investment bankers. (NYTimes)

Complete list of 2010 National Magazine Award nominees (ASME)

Confused About a Word? Check "Confusing Words"

Editor's pop quiz: When do you use "lie" rather than "lay"? What about "capital" as opposed to "capitol"? Here's a particularly worrisome pair: affluent and effluent.

Confusing Words is a handy online tool for sorting out these and 3,200 more words that are "troublesome to readers and writers." With simple definitions and illuminating examples of correct usage, it's like a digital Strunk & White. (Or maybe you think that should that be, "...its like a digital Strunk & White." Check the site to be sure.)

Keep Tabs on Cool Tech: CoolSW

It's nearly impossible for mere editors and publishers to keep up with the never-ending flow of new sites and services on the Web. One solution: Let the crowd point the way.

Intel just unveiled a Digg-style site that lists the most promising new tools and startups, based on the voting of its tech-savvy audience. It's called CoolSW (for "cool software").

CoolSW had been an internal site that Intel employees used to track and rank emerging technologies, according to the full story at Wired Tech Biz. Glad they decided to share.