New media company America Online this week crashed old media's turf--literally. AOL held a luncheon at the print world's favorite stomping ground--Michael's in New York City--to unveil a plan to
promote authors of self-help books.
At the lunch, AOL executives detailed the program--as it asked the somewhat Internet-wary book publishing audience to extend goodwill, and content, to its
expanded "Coaches" section. Coaches, dedicated to self-help books and their authors, will include online staples like book excerpts and interactive quizzes, as well as more TV-like offerings, like
streaming videos of authors reading from their books and leading workshops. In some ways, the program could give video-friendly authors the same type of exposure that MTV first offered music acts more
than two decades ago.
Whether the book publishing world takes up AOL on its offer remains to be seen. It's clear that book publishers feel under attack by the Internet; Google's attempts to
make books at public libraries searchable online has already sparked two lawsuits.
Google's plan to scan in books has made book publishers confront the same fact that record and movie
executives first dealt with five years ago: digital technology makes piracy easier.
Yet, the record and movie world ultimately decided to cooperate with AOL--as Jim Bankoff, AOL's executive
vice president for programming and products, reminded the audience. In an attempt to gain the trust of the 100 or so book publishing executives in attendance, Bankoff brought up the fact that years
ago--before its merger with Time Warner--AOL considered partnering with Napster or its ilk before deciding instead to deal with the music industry directly.
Now, he said, AOL wanted to do the
same with the publishing industry. But, despite Bankoff's bid to prove that AOL was on the publishers' side, some audience members appeared unconvinced. At least one asked, in a conversation at the
table, why it was in his interest to "give" AOL free content.
The Minute wonders how many others asked themselves the same question.