Digital Maker Radio

New things are coming from the tech giants that will definitely have an impact on us digital makers - in this episode we'll discuss Amazon's newest serial publishing platform, Kindle Vella, and whether it's a good deal for the writers. Facebook has announced a whole bunch of new audio projects including a Clubhouse competitor, podcasts, and a questionable short-form audio thing called Soundbite. After this week's trend report, I'm sharing a bit of a case study that I'm embarking on to see how effective blogging is to market digital products. Listen to hear how I'm setting out my plan, and we'll see whether it works together!

Now that spring is officially here, we're going to delve into the trend reports that a few of the companies we digital designers often work with have released, along with some trending keywords from my research. We'll discuss some of the bigger themes and motifs in surface design that can be used in pretty much every type of digital product business!

Some of the trends that we're going to talk about relate to Mother's Day, Cottagecore vs Millenial Nostalgia, the reemergence of Brutalism, aspirational travel, and more!

This week we're diving into some news stories featuring my favourite topic, the future of digital assets and products! From buying shoes that only exist in your phone to creating a digital secondhand book economy, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to developments in this field.

Our feature topic this week is the choice that self-published authors make regarding going wide or exclusive with their books. There's a lot of good reasons for either choice, and I'm going to share my observations after 6 years in the self-publishing industry. Fun!

News Stories:
- Cricuit Subscription Update
- KDP drops MOBI files
- Amazon Music & Merch, Twitter introducing shoppable posts
- Who owns digital products?
- Gucci launches virtual pair of sneakers & what that foreshadows

For more info check out digitalmakermedia.com (currently under construction but up and running shortly). Find me on my personal instagram @luckysprout!

You might be getting ready to dive into the world of publishing (or maybe you're already there) and have realized that there are some seriously important decisions you need to make about licensing your Intellectual Property to a publisher. I may be a little biased but this week we'll discuss some important things to know about picking your publishing route and structuring your author business - and the truth about book marketing!

Design and Tech News:
- Canva unveils some new features
- Cricut undermines its users with a new subscription model

Trend Report:
- Seasonal shifts on Etsy, along with some advice on targeting holidays
- Aesthetic trends on Pinterest hint at the lifecycle of trends becoming shorter
- The botanical replacement for succulents in the 2020s

For more info check out digitalmakermedia.com
Find me on my personal Instagram @luckysprout (show socials coming soon)