Interview for LP Hoopla
Last month, I had a chance to field some questions from Lyndsay Penner of LP Hoopla, and it was a lot of fun. She covered a number of topics, including The Book of T.O.F.U., and at least a few questions had me thinking about the right answer for some time, which is always a good sign! Here’s one of them:
Why is it important to you to have a print version?
Outside of the possibilities a print version brings from a business perspective, I just want a tangible version of the work of so many people to exist. The smell of the ink, the sound of the paper as you turn the pages, and all those other things that you experience while you’re reading an actual book just can’t be beat by an eBook.
Along with that, the print version makes it easier to spread the message of the magazine in a number of ways. Sure, a digital version is available online to anyone with access, but with the proliferation of Facebook and other social media platforms, people are not just roaming the Internet looking for things. For the most part, the things come to them, and it’s often just a lot of the same content. Of course, by that I mean pictures of cute animals and (lately) shirtless Prime Ministers. The digital world is a different experience from when you visit a bookstore, scour the tables at veg festivals, or attend a concert and visit the merch table. With physical items, part of the fun is often in seeking and finding them, and books are great for this.
Of course, the experience goes beyond this as well. I’m not releasing the magazine to be tossed aside a few minutes after it’s purchased. I want it to be an investment in more ways than one, and as much as Apple and other folks are trying to make a digital file a great thing, it isn’t there yet. Time slows down when you’re reading a book. It’s not the same as reading the latest Buzzfeed list or finding out the news from simple trends in Facebook. It’s a comfy chair, a warm cup of tea, and the pages in your hands.
I’ve chatted previously with Lyndsay, and this second interview was just as interesting for me as the first one. I recommend you keep an eye on her site, and maybe even check out the past pieces she’s published!
