Developing tools to open print publishing to anyone.
Printcasting: Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Printcasting?
Printcasting will make it possible for anyone to create a local printable newspaper, magazine or newsletter that carries local advertising – all for free -- by pulling together online content from existing sources, such as blogs, and combining it with local advertising that matches the content.
Through web software that we will build, an aspiring print publisher won’t need any technical knowledge, design skills, software or even content to create printable publications. If you’re passionate about a local interest – which could be anything from a local sports team to a local hobby like fishing – and you have an Internet connection, you’ll be able to set up your own publication in minutes. New editions will automatically be created as PDFs and sent to readers in e-mail. The idea is similar to a Podcast, which uses RSS feeds to send out new MP3 files -- thus the term Printcasting
The beauty of this idea is its simplicity. All a publisher will need to do is choose which blogs to feed into his or her publication, pick a publication template, and choose how often new editions should be sent out. Local readers will then be able to search and browse for Printcasts that match their interests, read and subscribe. Every template will be optimized to look good on both home printers, and larger-run presses.
Is There a Revenue Model?
Yes! We will give local advertisers a way to find Printcasts that match their target demographics and interests, and then create targeted print ads online. They’ll only pay for the ads that run in Printcasts that we know are delivered.
This is exactly what many local advertisers who can’t afford the one-size-fits-all daily newspaper are looking for. They want to get a specific message out to a specific type of consumer, and they only want to pay for the ads that reach their target users.
Who Gets That Money?
We plan to share ad revenue with everyone who contributed to the success of a Printcast publication.
For example, if content from your fishing blog appears in a Printcast about fishing that has a $10 ad in it, you’ll get a portion of that $10. And if you’re the one who decided to create a Fishing magazine, you’ll also get a cut. The rest will go toward the bottom line and ongoing maintenance of the network.
Can You Really Do This?
This may sound far-fetched, but we know it’s possible because all of the content is out there already thanks to the explosion of user-generated content in recent years. And there are several open-source tools that can generate PDF documents on the fly on a Web server.
In Bakersfield, California, where this concept will be road-tested, we’ve already identified 1,000 locally focused blogs, and we know that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Each of those blogs has an RSS feed that allows content to be extracted and used elsewhere. RSS allows us to capture and flow content into PDF templates on the server without any ongoing work by the publisher. This is similar to how a Podcast works, but instead of sending out MP3 files, we’ll be sending out PDFs with fresh local content.
Can Other Advertising Appear in Printcasts?
There are a few experiments out there that let businesses create self-serve advertising in print, including Google, Yahoo and others. And we know that there’s a lot of remnant ad inventory – both national and local – that is looking for targeted placement. We hope to find ways to feed ads from other platforms like these into Printcasts.
How Do Newspapers Benefit?
We see this as a way for newspapers to serve many more niche audiences in print without needing to dedicate staff to every niche interest. Considering the thousands of niche interests in any one city, leveraging a local community's desire to participate in media is the best and, in some case, only way to do this effectively.
We also think we can use revenue sharing as a carrot to improve quality. Several times a year, The Bakersfield Californian will choose a set number of Printcasts to mass-print and distribute. This will be in our best interest because we'll be able to run our own ads in them, in addition to any other targeted advertising we may find. Contributors to those specially chosen Printcasts will get a cut of that revenue, too.
What Are Some Examples of Target Users?
Among the people who may want to use Printcasting are people with an idea for a new local publication (now they can get one going for free); community organizations that want an easier way to produce their newsletters; or even a local newspaper like The Bakersfield Californian that wants to create niche publications from existing content.
Where Can I Get More Info About Printcasting?
For more information, please see this presentation, which was submitted along with the original proposal.
When Can I Printcast?
This is a two-year project with three phases.
Our first major deadline is in March 2009, when we plan to launch the first version of Printcasting in Bakersfield, California.
After testing and fine-tuning the idea here, we will then make Printcasting available in selected other cities.
At the end of two years, Printcasting will be available to anyone in the world who wants to use it. Under the terms of the Knight Grant, Printcasting will be developed as an open source product, meaning anyone will be able to download and use the software for free.
Printcasting will make it possible for anyone to create a local printable newspaper, magazine or newsletter that carries local advertising – all for free -- by pulling together online content from existing sources, such as blogs, and combining it with local advertising that matches the content.
Through web software that we will build, an aspiring print publisher won’t need any technical knowledge, design skills, software or even content to create printable publications. If you’re passionate about a local interest – which could be anything from a local sports team to a local hobby like fishing – and you have an Internet connection, you’ll be able to set up your own publication in minutes. New editions will automatically be created as PDFs and sent to readers in e-mail. The idea is similar to a Podcast, which uses RSS feeds to send out new MP3 files -- thus the term Printcasting
The beauty of this idea is its simplicity. All a publisher will need to do is choose which blogs to feed into his or her publication, pick a publication template, and choose how often new editions should be sent out. Local readers will then be able to search and browse for Printcasts that match their interests, read and subscribe. Every template will be optimized to look good on both home printers, and larger-run presses.
Is There a Revenue Model?
Yes! We will give local advertisers a way to find Printcasts that match their target demographics and interests, and then create targeted print ads online. They’ll only pay for the ads that run in Printcasts that we know are delivered.
This is exactly what many local advertisers who can’t afford the one-size-fits-all daily newspaper are looking for. They want to get a specific message out to a specific type of consumer, and they only want to pay for the ads that reach their target users.
Who Gets That Money?
We plan to share ad revenue with everyone who contributed to the success of a Printcast publication.
For example, if content from your fishing blog appears in a Printcast about fishing that has a $10 ad in it, you’ll get a portion of that $10. And if you’re the one who decided to create a Fishing magazine, you’ll also get a cut. The rest will go toward the bottom line and ongoing maintenance of the network.
Can You Really Do This?
This may sound far-fetched, but we know it’s possible because all of the content is out there already thanks to the explosion of user-generated content in recent years. And there are several open-source tools that can generate PDF documents on the fly on a Web server.
In Bakersfield, California, where this concept will be road-tested, we’ve already identified 1,000 locally focused blogs, and we know that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Each of those blogs has an RSS feed that allows content to be extracted and used elsewhere. RSS allows us to capture and flow content into PDF templates on the server without any ongoing work by the publisher. This is similar to how a Podcast works, but instead of sending out MP3 files, we’ll be sending out PDFs with fresh local content.
Can Other Advertising Appear in Printcasts?
There are a few experiments out there that let businesses create self-serve advertising in print, including Google, Yahoo and others. And we know that there’s a lot of remnant ad inventory – both national and local – that is looking for targeted placement. We hope to find ways to feed ads from other platforms like these into Printcasts.
How Do Newspapers Benefit?
We see this as a way for newspapers to serve many more niche audiences in print without needing to dedicate staff to every niche interest. Considering the thousands of niche interests in any one city, leveraging a local community's desire to participate in media is the best and, in some case, only way to do this effectively.
We also think we can use revenue sharing as a carrot to improve quality. Several times a year, The Bakersfield Californian will choose a set number of Printcasts to mass-print and distribute. This will be in our best interest because we'll be able to run our own ads in them, in addition to any other targeted advertising we may find. Contributors to those specially chosen Printcasts will get a cut of that revenue, too.
What Are Some Examples of Target Users?
Among the people who may want to use Printcasting are people with an idea for a new local publication (now they can get one going for free); community organizations that want an easier way to produce their newsletters; or even a local newspaper like The Bakersfield Californian that wants to create niche publications from existing content.
Where Can I Get More Info About Printcasting?
For more information, please see this presentation, which was submitted along with the original proposal.
When Can I Printcast?
This is a two-year project with three phases.
Our first major deadline is in March 2009, when we plan to launch the first version of Printcasting in Bakersfield, California.
After testing and fine-tuning the idea here, we will then make Printcasting available in selected other cities.
At the end of two years, Printcasting will be available to anyone in the world who wants to use it. Under the terms of the Knight Grant, Printcasting will be developed as an open source product, meaning anyone will be able to download and use the software for free.
© 2010 Created by pachecod.
Powered by 
.
