This week iPad fever hit, sweeping everything else out of its way for a couple of days. Since the device isn’t available yet, I think we can safely hold off with any more analysis until there’s actually something to talk about. E-books seem destined to shake up the publishing business this year, but it was personal opinions that stood out for me this week. Enjoy.

Seth Godin on Seth Godin’s Blog
Type tells a story
“Not just the words, we’re going to judge you even before we read the words. The typography you use, whether it’s a handwritten note or a glossy brochure, sends a message.”

JA Konrath on A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
Booty Call
“… perhaps I could have saved the publishing industry the heartache and financial trouble they’re about to embrace with one simple sentence. The Only Way To Fight Piracy Is With Cost And Convenience.

Henry Baum on Self-Publishing Review
Fascinating Video from Author Solutions CEO
“I find this is to be good news because the anger over the Harlequin partnership wasn’t just because Author Solutions is a vanity company, but a reaction to the encroaching presence of self-publishing in general.”

Joanna Penn on The Creative Penn
Does Alcohol Help Or Hurt Your Writing?
“I’m putting it out there on this post with some personal information and opinions. It might also be controversial or confronting for some people. But bloggers need to be true to themselves and their ideas.”

Edward Nawotka on Publishing Perspectives
Apple is Up to Something Publishers May Not Like
“The truth is that the text of a book should command a reader’s attention all on its own. Extra-textual ‘enhancements,’ be they videos, music, or author interviews, may be there to help sell the book, but do they ultimately have anything to do with the experience of reading the book?”

Gizmodo Live Blog of the Apple iPad Launch
(Starts at the bottom of the page)

And for Something A Little Different . . .

Omm Writer
“A wise man once said ‘We are all at the mercy of our wild monkey minds. Incessantly swinging from branch to branch.’ With multiple windows and applications all vying for our attention, we have sadly adapted our working habits to that of the computer and not the other way around. Ommwriter is a humble attempt to recapture what technology has snatched away from us today: our capacity to concentrate.”