I noted, with interest, that the LA Times has started blogging about books. What a great way to tackle the ongoing print vs. blog debate, right? I've followed the progress. I eagerly check every day. While I still feel their posts are rather clinical, rather too edited to get at the true immediacy of blogging, I was excited to see my dear LAT taking a tentative step forward in this direction. Tentative being the operative word. Can I kindly ask:
- Why no mention of your book blog on the LA Times home page? (Or better, and I know this probably isn't under your control, why can't you just have the word Books as a nav item on the home page, as every other paper in the country does? Why must everything be buried under the catch-all Calendarlive?)
- Why no mention of your book blog under the Blogs list on the home page? (you must click the Blogs link and be taken to a separate page to find you...luckily "Books" begins with "B" so you're at the top of the page...)
- Why no direct mention or link to your Jacket Copy blog anywhere in the Calendar section of the site?
- Why no mention of it even in the Books & Talks section?
- The URL is a tough one...and not consistent...why? Users can get to your blog by hand-typing in www.latimes.com/books/ (which reflects the most current form of your blog), yet for some reason, selection of your blog from the LA Times Blog page (again, the only way the uninitiated could find you at all) takes users to a different url: latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/ which is both impossible to remember and not up to date. It only reflects updated blog content through May 4th. I can overlook the lengthy urls, for we now have book-marking and favorites in every browser. My own url isn't brilliant (although I'm working on that and the people at www.counterbalance.com should really get back to me on my offer...), so I can't really throw that kind of stone. But, you are the LA Times.
I want it to work. I want to see you succeed. I just feel like you're not trying. I know you're kind of busy right now with issues that are perhaps bigger than book blogging. And I do like that you've figured out it's okay to add external links within your posts. I like that you have a comments feature, although few seem to use it. Yet, you're treating the new book blog like the new fat girlfriend you're too embarrassed to introduce to your friends. I don't understand.
So, I'll wait. For a little while. Before asking these questions again.
