Are We Appy Yet?

          Culminating my efforts over the last couple months, I have brought the components of my projects together to form the Roaming Soldier app.  Utilizing the platform development of Appy Pie, I was able to combine media elements (e.g. podcast, book video) with the features of my website. The main intent was to offer interested individuals a more structured access to the site from their mobile devices.

            As a DIY app publisher, Appy Pie ranks prominently in the top five. According to PR Web, it “is the world's fastest cloud based DIY app builder software” available. Its designers have accounted for every aspect of today’s mobile operating systems. It’s been designed to flawlessly adjust the same app to diverse platforms with little alteration to the initial plan.

            Frankly, Appy Pie is a great app creator. For a minimal cost, a relatively large audience can have expedient mobile access to a business website. This particular app’s targeted markets include Appy Pie Market Place, iTunes for iPhones and Google Play for Android; and will be supported by android, windows, and IPhone platforms. There is a fee of $12 per month to remain on these targeted markets. But it could take up to a month for the app’s approval.

prweb.com

            Presently any access to my author’s website from a mobile device will immediately direct the search to the mobile app version. I still think that there may be a few drawbacks until the actual app is approved. Additionally, I will be the first to concede that the entire website itself could use some spring cleaning. Like all things in life, time is always of the essence.

“Mashable Ranks Appy Pie, As One of The Top 10 App Building Software of the World." PRWeb. Vocus PRW Holdings. 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014

“How to Make DIY Apps.” Bluecloud Solutions.n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. http://www.bluecloudsolutions.com/articles/diy-apps/

Making Motion Pages

               Chiseling away at the obelisk that is to represent me, I have next endeavored to create a book trailer to attach to my forthcoming app. Indeed; I presently do not have suitable access to early 1900’s footage, which is explicably sparse at best. Nor is the weather conducive to filming a few appropriate scenes. However, I still feel that a modest attempt to add video is better than none.

mashable.com

                Book publishing of today is far more interactive than simply a few years ago. Publishers and authors are adapting to remain relative with every changing media formats.  As comic artist Stephan Pastis stated, “There’s a generation of people that are coming up that just don’t know you’re alive.”  The way to reach that generation is to address them where they are and through their interests. That place is everywhere in a highly imaginative multimedia mobile arena.  A reader wants to be lured long before they've been hooked.
 
                By editing together elements that are within my reach, I am able to create a digital story line. I downloaded stock photos and a public video file from the early 1900’s to render a visual depiction of my novel.  I then uploaded the video to my YouTube account for public viewing. Since my account is also linked to my upcoming app, the book trailer can now easily be accessed and viewed.

                Though personally I find it arduously too social, Facebook’s marketing qualities is without question.  A single post of the book trailer could entice numerous readers. For this reason, it would be advantageous to link the YouTube trailer to sites like Facebook and Twitter; though the app itself will allow all the generated components to be accessed uniformly.

www.createspace.com

       In the midst of a more favorable season I will most likely attempt to film a more precise book trailer. But for now, the video should serve as an adequate trial model. Effectiveness will be determined as the project proceeds.

Horn, Laura Peowski. “Online Marketing Strategies for Reaching Today’s Teens.” Adolescence and               Social Media.  2011. Web. 11 Mar 2014.

Watercutter , Angela. “Publishers Hustle to Make E-Books More Immersive.” Wired. 9 April 2012.   

     Web.12 Mar 2014. <http://npgpr.com/uploads/pdf/pdfmedia_56.pdf>.

World War 1 Artillary. Pond5. Pond 5. n.p. Web. 11 Mar 2014.