This is the weekend edition of TheMarioBlog and will be updated as needed. The next blog post is Monday, Sept. 16.
It is a date I have been waiting for: September 15.
It is the day set for the publication of a book that I thought about for two years, then worked on for 9 intensive months, and for which I have expectations that rival those of child the night of December 24, or the groom the night before the wedding, is something quite special.
First, I wish to thank my publisher/editor, Thane Boulton, for inviting me to his publishing table. While I had ideas of a mobile storytelling book swimming in my head, it was Thane who saw me standing on the diving board and gave me the push. Thanks for that, Thane.
Thane then sat with me over a variety of meetings at assorted eateries in New York City, to guide me through the process, listen to my vision, and offer his.
The result is The Story, which was meant to be one book, but is now a trilogy: Transformation, Storytelling, Design.
There is also a print edition that you can already order:
What’s different about The Story
I am a man on a mission with The Story. As a person who spends almost everyday visiting a different newsroom or corporate communications shop to offer training/workshops about mobile storytelling, I am aware that it is just a matter of writers, editors and designers discovering the techniques of conceptualizing how to present information on mobile devices, before they start doing it—and liking it.
Time after time, at every workshop, I see the transformation that takes place when that sense of discovery takes over. Journalists who have practiced their craft for two decades or more, suddenly have that moment when they realize that so much of what they know how to do is still at the heart of mobile storytelling. However, there are other strategies that they need to learn if they want their stories to be more effectively consumed on the small canvas of the phone.
Practicing what I preach
As I wrote The Story, mostly through the bitter winter of 2019 in snowy New York City, I was aware that I wanted the book to be a living example of how to present information on the hone.
To that effect, I tried to convey one thought per screen, as well as create a visual palette of assets that I could use to highlight quotes, statements and research that I did not want submerged in the middle of text.
Take a look at these images which illustrate my point:
The Story is a conversation
I often equate the type of visual storytelling we do on mobile phones with the way we communicate when we exchange text messages with others. I call it linear storytelling and it is exactly what the term implies: a vertical, linear scrolling as the story/visuals take us to a destination.
You will find visual elements in The Story that take you to a Quick Chat with an expert on a given subject:
And sometimes I stop the narrative to Take A Look at an example worth exploring.
There are also billboards, for that statement that should be highlighted:
Often I simply wish to offer that side comment that is like the comment someone whispers in your ear at a cocktail party or during someone’s presentation.
Research and data are always highlighted apart from the narrative, for emphasis:
There is always material that should be noted and should not get lost in the middle of a paragraph.
The Story as college textbook
I hope you will enjoy the first of the trilogy: Transformation. The other two books will come out in subsequent months, before December 15.
I recommend The Story for use in a variety of college courses: Reporting, Editing, Design, Marketing, Advertising, Newsroom Organization. It is material that is pertinent to anyone depending on the smartphone to present information.
The Story’s style guide
This is as simple as a visual style guide gets: a single screen for typography, color palette and other iconic elements used in the book.
Very special thanks to Paula Ripoll, who designed and art directed the book, from our Garcia Media Latinamerica office in Buenos Aires.
Special gratitude to my good friend Jeff Goertzen, of the Orange County Register (CA), for his work on illustrations, as seen below:
The Story in reviews
THE STORY is the book I’ve been seeking that codifies the best emerging practices — and helps frame ways to think about what’s yet to come. I’m learning a lot—arguing with it some, but finding it highly engaging and useful.
Congratulations on it—it’s a book really needed right now.
Matt Murray, Editor in Chief, The Wall Street Journal
“The Story” presents the best opportunity I’ve seen to really absorb the drastic changes to storytelling across our industry. Spotlighting the importance of visual journalists in shaping this transformation, is an important reminder of the power that we possess to change and shape how stories are told. Mario reminds us that we’re just scratching the surface of digital innovation and we should embrace the challenge of change. By adding his historical connection with past changes, he helps bring a sense of calm to the current state of the industry.
Greg Manifold, Design Director , The Washington Post
Every editor should have his finger tapping through this colorful and appealing display designed specifically for mobile readers on the go. Garcia takes readers out of the deep sea meditation of print media and into the bubbly surface of snorkeling where today’s media lies, at the tip of our fingers and close to the surface.
Olivier Royant, Editor in Chief, Paris Match, France
The Story is a juggernaut in which the takeaway is that the future is walking next to us, not ahead of us. It is this very moment we are living.
Jorge Reparaz
Quality translations
www.itertranslations.com
Order print edition of The Story from Amazon
You can order the print edition of my new mobile storytelling book, The Story, from Amazon already here:
Pre-order The Story
The newspaper remains the most powerful source of storytelling on the planet. But technology threatens its very existence. To survive, the Editor must transform, adapt, and manage the newsroom in a new way. Find out how, pre-orderThe Story by Mario Garcia, chief strategist for the redesign of over 700 newspapers around the world.
Order here:
https://thaneandprose.com/shop-the-bookstore?olsPage=products%2Fthe-story
The Story will also appear in print
I am happy to announce that we will, indeed, have a print edition of my mobile storytelling book, The Story. I thank you for expressing your interest to our publisher, Thane Boulton, of Thane & Prose. Now the print edition will be a reality, and you can already see the cover and back cover here:
My chat with in Monocle Radio
Listen to my chat in Monocle Radio’s The Stack:Latest episode‘The Face’ and ‘The Story’:We welcome the return of the print version of ‘The Face’ and talk to legendary newspaper designer Mario Garcia about his latest book, ‘The Story’.
https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-stack/368/play/
An interview of interest
http://www.itertranslations.com/blog/2019/3/11/fd60ybflpvlqrgrpdp5ida5rq0c3sp
TheMarioBlog post # 3112